Russ Shaw CBE

Well worth reading the latest annual ‘Equity Investments into Spinouts’ report from our award-winning EIS fund manager, Parkwalk Advisors. The report highlights the opportunities and some of the issues facing industries across the university spinout sector in the UK. It is extremely encouraging to see evidence of an investment recovery and further projected growth for spinouts. Government support for this vital growth engine must continue – helping to build a thriving ecosystem to create more billion-pound spinouts here in the UK, delivering investment returns, a strong economy and positive impact.

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The UK has a new national mission to deliver growth, and there is no other part of the economy that presents the potential that our university spinouts do. From AI to quantum computing and life sciences, these are companies at the forefront of high-growth sectors.    Today, we release our annual report on UK spinout investment, in collaboration with Beauhurst. Encouragingly, it signals an investment recovery for UK spinouts with £1bn raised in the first half of 2024 alone. A vital change in momentum after a challenging 2023.    The UK spinout ecosystem is proving resilient, and this report highlights that global investment continues to flow into UK spinouts at a great level. Key sectors like Life Sciences are also thriving with 210 deals completed from H2 2023 to H2 2024 - confirming the UK’s real international competitiveness in the sector.    Parkwalk remained the UK’s leading spinout investor in 2023. Together with IP Group plc, we invested in 40 spinouts throughout the UK’s university base, backing a fantastic array of scientific discoveries.   We’re proud to support science-based businesses and will continue to champion initiatives like the Enterprise Investment Scheme to drive the next wave of innovation.   Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/euhVTw9A

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Battery and energy storage innovation is key to reaching climate and sustainability goals 👏 so with that in mind - looking forward to supporting the Faraday Battery Challenge and the 18 founders participating on everything #fundraising and #investor related.

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"Funding Collapse sends investment in start-ups to six year low" The Times today covering the shocking stats that VenturePath uncovered, with our partner Beauhurst. Great quotes from supporters Michael Moore CEO, BVCA and Julian David CEO, techUK. * UK VC funding at Series A is -44% from last year, and worsening * Q3 24 is down a staggering 57% from Q2, itself down from Q1 * 9 in 10 seed funded startups cannot access Series A VC funding, the next 'rung on the funding ladder' * Just 32 future scaleup companies across the whole of the UK were able to access their first VC funding round in Q3...a 6 year low * Half a billion less capital is going in to UK scaleups at Series A, than just 2 years ago! As the UK scaleup funding gap widens, we are losing ground against other countries, at both startup stage (a position the UK worked hard to achieve, since 2011), and for scaleup support. OECD data: 13th in the world for scaleup support, and that's before Series A funding access dried up. I get that its confusing. Another report (BBB, Nations & Regions) released this week spoke of positive trends in private investment, stating "The data for Q2 2024 shows that investment value has continued to grow". Great, I love to see optimistic data. But under analysis that bundles venture with private equity (later stage), where a few megadeals skew the numbers. Otherwise the exact opposite is true. Our independent research here, for the UK ScaleUp Investment Mission, is laser beam focussed on Series A. The funding round where companies move from the c.1m startups launched each year, through the 2,179 that access seed funding, into the rarefied category of being recognised as future scaleups, attracting Series A funding (£2-10m). The UK venture landscape is currently funding just 248 pa of these companies, and declining. We've been sharing this urgent call for support with the new Government since the day after the election. I've personally met with several Ministers, and spoke to all the relevant Government departments. I will shamelessly repeat loudly what is at stake. UK scaleup funding at Series A has nearly halved in a year, and continues to decline steeply, more than halving in the last quarter. VenturePath developed The UK ScaleUp Investment Mission to convene the scaleup support ecosystem and £7bn of funders to help address this problem, to improve nationwide access to VC investment, and create more venture-backed successes. We have clear support, clear recommendations to reverse this decline in UK scaleup investment, and have made a clear ask of Government for participation in this, to ensure immediate action is taken to create the conditions for success for UK scaleups, ensuring the focus on growth isn't undermined by lack of capital, or equitable access to it. Government decision makers, we'd love your interest, to progress to action. HM Treasury: Rt Hon Rachel Reeves Spencer Livermore James Murray & CC Poppy Gustafsson (welcome to the debate).

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A few reflections on last week's Budget, from me, and a bunch of our fabulous FieldHouse Associates' clients. https://lnkd.in/exrefrpt #tech #innovation #investment #venturecapital #startups #scaleups #regulation #government #PR #publicaffairs #consultancy

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As we welcome in a new UK government today, whose manifesto is focused on driving growth, I want to highlight the critical importance of prioritising the commercialisation of our world-leading science and deep tech research, in order to supercharge the UK economy. For the UK to create its first £1 trillion company, we need decisive action from government to reinforce the UK's position at the forefront of global innovation. I’ve written an op-ed in The Times this morning on how the government can make a substantial impact in 3 critical areas: accelerating UK government procurement timelines; attracting more foreign investment for our best-in-class companies; and fast tracking the world’s best specialist talent into the UK: The Times (for subscribers): https://lnkd.in/exwr7fuF Full article on OSE website: https://lnkd.in/eUaWKThy We're keen to continue working with government to realise the UK's science super-power ambitions. #Innovation #DeepTech #Science #Investment

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🌍 Innovating How We Spend and Access Health and Wellness: The Global Scalability of Mentwell 🌍 As the Chairman of Mentwell, I’m excited to share the innovative strategies that will set us apart and enable us to scale globally with ease. At Mentwell, our mission is to revolutionise how people spend on health and wellness around the globe. By providing personalised, accessible, seamless experiences, we are able to truly created a distinguished offering for consumers who want to gift wellness to businesses who want their employees at their best. 🔧 One Innovation Behind Mentwell: Our platform leverages advanced merchant codes, which means we don’t need to sign up each individual supplier separately. This is a game-changer because it allows us to: ·     Streamline Integration: Quickly and efficiently incorporate a diverse array of services and products without the usual lengthy onboarding processes. ·      Enhance Accessibility: Provide our users with a broader selection of health and wellness resources from the best providers worldwide. ·      Maintain Flexibility: Adapt and expand our offerings based on emerging trends and user needs, ensuring we stay at the forefront of mental health innovation. 🌟 Why Mentwell Can Scale Globally: 1.    Universal Application: Mental wellness is a universal need, and our platform is designed to cater to diverse cultures and lifestyles. 2.    Scalable Technology: Our use of merchant codes allows for rapid and scalable integration with suppliers across different regions without extensive administrative overhead. 3.    Global Network: By not being tied to individual supplier sign-ups, we can leverage local card networks, ensuring our users have access to the Mentwell ecosystem, no matter where they are. Join us on this journey to make pay for health and wellness accessible to everyone, everywhere. Together, we can build a healthier, happier world. #Innovation #MentalWellness #GlobalScalability #TechInnovation #MentalHealth #Mentwell #HealthTech

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Very proud to see the WVC:E dream team - Anisah Osman Britton MBE & Rachel Drapper - alongside long time friend and rockstar Ekaterina Gianelli on stage at TechBBQ discussing "Fixing the Talent Exodus in VC". Key Takeaways: 💰Impact of Consolidation on Culture and Talent: The ongoing consolidation in the VC industry is reshaping company culture, affecting morale, and influencing talent. 🚀Emerging Managers Aren’t Diversifying VC: Despite the rise of emerging managers, the industry remains largely homogenous, with many new managers still coming from the same traditional, non-diverse backgrounds. ⚠️Perceptions of Diversity as High Risk: Many in the VC industry continue to view diverse hires, investments, and business models as "high risk," "too time-consuming," or "too costly," perpetuating a cycle of exclusion. 🚼 Parental Leave Inequality: Inequities in parental leave policies are disproportionately affecting women in venture, creating additional barriers to progression. But there are funds, investors, LPs and organisations (like us!) that are trying to change this!

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Maternity in VC in the spotlight. Well done Rachel Drapper, Sophie Winwood & the WVC:E team on getting this important report out there. In VC we’re dealing often with small firms, network & event heavy schedules and FOMO of being left behind if we take time out (I refuse to use the word off as anyone who’s had a child knows that’s the furthest from how it feels). If you’re thinking about having a child or in the throes of the early-stages, navigating how to even try and get some semblance or balance, then hopefully this report can provide some useful tips. Most importantly showcasing that you’re not alone.

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Thanks to The Quoted Companies Alliance(QCA) who invited me as a guest on their Growth Capital Podcast recently to discuss the interesting topic of ‘Public or Private?’. James Ashton, Ray Anderson and I discussed timings for founders to go public and how the stock market could increase its appeal so that more entrepreneurs take the plunge. I emphasised the need to give people the confidence to succeed, whether public or private. I also shared some of my personal experience about how we’ve successfully helped smaller companies to scale and grow, setting growth agendas for 6–7 years and working with them towards entering the public market. In this episode we covered key topics such as: · funding gaps, venture capital and how we could use the UK tax system to incentivise businesses · what motivates companies to turn to overseas investment · long-term planning and what the components of the journey to success look like · why some companies would rather stay private than going public – and the benefits of doing that, such as taxation. It was great to hear the thoughts of Ray Anderson; he has more than 30 years’ experience in starting, growing and selling businesses, and is executive chair and founder of Bango. Listen here https://lnkd.in/eseWiqrK #GrowthCapital #PublicVsPrivate #Entrepreneurship

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We are dedicated to integrating ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) targets into our core strategy. We strive to reduce our carbon footprint to a healthier planet and society by focusing on these critical areas. Our environmental initiatives are geared towards our commitment to sustainability. ESG targets are regulatory requirements and strategic imperatives that drive efficiency and innovation. We believe that collaboration is critical to achieving a sustainable future. Our Impact Partnership Program empowers businesses and organisations to make meaningful environmental, social, and governance (ESG) improvements. By partnering with us, you can access a wealth of resources, expertise, and innovative solutions tailored to your unique sustainability goals. #ESG #Sustainability #bigpicturebanking #workingtogether #makinganimpact

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Thrilled that Inflexion will be supporting the next generation of climate entrepreneurs through Undaunted: Tackling climate change with innovation. We've all heard the stat that 1 in 10 start up's fail... but Imperial College London's climate accelerator has an impressive success rate of 93%. With stats like that they must be doing something very right. #climateinnovations #esg #climateinnovation #responsibleinvestment #inflexion

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It was great to be able to connect and share my thoughts and insight for the Connectivity Mix Ecosystem Insight for Connect: Health Tech (https://lnkd.in/eweszqZu) alongside some brilliant other #contributors. A really great example of what we should all be talking about - how we can improve #connectivity and #collaboration amongst ourselves and #ecosystems to the benefit of not just ourselves, but the UK as a whole. The paper has just been launched and can be read here: https://lnkd.in/eP4ptRUr. #ConnectivityMix #JoinTheDots.

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A very interesting but substantial opinion piece from Bloomberg on Starmer’s government and its apparently vindictive approach to policy and delight in paying off its union support. They are indulging their core support from deeply vested interests while not seeking improved productivity and modern work practices. This is bold when the landslide vote result obscures the meagre 34% share of vote. “A deeper reason is that needlessly antagonizing Middle England will do nothing to address the country’s underlying problem, its dismal growth rate. Labour’s central promise was to improve productivity. Yet it failed to use pay rises as a way of pushing through productivity improvements — and now risks setting off a competitive round of wage inflation. It was all quid and no quo. Giving productivity-free pay rises to strike-prone workers while claiming that there’s a financial crisis is not a good way of building sustainable support for your policies”.

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Barclays has published thought leadership on scaling growth stage climate tech and addressing the missing middle finance gap through UK public finance institutions. Hopefully an interesting read for all and I look forward to seeing how the market can innovate overall to rise up to the challenges of financing in this space #cleantech #MissingMiddle #Barclays

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🎧 The Power of Storytelling in Venture Capital with Gayle Jennings O'Byrne, CEO of Wocstar | B Corp Certified Gayle and I uncover: • Gayle’s story and why she started Wocstar Capital to support women entrepreneurs. • Women’s role in making consumer decisions, and therefore the market in general. • Raising capital by using storytelling to break down barriers. • The importance of mentorship and leadership development for women in the tech industry. https://lnkd.in/gpR6HXYw ⬇ Are you seeing the importance of storytelling in VC? ⬇ #boarddiversity #executivewomen #howwomenlead #howwomeninspire #howwomeninvest

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The civil service needs start-up energy—but can Collective Intelligence deliver it? The announcement from the UK government about injecting start-up culture into the civil service, could be a bold and exciting opportunity. Here’s the challenge: start-ups thrive on agility, experimentation, and grassroots problem-solving. Meanwhile, the civil service is built for accountability, regulation, and structure. These values don’t naturally align. But what if we could bridge the gap by turning to Collective Intelligence—a distributed approach to decision-making and problem-solving that reflects the brightest ideas of a network rather than a single centralised authority? Three insights for the UK government: 1️⃣ Stop centralising decision-making. Start-up culture is agile precisely because it empowers a diversity of voices across teams. By adopting an agentic, decentralised approach—where AI agents or citizen crowds contribute insights—the civil service could innovate much faster while still operating within its accountability frameworks. 2️⃣ Tap the wisdom of the crowd. Imagine policy drafts iterated not just by a few senior advisors but refined by experts across sectors, impacted communities, and even generative AI agents trained on relevant data. Collective Intelligence tools can synthesise these inputs, ensuring inclusivity while maintaining high-quality outcomes. 3️⃣ Reward experimentation. Start-ups embrace failure as a learning opportunity—an approach unthinkable in traditional government settings. Collective systems (e.g., cross-departmental sandboxes powered by AI agents) allow iterative testing without risking public trust or resources. As someone who’s worked on digital transformation in highly regulated sectors, here’s the truth: the civil service doesn’t need more bureaucracy cloaked as innovation. It needs systems and cultures that allow problems to be reframed collaboratively, using diverse perspectives and intelligent tools. Can the government unlock this shift? Tell me: What specific Collective Intelligence practices do you think could accelerate this transformation? #CollectiveIntelligence #Whitespace #AI #Agentic #StartUpCulture #CivilServiceInnovation #UKPolicy #GenerativeAI

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