In a vibrant display of entrepreneurial spirit, the SETsquared Partnership highlighted the investment potential of university startups and spinouts at a high-profile event in London last month. 

Investment Futures attracted a dynamic crowd of over 300 attendees, bringing together university researchers, innovators, industry experts and investors interested in capitalising on groundbreaking tech innovation. 

Our companies Amutri, CDotBio, Ferryx, Supersmith and Veracity Trust Network were among 20 innovative deep-tech and science-based startups and spinouts that were competitively chosen to pitch out of 400 companies from SETsquared’s portfolio.  

Each had 60 seconds to present their value proposition to investors to secure funds. 

Jenny Bailey Cooper, co-founder and CEO of Ferryx, a spinout which develops next-generation probiotics to improve gut health, said Investment Futures was hugely beneficial: “This event has put us in front of the right investors and allowed us to have relevant conversations. We have also made helpful connections with people who can offer valuable advice. 

The support we received from SETsquared on the run-up to this event helped us polish our pitch, understand what to expect and hone what we want so we could make the most of the opportunity to attract investment.” 

Investment Futures also featured in-depth panels and roundtable discussions to explore the forthcoming investment landscape and delve into pressing opportunities and challenges within the investment ecosystem. Key topics included disruptive technologies, artificial intelligence, and the funding landscape for Net Zero technologies. 

“Science and deep tech companies are critical to our economy,” said Marty Reid, Executive Director at SETsquared Partnership. “This is because they bring high-value jobs and growth to our regions, and are essential to facing many challenges, such as healthcare, security, and energy, while in digital transformation. The opportunities to make a difference and enhance our future are readily available.” 

The partnership between innovators and investors is vital to solve real-world problems and secure a prosperous and more sustainable future. 

Increasing collaboration and breaking down obstacles between universities and investors has been a critical initiative for SETsquared. Two initiatives were featured at the event: 

IMPACT-IP has been gathering pace and is set to launch next year. This programme aims to increase the pace of university commercialisation and spinout creation by developing new toolkits and standards for universities and investors to use to streamline the process. 

In addition, investors were introduced to an exciting new initiative, a £300m spinout investment vehicle in partnership with QantX. This initiative seeks to create co-investment opportunities, reduce risks in early-stage deep-tech ventures, and increase capital for innovative projects. 

Peter Henry, Investor, Act 5 Ventures UK, said: “Investment Futures is a great event because it brings together key players from the early-stage investment ecosystem, so not just founders and investors but also everyone in between who provide the mentorship, the connections and access to markets. I invest in ventures that have purpose, and the real value of an investment can’t just be measured in pounds and pence. Angels, venture capitalists and corporate venturers have a social commitment to improve the environments we operate in. I’ve seen some promising startups at the event, specifically one that is improving the safety of the key food production with pulse oxidation, and one that is developing reusable, small satellites.” 

Investors can learn more about the companies that pitched at this event and others on SETsquared’s Online Investment Platform. 

Find out more about SETsquared Bristol’s incubation programmes.