Alternative Funding and Finance for Innovation

Discover the opportunities out there today, beyond grant funding, that could support you to grow and scale your innovation-driven business.

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 St John’s Innovation Centre on December 7 to find out more about a whole range of solutions for businesses, from co-venturing to crowdfunding and from innovation loans to Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. Elevator pitches will be followed by a panel answering your questions, then mini ‘surgeries’ with the experts and a chance for 1:1 discussions and networking.

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.

This event on December 7 is part of the 2022 Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Oxford Arc Innovation Festival. Innovate UK, the nation’s innovation agency, working with the region’s Growth Hubs and local universities is hosting the first ever Arc Innovation Festival from 5-9 December 2022. The main event is planned for 8 December at Cranfield University: a unique chance to find out first-hand about Innovate UK’s funding schemes and additional support offered, as well as the intricacies of developing a winning grant application. Find out more and register here.

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:

• Innovation loans and Investor Partnerships
• Co-venturing
• The Innovate UK EDGE service, supporting businesses with dedicated, fully funded, innovation and growth advice, coaching and mentoring
• Knowledge Transfer Networks and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
• RTO Catapult Grants
• Advance funding and specialist support for R&D tax credits claims
• Crowdfunding
• International trade

Experts and speakers

Event chairman: Howard Partridge, Regional Manager – East of England, Innovate UK

Howard works with stakeholders, particularly the Local Enterprise Partnerships and the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, to align respective strategies for innovation 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.

Nigel Walker, Deputy Director, Lending & Investor Partnerships, Innovate UK

Nigel is a senior member of the team delivering Innovate UK’s innovation loans and investor partnerships programmes. He is a director and member of the credit committee of Innovate UK Loans Ltd. Prior to this role, Nigel headed the organisation’s support for innovative SMEs in gaining access to private sector capital to accelerate the journey from concept to commercialisation.

Richard Carey-Evans, Senior Innovation and Growth Specialist, Innovate UK EDGE in the East of England

Richard’s role is to support high-potential, innovative businesses to achieve their growth ambitions through tailored innovation management, commercialisation, internationalisation and access to finance support. Specialisms include commercial strategy, marketing and international trade.

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.

Will Fraser, GrantTree

Will, the Commercial Director of GrantTree, has a background in risk finance and has overseen £350m+ of non-dilutive funding obtained for startups.

Kieren Paterson, Head of Marshall Futureworx

Kieren has developed aerospace products and modified aircraft from and for almost every major aerospace OEM. He has worked around the world on a variety of international civil and military programmes, from truly unique programmes like the conversion of a Lockheed C130 into a flight test bed for the Airbus A400M engine, to hugely successful long term production programmes such as the auxiliary fuel tanks for the Boeing P-8 Poseidon.

Jody Chatterjee, Knowledge Transfer Adviser, Knowledge Transfer Network, Innovate UK

Jody is the Knowledge Transfer Adviser for KTP projects with companies in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and North London. Experience includes entrepreneurial board level executive; co-founded enterprises and has led high performing teams to deliver stakeholders’ expectations.

Rebecca Reay, Grants Programme Manager, RTO Catapult Grants

James Macnaghten, CEO, Caldera Heat Batteries Ltd

James is the CEO of Caldera, a start-up tackling the decarbonisation of heat. He has raised over £15m for early-stage technology companies, including £1.6m on Crowdcube last year for Caldera.

Derek Noakes, International Trade Team Manager, Department of International Trade

Derek is the International Trade Team Manager for Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. DIT’s export service includes export planning, research, market entry, making connections, targeted business opportunities and supporting overseas sales and distribution strategies.

Mathilde Murphy, International Trade Advisor, Department of International Trade

Mathilde Murphy has been an International Trade Adviser at DIT 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.