Real Business

If you've not come across 10,000 Champions before, here's the gig:

We believe, like NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology & the Arts), that a relatively small number of dynamic companies (circa 10/11,000) will generate half the new jobs in the UK economy.

These are, without exaggeration, Britain's most important companies. Their bosses - Britain's new generation of entrepreneurial leaders - are nothing short of British heroes, champions of business who will revive Britain, producing future wealth, sectors and employment. If they succeed, Britain will thrive; if they fail, economic oblivion beckons.

So who are these new heroes of British business? In which sectors are they operating? In which regions?

Every week, 10,00 Champions brings you up to date; and provides exclusive analysis of their teams, locations, success strategies and financial backing. We base our selection on active, innovation-led SMEs that are specifically mandated to grow (by raising equity finance).

I'll be filing background profiles on this set of entrepreneurs later, but here's this week's headline news:

• Richard Lee, former publisher and CEO of Creativity Software, is aggressively growing his Surrey-based business, which enables mobile network operators to offer "location-based services". Doing deals in Afghanistan, this is a terrific, innovation-led international success story. (More on Real Deals, subscription-only.)
• Also in the location services sector (clearly one where British entrepreneurs know their way around - geddit?), experienced corporate managers Peter Burridge and Mike Norfield have led an MBO of Team Telecom from the Spice Group. The firm has a nice, captive client base. (More on Real Deals, subscription-only.)
• Terry Burt, CEO of £240m-turnover IT service provider 2e2 has led 23 M&A deals during this career. He's added one more to the list by acquiring, with private equity backing, the listed IT business Morse. A deal-doer worth watching. (More on Real Deals, subscription-only.)
• The proven north-west team of Ron Long and Chris Lyddon have secured £3m to build a healthcare/life sciences group, RCC Lifesciences. Last year they sold their last business for £82m, so they look a good team to back. (More on Real Deals, subscription-only.)
• Jeffrey Adams, group chief executive of United House Group, has secured significant backing to grow the social housing group. (More on Real Deals, subscription-only.)
• Joel Cadbury (yes, of the chocolate family dynasty) is an increasingly impressive entrepreneur and philanthropist who's planning to roll out his premier gym business, The Third Space (Jodie Kidd is among clients). Working alongside CEO Eric Dunmore, he's now got serious backing in place. NB: last week's Gymbox deal - gyms are healthy business.