CAMBRIDGE, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cambridge Innovation Capital (CIC), a Cambridge-based investor in technology and healthcare companies, announces that its CEO, Victor Christou, will be presenting at the Global University Venturing: Fusion event in London this evening.
Christou will address the current issues in venture funding, including the substantial gap between seed and scale-up. A recent study of over 1,000 UK science and technology businesses suggests that less than 10% of start-ups cross the chasm to scale-up stage. If more sources of scale-up funding are established in the UK, over time fewer early-stage UK businesses should be pressured to sell earlier than they would do in an ideal scenario.
A comparison across clusters in the UK shows that the ‘Golden Triangle’ of Oxford, Cambridge and London is home to over 60% of UK science and technology businesses. Of these three, Cambridge has created the most early-stage companies in the UK, representing more than a quarter of the UK’s total.
Victor Christou, Chief Executive Officer of CIC, will comment: “Cambridge is well-positioned to be a leading source of scale-up stage companies, if the challenges in shifting from an early-stage business to a scale-up can be overcome. Situated at the heart of the Cambridge Cluster, we are uniquely positioned at CIC to invest in the best early-stage businesses and to support these investments through to maturity.”
CIC was set up in 2013 as a patient source of scale-up capital investing in IP rich companies emanating from the University of Cambridge and the Cambridge Cluster. Since inception, CIC has invested in 19 promising early stage technology and healthcare companies in a founder-friendly strategy that aims to provide a fair and equitable return to all parties. With £125 million currently under management, CIC provides support from seed stage through scale-up to maturity.
About Cambridge Innovation Capital
CIC combines a unique relationship with the University of Cambridge with deep financial and industry links to invest in rapidly growing intellectual property rich companies in the Cambridge Cluster. The company is committed to building leading businesses from brilliant technologies - with the support of some of the most influential figures in the sector and a patient capital structure.
For more information visit www.cicplc.co.uk or follow @CambsInnovation
