A public event series on topical policy issues

Targeted at policy makers, thought leaders and leading practitioners.

LATEST TenU Hosts

TenU Hosts Global Proof-of-Concept Models: six key insights

Avoiding the ‘Valley of Death’ in research commercialisation.

Key speakers

Meet the panel from the latest TenU hosts webinar.

Director of Enterprise at Imperial College London

Simon Hepworth

Alice Li

Executive Director, Center for Technology Licensing at Cornell University

Desmond Cheung

Senior Associate, Foresight Group

Dorian Haci

CEO and Co-Founder, MintNeuro

John Dearie

Founder and President, Center for American Entrepreneurship

Key seminar takeaways

Funding is critical to retain entrepreneurial academics and unlock their potential

The discussion made a very compelling case for why POC funding matters on an individual and practical level. Hearing the first-hand experience of Holly Reeve highlighted that for many academics seeking to make the transition from research to commercialisation, the practicalities of securing funding can make all the difference in determining whether that research succeeds in delivering real world impact.

POC funding drives a culture shift in innovation ecosystems

Karin Immergluck provided valuable reflections on how the availability of POC funding in Stanford has contributed to the ‘snowball’ effect on the wider innovation ecosystem, with a considerable proportion of students and academics choosing to come to Stanford because of the entrepreneurial environment.

The speed at which funding can be accessed makes a big difference

This emphasis on the need for alignment between the individual commercialisation journey and the funding available also highlighted that it is not only the availability of POC funding but also the speed at which funding can be accessed that impacts the viability of a commercialisation project. Anne Dobrée noted that this can be a challenge with some of the staged funding that is currently available in the UK, which introduces a delay to the POC process.

Funding alone is not enough: support and resources are crucial

The panel noted that funding alone isn’t sufficient to drive successful outcomes, and the support and resources available to entrepreneurs is also critical. Holly again provided personal insight into how mentoring and support for developing a wide range of skills can help to shape the commercialisation journey.

Research commercialisation boosts the whole economy

The discussion also touched on the broader benefits of POC funding. Panel chair, Paul van Dun, made the point that this consideration was critical in the Flemish government’s decision to fund POC, using funding from outside of the existing regional research budget. In this case, there was widespread consensus from government and industry stakeholders that research commercialisation adds value to society and the economy.

If you’re interested in the information featured in the section above then click on the link below to read about the seminar in full.

Expert input is needed for most effective allocation of funding

It was noted that different levels of funding are appropriate depending on the technology in question and so a combination of expertise is needed to ensure that POC funding is allocated to achieve maximum impact and drive a thriving innovation economy.

Find out more

LATEST TenU Hosts

TenU Hosts: Startup Teams – Diversity

Date:

Tuesday 7th May

TIME:

1.00pm

TenU is excited to host an event series to home in on what makes an ideal startup team. TenU Hosts: Startup Teams breaks down and explores the many layers involved in selecting the right people to guarantee startup growth and success. The second event in the series focused on diversity.

Diversity is a powerful component of the ideal Startup Team and creating an inclusive company culture is one of the ingredients for success.
- Allison Byers, Founder and CEO, Scroobious
- Jo O’Leary, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, UK Research and Innovation
- Rani Saad, Founding Partner, Apex Black