Newcastle startup scene reaches 'critical mass' 7 February 2013 Last updated at 00:30 Help Think about technology startup hubs in the UK, and the Silicon Roundabout and Tech City in London come to mind. But Newcastle has quietly built a reputation among entrepreneurs as the place to launch their businesses. A city once dominated by heavy industry offers not just an alternative, but for a growing number it is the preferred location over an over-crowded capital. Many of the startup founders come from all over the UK and abroad to participate in the country's first £1m accelerator programme, Ignite 100. But almost as many stay because of lower costs of living and a tight-knit network of fellow entrepreneurs and investors. "We are at the point where we've got critical mass in that there's a group of startups that feed off each other," said Richard Exley, an investment manager with NorthStar Ventures. There is a sense now of building something rather than just being a part of something. Produced by the BBC's Franz Strasser.