United Kingdom
-
Ananay Aguilar departs TenU for Singapore
TenU’s inaugural director has left the transatlantic organisation to help build a national tech transfer alliance in Singapore.
-
Simon Braham takes over from Marion Bernard at Northern Gritstone
Simon Braham has been promoted to chief investment officer at Northern Gritstone following the departure of Marion Bernard after four years.
-
Anna Grey leaves innovation role at Dundee
Anna Grey had been director of research and innovation services at the University of Dundee since February 2024.
-
The heat is on: four spinouts fixing a burning planet
Peel-and-stick solar that costs 90% less; cement from demolition rubble; electrocaloric cooling without refrigerant; and carbon-neutral biofuel for shipping. Here are four spinouts reshaping climate solutions.
-
University of Nottingham unveils EIS fund
Managed by SyndicateRoom, the University of Nottingham’s new fund makes use of the UK’s Enterprise Investment Scheme.
-
Gaia Sciences Innovation raises $100m, partners with Smithsonian
The Smithsonian Institution has joined forces with Gaia Sciences Innovation, which has now raised $100 million in funding.
-
Innovation needs more than unicorns
Venture capital dominates the narrative. But innovation thrives in social enterprises and independent practices too—and they’re crucial to the ecosystem, writes Gavin Clark.
-
University of Lincoln hires Michele Barbour to oversee commercialisation
Michele Barbour will become the pro vice chancellor for research and commercialisation at the University of Lincoln in the autumn.
-
Midlands Mindforge secures £30m, begins investing
The firm, created by eight universities in 2023, has made its first investments as it continues fundraising towards its £250 million goal.
-
Editorial: I don’t believe Rachel Reeves on spinouts
Oxford accounts for 20% of the UK spinout value. Funding has collapsed. And the BBB’s £150m US strategy is making the problem worse, not better.
-
Creator Fund closes $56m fund
Eight months after launching its latest fund with an initial $41 million, Creator Fund has closed the vehicle thanks to support from KfW Capital.
-
RGU promotes Chris Moule to director of research, innovation and enterprise
Chris Moule has worked at Robert Gordon University since 2010 and has been head of innovation and entrepreneurship for the last eight years.
-
Patrick Speedie: AI can’t build trust in tech transfer
Tech transfer is automating fast. But Patrick Speedie of Inpart asks: if algorithms match partners, who actually closes the deal?
-
Lansdowne Partners unveils $150m spinout fund
The fund is targeting a $200 million close by December, and already counts the British Business Bank, Aviva Investors, and Lloyds as LPs.
-
University of Stirling recruits Teesside’s Steph Bales
Steph Bales has run knowledge exchange at Teesside University since 2017, and is a past chair of ARMA and INORMS.
-
Amir Rizwan steps away from London Social Ventures as pilot phase concludes
Amir Rizwan has stepped down as director of London Social Ventures, which concluded its two-year pilot phase with a report last month.
-
Francis Crick Institute builds out entrepreneurship team
Jo Mills has joined as head of entrepreneurship and KQ Labs, while Ella Moonan Howard and Faye Murphy have also joined the team.
-
Northern Gritstone boosts coffers with £20m as part of rolling close
The British Business Bank has committed another £10 million to Northern Gritstone, which now has £382 million under management.
-
Glasgow promotes Morven Fraser-Walther to head of IP and commercialisation
Morven Fraser-Walther has worked for the University of Glasgow since 2019, when she joined to run the Aspect programme.
-
ET Capital doubles down on Oxbridge
Having launched a first fund focused on Cambridge in January, ET Capital has quickly followed this up with a second fund aimed at Oxbridge.
-
Panel: AI is a recompilation engine
Is AI stealing your creativity? We’re tackling the ethical dilemmas and creative challenges of generative AI across marketing, gaming, and consulting.
-
Constantin Coussios to lead innovation at Oxford following historic spinout exit
Constantin Coussios’ spinout OrganOx became the University of Oxford’s largest exit to date last year when it was bought for $1.5 billion.
-
Empirical Ventures pockets another £10m from British Business Bank
The British Business Bank’s commitment has now reached £15 million, and will allow Empirical Ventures to back more venture scientists.
-
Hetti Barkworth-Nanton: Defence innovation is about protecting the vulnerable
Hetti Barkworth-Nanton, CEO of Ploughshare Innovations and chair of Refuge, explores how security innovation and social impact can coexist.
-
Rachel Simpson starts as director of pan-Scottish commercialisation office ShaKEs
Employed by Queen Margaret University, Rachel Simpson will be based at Abertay University and support knowledge exchange activities across Scotland’s smaller institutions.
