Exit Right 2024: Oxfordshire’s Funding Matrix

Registration deadline extended to 23rd August 2024.

Many companies only think of angel or VC funding and don’t consider the corporate venturing option. As a director of UK-based AbbVie Ventures, Donmienne Leung will discuss the company’s focus on early-stage pre-clinical investments that are aligned with their core therapeutic areas as well as ground-breaking platforms that deliver novel drug targets or modalities in the future.

Based in Culham Innovation Centre, Active Needle Technology produces a device for medical procedures involving the insertion of a needle into the patient to overcome the problem of needle visibility and guidance when using ultrasound. CEO, Ian Quirk will give an insight into the funding matrix explaining how his company has secured a mixture of grant, equity and crowdfunding.

Advanced Oxford is a research and advocacy organisation that supports innovation and economic growth in Oxfordshire. MD Sarah Haywood will present on their latest investment report, publishing in Autumn 2024, that highlights the region's performance in attracting funding for start-ups and SMEs, showcasing significant investments made, emerging trends, and the economic impact of local innovation ecosystems on the broader UK economy.

Future Planet Capital is an impact-led venture capital firm investing in high-growth companies that are solving global challenges from top universities and research ecosystems. A commercialisation and investment specialist, Investment Director Sakura Holloway brings a unique blend of expertise to the intersection of science, innovation and investment.

Longwall Ventures is an Oxford-based investment firm specialising in early-stage technology and life sciences companies. Their aim is to transform groundbreaking research into successful commercial ventures in biotech, medical devices, and advanced engineering sectors. Rebecca Todd, a partner at Longwall, will talk about how to access funding and strategic support to foster growth for start-ups.

Jim Wilkinson, CFO, will present from Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE) which was started in 2015 to found, fund and build companies to solve tomorrow’s challenges. Today it is an independent, billion-pound investment company that helps create transformational businesses. OSE now invests upwards of £1.4bn per year into deeptech, life sciences and health tech start-ups and SMEs. Jim as extensive knowledge and expertise in the funding of start-ups.

Originally OION, Oxford Innovation Finance is a well-established angel investment network as well as home to the Oxford Innovation EIS Growth Fund. Managing Director, Richard Cooper will talk about how young companies can secure investment from one of the most active angel networks in the UK. Oxford Innovation Finance is Oxford based but with a nationwide focus.

Investment manager Emily Syed will talk about Parkwalk, the largest growth EIS fund manager, backing world-changing technologies emerging from the UK’s leading universities and research institutions. With £500m of assets under management, it has invested in over 180 companies across its Parkwalk Opportunities and Knowledge Intensive EIS Funds, as well as the award-winning enterprise and innovation funds managed for the universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Bristol and Imperial College. Emily has a deep understanding of funding emerging tech.

This event is hosted by The Oxford Trust, Oxford Innovation Space and Barclays Eagle Labs and sponsored by Freeths, Bidwells and Richardsons.

Join us for our next exclusive Exit Right event on Oxfordshire’s Funding Matrix aimed at founders, directors and senior management of start-ups and SMEs. Learn from industry experts, network with key stakeholders and gain insights into securing funding to drive your business from of start-ups, spinouts and SMEs.

Oxfordshire’s Funding Matrix is a gateway to unlocking local funding with a panel session that includes key Oxfordshire-based funding experts from Oxford Sciences Enterprises, Oxford Innovation Finance, Parkwalk, Longwall, Active Needle, AbbVie and Future Planet Capital with a half hour Q&A session..

Hosted by Sarah Haywood from Advanced Oxford, the event will open with a preview on the findings from their latest report on the investment climate in Oxfordshire (publishing November 2024). The panel discussion will run until 6.30pm.

After the talks, enjoy drinks, networking and an Expo style event in the magnificent Main Court at the Natural History Museum where you can meet alternative funding organisations and Oxford-based support organisations including Innovate UK Business Growth, British Business Bank, Seedrs, ThinCats and Barclays Demo Directory to name a few.

The Exit Right series was developed and organised by The Oxford Trust, Barclays Eagle Labs and Oxford Innovation Space. The 2024 event is proudly sponsored by Freeths, Bidwells and Richardsons.

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