Stellar Venture Labs Limited (‘STELLAR’) specialise in creating & delivering unique, inspiring & educational events for ambitious business owners & leaders. We also provide business growth services including 1-2-1 or group mentoring & coaching, marketing, business development, sales & leadership support, investment readiness, investor outreach & matchmaking.
Formed in December 2024 by two of the best-connected & most active entrepreneurs, early stage investors & business growth consultants in the North of England, (Paul Lancaster & Neil Stephenson), STELLAR organise & host the popular monthly PLATFORM events in the North East of England, Teesside & Scotland & also ran the 5-day, multi-venue UK Startup & Scaleup Week festival in 2025 (previously called ‘Newcastle Startup Week’).
STELLAR also advise, organise & host roundtable discussions, launch events & other business gatherings on behalf of clients that are looking to raise their profile & attract new customers or clients.
Want to work with us?
We are keen to talk to any business owners, leaders, brands, funders or investors who would like to use our in-person events & online channels to raise their profile & reach potential customers or clients.
We are also interested in having conversations with anyone who would like our help & advice on how to run successful business growth-focused roundtable discussions, launch events or other gatherings.
If this sounds like you, please email paul@ukstartupweek.com or call +44 (0)7734 722716
What experience do Paul & Neil have?
Paul Lancaster is an award-winning ‘SuperConnector’ & business growth consultant who also created & runs our popular monthly PLATFORM events & 5-day, multi-venue UK Startup & Scaleup Week festivals.
Over the past 28yrs, Paul has worked in a wide range of high impact advisory, marketing & business development roles for local enterprise agencies (North East BIC & PNE Group), youth enterprise schemes (Shell LiveWIRE), Government organisations (Tech North / Tech Nation plus consultancy for Newcastle City Council & the North of Tyne Combined Authority), international corporates (Sage & British Airways), social enterprises (Generator North East, North East BIC & PNE Group), academic institutions (‘Entrepreneur in Residence’ for Newcastle College & guest lecturer for Newcastle University & Sunderland University), recruitment agencies (Nigel Wright Recruitment) & his own events, coaching & consultancy business (PLATFORM | UK Startup & Scaleup Week | Stellar Venture Labs | Plan Digital).
He won ‘Collaborator of the Year’ at Dynamo North East’s Dynamites awards in 2016 & 2017, was runner up in 2018 & won the ‘PROFILE’ category in the North East Times ‘Impact Awards’ for the work he did to promote the business community in the North East of England on a regional, national & international level in 2019.
More recently, he won a ‘High Sheriff’s Award for Meritorious Community Service’ in April 2026 (from the High Sheriff of Tyne & Wear) for the work he has done to support the business community in the North East of England over the years. He was also a finalist in the ‘Ecosystem Growth & Opportunity’ category at the ClimbAwards (part of the ClimbUK festival in Leeds) in June 2026.
In addition, he is co-author of the ‘Small Business Marketing For Dummies‘ book published by Wiley & a former semi-professional electronic music DJ, producer, label owner & club promoter (listen on SoundCloud here).
Neil Stephenson is one of the most active entrepreneurs, business growth advisers, Non-Executive Directors & early stage investors in the North of England.
A seasoned leader with a proven track record in scaling businesses & delivering transformational growth, Neil’s current & previous portfolio includes some of the leading tech, digital, marketing & sales-focused businesses in the North of England.
As former CEO of PE-backed Onyx Group, he grew the company from £1M to £30M before a successful exit in 2016. With over two decades of experience, he has been directly involved in 40+ acquisitions totalling hundreds of millions of pounds, backed by Angels, VCs, PE Houses & debt funds.
Today, he actively invests in & supports high-potential tech or tech-enabled companies, helping them navigate growth & scale effectively. Passionate about strategic leadership, he serves as a Chair & Non-Executive Director, offering trusted advisory expertise to ambitious businesses & leaders looking to accelerate their success.
Who have they worked with?
Read all the LinkedIn Recommendations for Paul’s work here
Read all the LinkedIn Recommendations for Neil’s work here
Read all the Trustpilot reviews for their events & mentoring / coaching programmes here
