Henri Murison of The Northern Powerhouse Partnership chaired our first panel with Marion Bernard, Chief Investment Officer, Northern Gritstone, Chris Oglesby, Chief Executive, Bruntwood, and Mark Hughes MBE, Chief Executive, The Growth Company. 

Chris explained that as we see more exits in the North, we are seeing more opportunities for entrepreneurs to go again. Having created the clusters, he said that we need to work on linking them for collaboration. Mark noted that we are in a period now where regions are understanding that working together is important, and that ‘everybody needs to grow together’ so economic growth can reach all areas of the UK. Marion expanded on this theme, commenting that connectivity and collaboration is key in bringing expertise into the North.

Our very own Executive Chair, Jenny Tooth OBE, chaired our second panel on liquidity and exits. Tim Mills, ACF, noted that the UK as a destination for investment hasn’t been as attractive over the past few years due to uncertainties, but inflation rates are coming down and the capital is becoming cheaper.

Guy Weaver, Praetura Ventures, explained that ‘you’ve got to know who your buyer is going to be, and you need to build towards that buyer at every level’. When talking about the opportunities of pensions, Guy was sceptical that pension funds will reach early-stage. Tim noted the requirement of creativity to come up with a product that pension funds can be convinced to invest in.

When discussing more companies achieving exits this past year, Symvan Capital’s Kealan Doyle shared that he has had a significant increase of serious discussions about exists, versus none during the pandemic.  

Helen Oldham, Lifted Ventures, chaired our penultimate panel of the day on investing in B2C businesses, and was joined by Michiel Smith – Apollo Informal Investments, Mike Martin – True, Louise Chapman – Praetura Ventures, and Roger Wade – BoxFund VC.

Helen emphasised the significant role women play in developing consumer brands, describing them as “powerhouses” in this domain. This perspective was complemented by Louise’s observation that male investors often struggle to fully grasp female-led businesses, frequently perceiving their products as niche rather than mainstream.

Mike underscored the critical importance of diversity in business, stating, “otherwise we’re going to miss trends…if we don’t have diversity at the top of the funnel, we won’t have diversity in the deals we do”. This highlights the need for representation that mirrors society to capture emerging market trends and opportunities effectively. However, Michiel introduced a note of caution, advising investors to be wary of strategies based on long-term speculations.

The discussion took an interesting turn when Roger challenged the prevailing fascination with unicorns in the investment world. He boldly stated, “I don’t believe in unicorns and I think we’re all too obsessed with them,” advocating for a fundamental re-evaluation of how many venture capital firms operate. His perspective calls for a shift in focus from chasing elusive billion-dollar valuations to potentially more sustainable and realistic investment strategies.

In our final session, exited founders were under the microscope. Daniel Hayhurst, Brabners, was joined by Hazel Savage, Ex-CEO & Co-Founder, Musiio, and current VP, Music Intelligence, Soundcloud, and Claire Lewis, Exited Founder and current CEO, Baltic Ventures.

Bringing vibrancy and comedy to the final session of the conference, the trio discussed the challenges, triumphs, and learnings involved in the founder to exit journey. 

‘It’s harder as a founder now because you’re having to search harder for market opportunities,’ explained Claire. Hazel, who shared her experience of her four-year journey from founding to exit in MusicTech, succinctly proclaimed that ‘The music industry is mad!’

We were pleased to partner with Innovate UK, and provide delegates with the opportunity to meet the latest ICURe-supported spinouts, including innovators such as Imperagen Ltd and KOKU Health Ltd. 

As the UK’s leading innovation agency, Innovate UK provides vital funding, expert guidance, and a dynamic network to support businesses at every stage of their development. Through their Investor Partnerships programme, they have reduced the risks of innovation by leveraging over £1.25 billion in private capital, driving growth and economic impact nationwide.

To round out the day, Tony Walker and Geeta Nathan highlighted the ICURe programme, which transforms researchers into business leaders, with alumni raising over £500 million in investment and launching pioneering ventures.

Explore Innovate UK’s investment offerings and join them in driving growth and innovation.

Delegates enjoyed networking opportunities in-between and after the sessions, forging valuable connections within the investment ecosystem and expanding their professional networks. They were also able to visit our event partners exhibiting – Barclays Demo Directory, Symvan Capital, The Royal Academy of Engineering, Brabners LLP, as well as Innovate UK and their ICURe spin-outs.