The UK has one of the most vibrant and diverse life science sectors in the world, underpinned by the academic excellence of its universities and centres of innovation. This environment has enabled our scientists to push the boundaries of research and develop scientific breakthroughs in a range of sectors from biopharmaceuticals to medical devices.
Future Planet Capital is committed to using its investment expertise, data analysis and unrivalled access to the world’s top academic institutions to identify and support those companies set to have the biggest impact in a range of critical areas including health and biotechnology.
So, it’s particularly gratifying to see PwC’s renowned UK Life Sciences Future50 list of the top companies in this sector feature five companies that we are proud to support – Ultromics, ONI, Synthace, Nanosyrinx and Crescendo Biologics.
“Our portfolio consists of some of the best university spinouts, startups and growth companies tackling global issues. It’s great to see our portfolio companies making up 10% of PwC’s top 50 list, demonstrating our drive to support companies developing cutting-edge and innovative technology.”
Importantly, the list was endorsed by George Freeman MP, Minister of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
“Our £94 billion life sciences sector is critical to our plans to grow the economy, improve public health and cement the UK’s status as a science superpower,” said Freeman. “These 50 companies exemplify how the sector delivers highly skilled jobs and drives investment into clusters right across the country, from Bristol to Belfast.”
PWC says its list is compiled by analysing over 500 innovative UK-based life sciences companies with the potential to deliver breakthrough solutions, addressing unmet needs and improving access to advanced technologies in research, clinical and healthcare settings.
The consultancy company has also concluded that for the UK life sciences sector to become a true global superpower there needs to be more domestic investment and, like Future Planet Capital, welcomes the Mansion House reforms which are designed to channel pension fund money into the UK’s startup ecosystem.
PWC adds that the UK life sciences sector also needs more infrastructure in the form of laboratories, clinical trial and manufacturing facilities to allow it to reach its full potential.
Here are more details on the five companies we have invested in:
Ultromics is the leader in artificial intelligence for echocardiography, enabling earlier detection and risk stratification of heart failure for better outcomes, lower costs, and improved patient care. It is developing an AI-based platform for the prediction and detection of heart failure and its phenotypes.
ONI, which has developed its flagship product, The Nanoimager, a desktop-compatible, compact super-resolution microscope that can visualise, track and image individual molecules in cells or tissues for biomedical research and development.
Synthace has built a digital experiment platform for high-performance life science R&D teams to help them run more powerful experiments and accelerate scientific progress. The cloud-based, no-code digital experiment platform allows biologists to design, plan, and automate experiments in a single place, then automatically gather structured experiment data and metadata in a unified environment.
NanoSyrinx is creating the next generation of targeted drug delivery systems to address challenges in the biological delivery sector. It has developed a platform for the targeted intracellular delivery of protein payloads,. NanoSyrinx is built around an entirely genetically encoded drug delivery system, making use of naturally occurring ‘nanosyringes’.
Crescendo Biologics is a clinical stage immuno-oncology company developing novel, targeted T cell enhancing Humabody® therapeutics, which harness the body’s natural immune response to treat cancer.
If you are a founder of a life sciences company and would like to discuss how we may be able to help you, please contact us at: info@futureplanetcapital.com
Find PwC’s Life Sciences Future50 list here.
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