All Insights
Wanted: World-Changing Companies
This week we speak with Lord Wei, one the judges of the upcoming Future Planet Awards. Launched this year in partnership with Global Corporate Venturing and Tsinghua Holdings Capital, these awards will celebrate the most exciting and innovative new businesses with the potential to address global challenges.
The Future Planet Blog: The Rise of British University Venture Funds (Part Two)
Last week, The Rise of British University Venture Funds - Part One explored the emergence of a new generation of UK institutions focused on innovation investing. When it comes to funding for university spin-outs, the country has progressed from being one of the world's laggards to one of its front-runners in just two years. It is now home to the world's largest university venture investor, Oxford Sciences Innovation (OSI), and an expanding roster of similar entities. In Part Two, we take a closer look at OSI and its Cambridge counterpart, Cambridge Innovation Capital (CIC). Founded in 2015 and 2013 respectively, these two entities are now setting the tone for investment in the country's university clusters. They are also attracting the attention of sophisticated investors worldwide. With an evergreen structure enabling a more long-term horizon than conventional venture capital funds, their recent fundraising rounds have brought leading sovereign wealth funds and investment managers knocking alongside the more familiar UK university investors.
The Future Planet Blog: The Rise of British University Venture Funds (Part One)
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.
The Future Planet Blog: Best Minds, Brilliant Ideas – Scott White
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.
The Future Planet Blog: Best Minds, Brilliant Ideas – Nick Greenwood
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.
The Future Planet Blog: Best minds, brilliant ideas – Douglas Hansen-Luke
Innovation. We have the money. We have the minds. Now we need the Mojo. Douglas…
Global University Venturing: British Innovation Fund launched with $39m
Future Planet Capital and Milltrust International Group launched the British Innovation Fund (BIF) with £30m…
Pensions & Investments: Berkshire Pension Fund makes seed investment in U.K. university innovation fund
Royal County of Berkshire Pension Fund, Maidenhead, England, committed £15 million ($18.9m) and is the…
I&PE: Berkshire invests in commercialisation of UK university research
The UK’s £1.9bn (€2.3bn) Royal County of Berkshire Pension Fund is to invest £15m in a…
Future Planet Capital announces participation in funding for Oxford Science Innvoation.
Future Planet Capital is pleased to announce its participation in the third close of funding…