“Our shareholders are not like venture capital investors,” says Jim Wilkinson, the veteran CFO now steering the finances of Oxford Sciences Innovation, aka the largest university fund in the world. “This is a very different model which is all about encouraging patient capital.” Last month, FPB sat down with Jim to find out how OSI is putting that capital to work.
British venture: immature or ahead of the curve?
The road from laboratory to industry is a time consuming and long one, but the rise of a raft of new University Venture Funds (UVFs) in Britain is helping to transform the innovation landscape. The country is now home to an increasing number of firms committed to turning innovative ideas from academic organisations and associated clusters into world class companies.
In January 2017, the recently incarnated British Innovation Fund (sub-advised by Future Planet Capital and Milltrust Agricultural Investments) executed its first direct investment in a growth-stage technology business. PragmatIC Printing made waves in its early years, winning multiple start-up awards. Yet, as CEO and co-founder Scott White tells Future Planet, fostering serious innovation can be a slow-burn.
Last month saw the official launch of the British Innovation Fund, an evergreen vehicle focused on the commercialisation of UK university innovation, sub-advised by Future Planet Capital and Milltrust Group. Nick Greenwood, Chair of BIF's Investment Committee and Pension Fund Manager of its seed investor, sat down with FP to explain why the Royal County of Berkshire Pension Fund sees serious investment potential in British research...and how BIF plans to exploit it.
Innovation. We have the money. We have the minds. Now we need the Mojo.
Douglas Hansen-Luke, the Executive Chairman of Future Planet Capital, explores how Britain can maximise the effectiveness of it's leading institutions and innovators.
Following the Government's commitment to increasing spending on innovation and technology it's clear that we have the money, and with leading innovation centres including universities, such as Oxford and Cambridge, it's clear we have the minds.
However, do we have the mojo?
