James Donovan

"Funding Collapse sends investment in start-ups to six year low" The Times today covering the shocking stats that VenturePath uncovered, with our partner Beauhurst. Great quotes from supporters Michael Moore CEO, BVCA and Julian David CEO, techUK. * UK VC funding at Series A is -44% from last year, and worsening * Q3 24 is down a staggering 57% from Q2, itself down from Q1 * 9 in 10 seed funded startups cannot access Series A VC funding, the next 'rung on the funding ladder' * Just 32 future scaleup companies across the whole of the UK were able to access their first VC funding round in Q3...a 6 year low * Half a billion less capital is going in to UK scaleups at Series A, than just 2 years ago! As the UK scaleup funding gap widens, we are losing ground against other countries, at both startup stage (a position the UK worked hard to achieve, since 2011), and for scaleup support. OECD data: 13th in the world for scaleup support, and that's before Series A funding access dried up. I get that its confusing. Another report (BBB, Nations & Regions) released this week spoke of positive trends in private investment, stating "The data for Q2 2024 shows that investment value has continued to grow". Great, I love to see optimistic data. But under analysis that bundles venture with private equity (later stage), where a few megadeals skew the numbers. Otherwise the exact opposite is true. Our independent research here, for the UK ScaleUp Investment Mission, is laser beam focussed on Series A. The funding round where companies move from the c.1m startups launched each year, through the 2,179 that access seed funding, into the rarefied category of being recognised as future scaleups, attracting Series A funding (£2-10m). The UK venture landscape is currently funding just 248 pa of these companies, and declining. We've been sharing this urgent call for support with the new Government since the day after the election. I've personally met with several Ministers, and spoke to all the relevant Government departments. I will shamelessly repeat loudly what is at stake. UK scaleup funding at Series A has nearly halved in a year, and continues to decline steeply, more than halving in the last quarter. VenturePath developed The UK ScaleUp Investment Mission to convene the scaleup support ecosystem and £7bn of funders to help address this problem, to improve nationwide access to VC investment, and create more venture-backed successes. We have clear support, clear recommendations to reverse this decline in UK scaleup investment, and have made a clear ask of Government for participation in this, to ensure immediate action is taken to create the conditions for success for UK scaleups, ensuring the focus on growth isn't undermined by lack of capital, or equitable access to it. Government decision makers, we'd love your interest, to progress to action. HM Treasury: Rt Hon Rachel Reeves Spencer Livermore James Murray & CC Poppy Gustafsson (welcome to the debate).

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In Amelia Hill's second article on the challenges facing #femtech founders, she outlines some of the other barriers which are just as much of a brake on growth as lack of investment... 😲 Of the 35 femtech companies that responded to censHERship's online survey, 75% had been refused a bank account; 60% had had an account closed, 50% faced “excessive scrutiny”, 32% experienced delays in processing and 21% were charged higher fees. 🛑 But even if you clear these hurdles, your online ads are likely to be blocked or banned. 🐣 As an eg from our portfolio, Béa Fertility is banned from using the word "vagina" in the description for their medical-grade fertility device on Amazon. (Of course, no such prudishness exists around male sex toys or products for erectile dysfunction!) 😇 There are no easy fixes, but we can all advocate for these businesses and buy their products. Some of us with spare cash to invest can choose to support them through angel investment. Read the full story here 👇 https://lnkd.in/e_xRFfUC Amber Vodegel John Souter Angela Cretu Faye Walsh Drouillard Deborah Gruenberger Rosalind Singleton Sally Kemkers #femalefounders #angelinvestors

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📢 It's great to see the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology launch the new Regulatory Innovation Office today - something we've long campaigned for at Form Ventures through our #fixtheregulators campaign (recap: fixtheregulators.com). But.... 🚨... as my colleague Andrew Bennett told the Financial Times this morning (👇), the RIO will only make the impact we need if it has two key ingredients: political backing - proper ministerial and PM-level buy-in; and financial backing from HMT. It remains to be seen if we have either, both, or neither. 🧪 One other point: the focus on novel tech is great, and important, but regulation can be an enabler of innovation across existing regulated markets too, where tech is moving the frontier of what's possible - and if anything, the quicker political and growth wins are found here.

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Really excited to announce our investment in Xgenera! Xgenera are revolutionising cancer diagnosis with their multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test, miONCO, which can identify 12 of the most prevalent and life-threatening cancers at early stages, often before symptoms manifest. Our decision to invest was significantly influenced by Xgenera's exceptional leadership team. Co-founders Dr Andy Shapanis and Professor Paul Skipp bring over 25 years of internationally recognised research experience in oncology and cancer biology. Their dedication to advancing early cancer detection aligns perfectly with our mission to support deep-tech ventures addressing global challenges. We are excited to support Xgenera in their journey to transform cancer diagnostics and improve patient outcomes worldwide. Empirical Ventures, Ascension, QantX Madeleine Nichols, PhD, Johnathan Matlock, Curran Kalha, Ph.D., Trang K. Nguyen, Alexander Fink, Keith Lipman

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I couldn’t be prouder to be a Venture Partner at Isomer Capital (aka the best European FoF - at least for me) as we just announced the launch of our pioneering £100m secondaries fund. This fund is dedicated to acquiring stakes from LPs in various VC funds, tapping into a massive and largely unexplored market. 🌟 Key Highlights: - Focused Investment: Primarily targeting stakes in VC funds, with selective investments in private companies. - Robust Funding: Already over 20% funded, thanks to strong support from Nordic family offices and a German foundation. - Market Potential: With a growing number of private tech companies and a VC liquidity crunch, Europe's VC secondaries market is poised for rapid growth. - Track Record: This isn’t Isomer’s first foray into the secondaries market. As a firm we’ve done several secondaries deals with portfolio companies and VC firms, including early-stage VC Seedcamp (in 2021) and mobility giant Bolt (in 2023). - Expert Team: Welcoming the amazing Omolade (Rachel) A., formerly of Coller Capital, as a principal to lead this initiative. 💡 Investment Strategy: - 65-75% of the fund will buy "LP interest" stakes in VC funds. - 15-25% will be directed towards stakes in companies. - Up to 15% reserved for flexible investment opportunities. 📈 Looking Ahead: We're targeting returns of 2-3x, with significant distributions expected in the next 4-7 years. As one of the few players in this space, we're not just participating in the market—we're driving it forward. Read all about it here: https://lnkd.in/dc7sbC3G #VentureCapital #SecondariesFund #EuropeanVC

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Swiss company Climeworks are a global leading player for direct air capture (DAC) CO2 removal. They are a unicorn company (startup with >€1Bn valuation) having raised $650M equity investment in a single round in Q2-22. Their new 'Mammoth' plant near Reykjavik will process 36KT CO2/yr. Only 4 DAC plants process >1KT anywhere on the planet today. Massive fans suck in & condense CO2. This is dissolved in huge water tanks & pumped underground to dissolve minerals into solid locked-up deposits. Local geothermal heat drives this energy-hungry process. One strength is speed, with >95% of CO2 mineralised in <2 years. It currently costs $1000/T of CO2 captured, which comes from selling carbon-offsets of clients. Demand is high, with 1/3 of Mammoths total lifetime capacity already sold. The order list includes Microsoft, JP Morgan Chase, Shopify & Lego. Climeworks aim to quickly reach $300-400/T & will establish a 1MT plant. The US site in question will break ground in 2026. It's proponents argue it is a key part of the toolkit towards climate neutrality & reversing past damage. However, much remains to be done. Work so far is a drop in the ocean vs the c40 billion tons of CO2 released globally each year. Some critics also say it's far easier & more efficient to pinpoint the highest CO2 concentrations by removing CO2 directly at smokestacks. Alexander Novitskiy, Stefano Vittor, Paul Webber, Andrea Mangel Raventos, Francesca Boscolo Bibi, PNO Consultants Ltd (UK)

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In vitro diagnostics for early cancer detection has often been a graveyard for investors. Investors are attracted by the undoubtedly huge market potential. If a company can develop a diagnostic test that is implemented as a population level screening tool, this is the definition of a venture scale opportunity. However, multiple factors are at play that make the journey far from easy. You need a highly sensitive and specific test that allows you to minimise false positives and false negatives. This is because the burden of over diagnosis and over treatment against a change in overall mortality rates is a finely tuned balancing act. You'd also want to ensure that the screening tool was applicable to multi-cancer detection, going further than just a rule-out test, by predicting the origin site of a particular cancer. As a pre-seed/seed investor what we are often looking for is deep scientific domain expertise, coupled with credibility to achieve a proof-of-concept data point and/or prototypes. Our latest investment at Empirical Ventures into Xgenera and the dynamic duo Dr Andy Shapanis and Prof Paul Skipp might just be the right starting point for approaching this opportunity. Their multi cancer early detection test (MCED) called miONCO was developed from analysing relative expression profiles of microRNAs in 20,000 patient samples. Xgenera’s two step test would detect cancer using a computational algorithm to identify microRNA profiles extracted from patient blood samples, and can predict the site of origin of the cancer. As a screening test this could improve patient lives significantly. I believe Xgenera has the right technology, at the right time, based around recent advances in computational speed and power, post-COVID knowledge moats related to qPCR scale-up and novel biomarkers such as microRNAs to capitalise on this potential. Read more about it below. I can't wait to join the board to support the team as they navigate the 0 to 1 phase of this journey. CAPITAL AT RISK. FOR PROFESSIONAL INVESTORS ONLY. https://lnkd.in/dNpuSERg

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The art of synthesis for deep tech founders. In a conversation with a founder last week, we were exploring a new business idea. At the heart of the idea is some complicated bio-technology, a very difficult to navigate supply chain and an expensive capex build. It was also quite boring on the surface and hard to imagine a crowd of investors downstream fighting to get into the next round. But the founder explained it to me in a way that electrified the concept in my mind. They came at it from a world of geopolitical shifts, a gaping opportunity to effortlessly reflow supply chains and a magical technology that would sustainably deliver industrial advantage to countries. The founder started with the WHY and led me to the WHAT. See Simon Sinek - https://lnkd.in/dE4RV4Sj for more on this. - WHY: painting a picture of a massive market problem that most people understand. - HOW: building a business model around an existing flow of that market and leaning into it instead of trying to force a change. So many companies fail when founders think they can bend a whole planet around their company. - WHAT: a unique invention that no one else has. After the WHY and HOW, I am hungry to understand the WHAT. The work to get to this simple idea takes a special kind of work - SYNTHESIS. It involves iterating thousands of times over a vast information space that includes world events, government policies, industrial trends, technological invention. It requires an always-on radar that scans the world looking for micro-moments of hypothetical product market fit and smushing them all together until a single cohesive story emerges that a founder can unite a community around. - I'm a Partner at Main Sequence, a VC purpose-built to create global companies from scientific ideas with the inventors who imagine them. I build-out-loud here: https://lnkd.in/gENhMrbU Read this post and more on my Typeshare Social Blog: https://lnkd.in/dAXEMWTr

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Last week, the ‘CAIO Collective’ caught up in central London for an event that was anything but ordinary. Since last month’s meetup with our Business Safari through Big Data LDN, we’ve welcomed a further seventeen in person members and over 60 virtual members!  So… this was a gathering of some of the sharpest minds in AI leadership all focused on navigating the increasingly complex landscape of driving real value from artificial intelligence and its real-world applications. This session came at a critical time, as the sector grapples with new regulations, ethical considerations, and the rapid pace of technological advancement and this meant a packed agenda. By strong demand, we pushed the AI talent, learning, and development into December’s meetup using the time instead to focus on this month’s hot topic… the European AI Act (AIA). So… the AIA was at the forefront of our discussions this time around. Its impact on the industry is set to be profound, but not without some controversy. While many welcomed the Act’s intent to enforce transparency, fairness and accountability, there was a fervent shared concern about its potential to curb innovation. This was especially the case for small and medium enterprises. For many in the Collective, this regulation represents a call to action. It’s not just about compliance; it’s about demonstrating how responsible AI can genuinely thrive under a robust framework. The debate also touched on the strategic importance of engaging with policymakers early and ensuring that the voices of practitioners who understand AI’s real-world complexities are really heard. Another focal point was the rise of AI-powered decision-making systems. From dynamic supply chain optimisation to real-time fraud detection, AI’s ability to handle complex decision-making processes is driving a new wave of operational efficiency across industries. However, it’s not without its challenges. Many organisations are grappling with how to deploy these systems at scale while ensuring transparency and maintaining a human in the loop oversight. The discussion highlighted that successful AI deployment isn’t just about technology; it’s about building trust - both within organisations and with their customers. The event was not just a forum for discussion but a call to action. The Collective is dedicated to shaping the future of AI by building frameworks that are ethical, strategic and sustainable. If you’re a Chief AI Officer or in AI leadership and want to engage with a community that’s on the cutting edge of these issues, we’d love to have you join us. Our next gathering is provisionally scheduled for 4 December at The Century Club, where we’ll dive into the critical topic of talent, learning, and development in AI - a key factor in sustaining the industry’s momentum. #CAIOCollective #ChiefAIOfficer #EUAIAct #AIRegulation #AILeadership #EthicalAI #DataGovernance #AIinBusiness #ChathamHouseRules

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Want a deeper glimpse into how people are feeling in the run-up to the UK elections? 🇬🇧 This whitepaper reveals the real human emotions behind the numbers. 🔍 Using Prolific’s pool of 200k+ participants and Voiceform's #AI technology, this poll captures authentic responses on a range of key political issues. It’s got extensive insights into how the UK truly feels about: * The current Conservative Party leadership under Rishi Sunak. * Keir Starmer’s opposition Labour Party and its changing direction. * Which policies and themes register as most critical for voters. * What it could take to sway voting intentions at this stage. You can download the full whitepaper here: https://lnkd.in/e9qSTQQd #UKgeneralelection #PoliticalInsights #UKPolitics

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Venture capitalist and podcaster, Harry Stebbings, has closed a $400 million fund for his firm, 20VC, which focuses on backing startups in Europe. Stebbings aims to use his media influence and connections to bring attention to the potential in the European tech market. Key takeaways: Despite the tough climate for founders, there is still money available for investing, with the pot growing bigger. U.S. limited partners are interested in investing in European startups, with a majority of the backers in this fund being from the U.S. 20VC has a unique selling point in bringing operational experience to its investments, as well as sub-funds run by experienced operators. Counter arguments: The uneven math of the venture capital market, where 1% of companies make 90% of the gains, may discourage risk-taking and failure in Europe. The IPO market is still relatively quiet, and some of 20VC's investments may still be pointing towards the U.S. market. #venturecapital #vc #venture #startups

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We had the pleasure of speaking to the inimitable Gordon Sanghera, co-founder and CEO of Oxford Nanopore Technologies, valued at around $6.8bn in 2021. Gordon somewhat accidentally ended up as an entrepreneur, breaking the conventional VC wisdom around 'born founders'. The technology is wild - democratising access to genomic sequencing giving us a new understanding of living organisms. In the episode of Riding Unicorns, we cover: 00:00 Defining Entrepreneurship 00:55 Understanding Oxford Nanopore's Technology 06:10 Gordon's Journey to Founding Oxford Nanopore 12:09 Commercialization Challenges and Strategies 16:27 Building a Strong Founding Team 20:55 Navigating the Ups and Downs of Deep Tech 25:54 Innovative Applications of Nanopore Technology 28:57 Company Culture and Operational Insights 35:05 Attracting Talent in a Competitive Market 37:22 The IPO Experience and Future Outlook https://lnkd.in/eQZVSGeK

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👏 Thank you Amelia Hill for highlighting the huge challenges facing women raising investment for their #femtech businesses. 💰 In the one tech sector where you might assume that a #femalefounder would be a pre-requisite for investment, or at least a big advantage, the opposite is true! Male-only founding teams do much better with investors. 🗞 According to research by Ludovica Castiglia, women might be self-sabotaging if they prioritise the social impact of their femtech startup. Again, the opposite is true if you're a male founder. 🚺 Kirsten Connell says that most investors are men & their gendered assumptions feed into men getting more funding, even if they make femtech products and use the same words. I put it down to trust. 😇 So what's the solution? There isn't a simple quick fix, but we know that female investors are 2X more likely to back female founders than men are, so we need far more of them - both in institutions and as angel investors. (check out Angel Academe - increasing female investment) Read the article here 👇 https://lnkd.in/eeiAyckR The Guardian Amber Vodegel Sian Jarvis, CB, FRCGP(H) Evie Mulberry Jodie O'Keeffe Meganne Houghton-Berry Tom Britton Laura Meyer Jane Clemetson FRSA Rosalind Singleton Emer Hughes Charlotte D. Emma Sinclair MBE Ramona Liberoff Anjali Ramachandran Cordelia Meacher Angela Cretu Robin Beattie Mei Chung Mark Pattenden

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Black Book's 2025 survey highlights trends and investment priorities in healthcare IT, based on insights from over 1160 key figures in... #venturecapital #veteranventures

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A SAFE and convertible note had a baby and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati was the midwife- out popped the D-SAFE! 👶🏽🎉 A new #climatetech funding instrument was announced by Elemental Excelerator last week. One of the company’s main goals is to support smaller, up and coming companies during the awkward “Scale Gap” phase between #VC funding and natural growth. It’s called the #DSAFE (Development Simple Agreement for Future Equity) and it aims to aid the process by giving companies a small amount of cash to overcome initial risks and expenses during the developmental stages of a product launch or company. How does it work? D-SAFE has a redemption clause meaning companies can choose to have their payments offered as a loan or convert to equity at the investor’s discretion. Funders and companies will have clear communication and expectations about where the money is going and how it will be applied to either the company or the projects at hand. Financiers and companies will work together with more #transparency, and that’s a great boon for #startups and VC alike. As of this month, Elemental has already invested using D-SAFE in eight different companies, including Dimensional Energy and Origen — both companies investing in innovative and out-of-the-box solutions to environmental issues! Seems like a win-win on the surface. What do you all think about the D-SAFE? Alfredo Coppola Momoka Ueda Tim Wagner Stephen D. Torres Olya Irzak Natsuho Toyama Noriya Tarutani Shin Ogawa

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🌟 AI is Revolutionising Business: Insights from the E2E Dynamic Track 100 Launch. The E2E Dynamic Track 100, spotlighting the UK’s fastest-growing private companies, launched with a powerful panel discussion on AI’s transformative impact. Industry leaders shared how AI is reshaping sectors: 💼 Brightsun Travel is enhancing customer choice and streamlining bookings. 🚗 Vizion Network is leveraging AI to boost efficiency and eliminate repetitive tasks. 💱 Universal Partners is integrating AI into forex systems for cutting-edge solutions. Howard Leigh of Cavendish Corporate Finance predicted AI would create new opportunities while improving work-life balance in finance. Chris Blackhurst has written an amazing piece in The Independent to read more click the link below. https://lnkd.in/gHB2rH8w Congratulations to the top E2E100 dynamic businesses driving the future of UK enterprise! 🚀 #AI #Innovation #E2EDynamicTrack100 #Entrepreneurship #E2E #BusinessGrowth

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I'm speaking at SuperVenture 2024 on the 5th of June in Berlin. The topic of the panel is emerging VC managers: time to shine or out of their depth? Are LPs fleeing to established names and those that cut their teeth during previous cycles? Or is now the time for emerging managers to bring something different to the table? Is volatility leading to true innovation and disruption? We’re on track to see approximately 44% of the total LP capital committed to US VC funds since the start of the year go to just two large established VC platforms, according to PitchBook data. While many established VCs maintain their allure, there is a subset of LPs who are making a deliberate choice to increase their allocations to specialist emerging VC managers - managers who have spun out from established funds and have an attributable track record, founders with deep operational experience turned funders or academics with deep domain expertise. There is non-trivial added complexity when it comes to emerging VC selection – given the large number of funds needed to be screened and the more complicated referencing and DD process. Data highlights how important it is for GPs to identify & back ‘big winners’ early on to drive fund returns. Typically, ~5% of invested capital in a few winners drives most of the return (>50%). The VC model is built around investing in early-stage companies each with the potential to more than return the whole fund. Who has the right to win? Who will the best founders (and LPs) decide to partner with? #SuperVenture #VC SuperReturn

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Well done everyone involved! Qureight is a great investment and looking forward to seeing their growth! Echoing Joe - more announcements coming soon from Guinness Ventures so watch this space! 👀 #venturecapital #eis #vct #healthtech #investment #fundraising

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UK-based AI startups are now worth $256bn, according to new data from Dealroom and HSBC Innovation Banking. They also account for 22% of the country’s innovation ecosystem value — up from 12% in 2019. In the first half of 2024, startups in the field raised $2.1bn. And this amount is projected to more than double in the coming five months. This means they’re on track for another record-breaking year, following a $4.1bn total investment in 2021. The leading AI rounds span a wide range of applications, covering sectors such as energy, healthcare, law, and finance. #ai #business #tech

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