We are excited to welcome ‘Deepening university-investor links’, an independent review by Tony Hickson commissioned by Research England, on behalf of UKRI. 

At the launch yesterday (3 February), we were reassured by its recommendation that more early-stage proof-of-concept (PoC) funding is vital for securing a strong pipeline of university spinouts to address the most pressing societal challenges and fuel UK economic growth.  

• Call to action at TenU event: “Pathway to Growth: Driving Innovation Further, Faster” on Tuesday 20 May.

• Government committed £40m over five years for academics-turned-founders to bridge ‘valley of death’ between research and commercialisation.

• But the fund is oversubscribed, and experts recommend a more ‘strategic and sophisticated’ approach in line with international rivals.