Universities are engines of innovation, but their breakthroughs rarely reach the market without the right guidance, funding, and networks. The Next Leap covers the people, institutions, and deals transforming academic discoveries into thriving companies. We’re your window into the university innovation ecosystem: where cutting-edge research meets venture capital, where spinouts scale, and where policy shapes the future of tech transfer.
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What we cover | Our expertise | Who this is for | Our ethics | Masthead
What we cover
We publish timely news on university venture funds, people moves within innovation ecosystems, and the regulatory landscape shaping innovation at institutions worldwide.
Our in-depth features explore the strategies, challenges, and breakthroughs defining the sector.
Our eponymous podcast delivers insightful conversations, featuring candid discussions with chief innovation officers, technology transfer directors, institutional investors, legal experts, policymakers, and visionary leaders reshaping how universities commercialise their work.
Our expertise
The Next Leap was founded and is edited by Thierry Heles, who has spent over a decade at the intersection of academia and entrepreneurship, building deep expertise in how universities commercialise innovation and scale breakthrough discoveries into market-leading companies.
Since 2014, he has tracked the evolution of the university innovation ecosystem – from early-stage tech transfer offices to sophisticated institutional venture funds – and emerged as a trusted voice shaping how the sector understands itself. His research and analysis have directly influenced policy at the highest levels: his work informed the UK government’s landmark Spinout Review and Deepening University-Investor Links Review and shaped Atomico’s widely-cited State of European Tech report. Major publications, including the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, and fDi Intelligence, regularly draw on his insights.
Thierry has spoken at industry-leading conferences, such as AI@Oxford, London IP Week, the GCV Symposium, and BI Foresight Live, where he surfaces emerging trends before they dominate headlines.
For nearly nine years, Thierry served as editor of Global University Venturing, establishing himself as the sector’s most prolific chronicler of university venture activity, institutional strategy, and spinout success. He continued in an editor-at-large capacity through 2024, deepening his network across innovation offices, venture investors, and policymakers worldwide.
The Next Leap represents his vision for what coverage of this space should be: rigorous, timely, and deeply connected to the people and institutions driving change. He brings not just reporting expertise, but a genuine understanding of the challenges facing university innovators and the opportunities reshaping how institutions create economic impact.
Who this is for
If you work in university tech transfer, run a spinout investment fund, or shape policy in this space, The Next Leap delivers the intelligence you need to stay ahead.
We bring you the stories that matter: the fund launches and people moves that others miss, the operational insights that drive success, the policy shifts that reshape the landscape, and the human stories behind the innovations transforming industries.
Our ethics
The Next Leap adheres to the Code of Conduct published by the UK’s National Union of Journalists. We are committed to rigorous, human-authored reporting that serves our readers with integrity.
Our stance on AI in journalism
We do not use large language models to generate or alter articles. If we discover that submitted content, including opinion pieces, was created or significantly modified using an LLM, we will refuse publication or remove it promptly with a transparent explanation.
We do not generate AI images for our articles or reports. Visual storytelling requires human creativity and judgment; AI cannot replace artists or photographers.
Where AI assists (responsibly)
We recognise that certain AI tools can enhance journalistic work without compromising editorial integrity. We permit:
- Automated transcription software (with mandatory accuracy review), where we recommend the use of local, privacy-preserving tools. In the case of sensitive information, we require a local model to protect sources.
- Translation services, preferably using locally-run, open-source models like Firefox Translations
Our principle is simple: technology should serve journalism, never replace it.
Masthead
Founder/Editor: Thierry Heles
Graphic Designer: Jenna Clark (Skybear)
Podcast Composer: Alex White (Arpeggio Creative)
Production Supervisor: Roxie