Organiser: Innovate UK EDGE
Venue: University of Hertfordshire 3rd Floor, Enterprise Hub de Havilland Campus, University of Hertfordshire Hatfield AL10 9EU
Address: University of Hertfordshire 3rd Floor, Enterprise Hub de Havilland Campus, University of Hertfordshire Hatfield AL10 9EU
Date & Time: 15 Jun 2023 - 4:00 pm-7:00 pm
The funding and finance landscape for innovation-driven businesses is ever changing. What opportunities are out there today beyond grant funding that could support you to grow at pace and scale your business? Join the Innovate UK EDGE team at the University of Hertfordshire on June 15 to find out more about a wide range of solutions for businesses, from Investor Partnerships to Crowdfunding to Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and more. Elevator pitches will be followed by a panel answering your questions, then mini ‘surgeries’ with the experts and a chance for 1:1 discussions followed by networking and refreshments.
This fast-paced event will get you up to speed with the latest in innovation funding and finance and open the door to limitless opportunities.
Who is this event for?
This event will be rewarding for founders and directors of innovation-driven companies looking for alternative ideas in funding, finance and support that will help their business in its growth journey.
What will delegates learn?
We will have elevator pitches, Q&As with an expert panel and mini ‘surgeries’ on alternative offers that could support your business:
Experts and speakers
Professor Julie Newlan MBE, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire (UH)
Professor Newlan is engaged in all strategic and operational decisions which underpin the positioning and success of the University of Hertfordshire. Julie’s academic career began at the London Institute in 1993, after achieving management success in retail and strategy. She joined the UH Business School in 1996 and held various posts before being appointed Pro Vice-Chancellor for Business and International Development in 2011 and was appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor in 2022. Julie was made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2014 for her services to higher education. She represents the University externally at the Higher Education Funding Council for England, Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the East of England Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).
Event chair: Howard Partridge, Regional Manager – East of England, Innovate UK
Howard works with place-based stakeholders, particularly Local Enterprise Partnerships and the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, to align respective strategies for innovation, work with those partners to connect national innovation support to local needs and opportunities, and to understand and highlight the innovation strengths of the region. He is currently working on initiatives that seek to accelerate the diffusion of innovations and the adoptions of technologies and best practice that will increase business productivity.
Arun Muthirulan, Innovation & Growth Team Manager. National Investment Readiness Group Member, Innovate UK EDGE
Arun is a Senior Innovation, Growth and Investment specialist delivering Innovate UK EDGE’s tailored support for SMEs to help them raise funding, innovate, grow and scale. He is a member of Innovate UK EDGE’s National Investment Readiness Group and specialises in funding sources for innovation, business models and financial modelling.
Stephanie Aldridge, Senior Innovation & Growth Specialist. Investment Readiness Champion – East of England, Innovate UK EDGE
Stephanie is an experienced business adviser and has a proven track record of supporting ambitious businesses to develop winning commercial strategies, become investment ready, and secure funding and finance. Stephanie has held several Directorships and has a background in strategy consulting, supporting FTSE 250 and SMEs alike to accelerate growth and realise their ambitions. As a Regional Champion for Investment Readiness, Stephanie manages investment readiness programmes in the East of England.
Dr Peter Gooden, Head of Innovation, University of Hertfordshire
Pete spent almost 10 years in the chemical industry working for a university spinout company. Subsequently, Pete moved into the Higher Education sector and now holds the position of Head of Innovation at Herts. Pete’s team manage Herts’ KTP portfolio and is enabling industry to gain funding to access the expertise and facilities within the University. Pete also manages the intellectual property pipeline at Herts.
Martin Bould, CEO/ Founder, Little Birdie
Martin is a co-founder and CEO of Little Birdie, the UKs first personal subscription and recurring payment management app – helping consumers save time and money on unwanted and unused subscriptions. Innovate UK EDGE client, Little Birdie recently closed an oversubscribed round on CrowdCube for £210k, bringing total funding to date to over £700k.
Richard Wigley, SME Innovation Support Team Lead, Connected Places Catapult
Since being involved with the dot-com boom, he has co-founded three companies at the intersection of tech and media, raising finance and support from private and public sources and working with emerging and global brands. Most recently, Richard grew a consultancy supporting high potential start-ups to access public funding and building complex consortia projects delivered with start-ups, public bodies and large corporates.
Dominick Peasley, Sprk Capital
Dominick is CEO of Sprk Capital. He qualified as a chartered accountant with PwC and has worked at both Goldman Sachs and Funding Circle. He holds a Masters in Engineering from Durham University.
Vicki Savage, DASA Innovation Partner East of England
Vicki is an Innovation Partner with the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) covering the East of England region. Experience includes 22 years with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) covering CBRN and Medical science plus analysis to military staff, S&T liaison with international partners and with wider UK government departments. In DASA she is the first port of call for regional innovators from academia and industry to advise on DASA funding opportunities.
Rebecca Reay, Grants Programme Manager, RTO Catapult Grants
Rebecca is a Grants Programme Manager and has 20 years’ experience of contract and grant management, within various environments including private sector, local authority, DIT, NHS, universities, Growth Hubs, LEPs and Chambers of Commerce.
Mathilde Murphy, International Trade Adviser – Technology – Southern England, Export & UK Trade Department for Business and Trade
Mathilde Murphy has been an International Trade Adviser at DBT since 2020. She mainly looks after export-ready companies in the tech/smart cities sector, helping them grow their international activities. She previously worked at Innovate UK Edge supporting companies to find B2B commercial and technological partnerships with European companies. She has a background in EU regulatory framework and policies.
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