UKI2S AND FUTURE PLANET CAPITAL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Access to Mentoring and Finance Lead
Alan was a Business Incubation Centre manager for 6 years, where he supported and guided companies to deliver growth and innovation. He worked with the wide range of firms to ensure they had the right strategy, company structure and plans to create a business that can attract funding.
Alex started his career in high tech startups in South Africa in 2008. His experience includes robotics, marine propulsion, industrial software, and military equipment.
Alex then moved into private equity buyouts in 2013 before moving to the UK where he worked on numerous operational improvement private equity projects for well-known UK brands, including a transformation role at a FTSE250.
Since mid-2018, Alex has focused on tech venture capital. During this time, he has completed numerous transactions, held a significant number of Board roles and led over 3 exits.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer ( CEO ) of the Government Office for Technology Transfer
- Chief Executive Officer Government Office for Technology Transfer
- GOTT 's CEO
"Dr Alison Campbell OBE was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Government Office for Technology Transfer (GOTT) in April 2022.
Previously, she spent over eight years as Director of Knowledge Transfer Ireland (KTI), developing the national office responsible for policy, practice, and the performance of the Irish knowledge & technology transfer (KTT) system.
She brings over 20 years of experience to her role, having started her career in the biotech industry, holding positions including interim CEO of the Medical Research Council's technology transfer company (MRCT) and leading technology transfer and research support at King's College London.
Alison has contributed widely to the KTT profession and served as Chair of the Board at AUTM (the US based international association for technology transfer). She is a founder and Past Chair of ATTP, the body that sets the global standards for the profession and was a founding Director of Praxis (now PraxisAuril).
In 2018, she received the Global University Venturing Lifetime Achievement Award. She was also awarded an OBE in 2010 in recognition of her contribution to Knowledge Transfer.
As GOTT's CEO, Alison leads a multi-disciplinary team, working in policy, analysis, communications and engagement and with expertise in knowledge/technology transfer. Together they work with government organisations to realise the potential of their knowledge assets, through targeted policy interventions and direct support for emerging opportunities including access to funding and expert advice.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Advisory Board
Dr Mackintosh has had a distinguished career in industry and investment as a former CEO of FTSE listed Oxford Instruments before later leading the creation of the Royal Society Enterprise Fund, a pioneering initiative in bringing together scientific expertise and early-stage investment. He was a board member of the Intellectual Property Office and a trustee of the Design Council and is currently chairman of Sphere Fluidics, a high-growth biotechnology tools company. He is a board member of Downing FOUR VCT plc and of ACF Investors.
He has a longstanding interest in enhancing the commercialisation and wider economic impact of UK research. From 2015 to 2021 he was a non-executive director of Ploughshare Innovations, the technology transfer organisation for the UK Ministry of Defence. In 2019 he led a Treasury project which resulted in the publication in April this year of ‘The Mackintosh Report: Getting smarter: a strategy for knowledge & innovation assets in the public sector' and the launch of an initiative with £17m of government funding to support commercialisation of publicly owned technologies and ideas. Dr Mackintosh has a PhD in physics from the University of Cambridge, is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and of Hughes Hall, Cambridge and a trustee of City, University of London.
Dr Story has a rich history in Business Development across Engineering Biology organisations. He began his career at GE Healthcare, progressing through Product Development and Project Management roles to head a global commercial role with full P&L accountability for a £20 million product portfolio.
In 2005 he joined Isis Innovation Ltd, establishing a Business Development team to manage over 200 medical science innovations emanating from Oxford University.. In 2011 he was invited to join OrganOx Ltd as Operations Director, seeing the business take its class III medical device from prototype through to successful completion of first in human clinical trials. Dr Story then co-founded OxSonics in 2013 and served as CEO from January 2014 through to January 2022. Under his leadership, a total of £25m was raised across three financing rounds, and OxSonics' proprietary ‘SonoTran' platform technology transitioned into clinical use. He built out the executive team of 30 and the board. Dr Story currently holds the position of Non-Executive Director of Hox Therapeutics Limited, a biotechnology company focussed on the treatment of Prostate Cancer as well as having joined BetaGlue Technologies SpA as CEO and board director in February 2023.
Job Titles:
- Digital Expert
- Director of Business Development at UKRI - STFC
Dr Massimo Noro is a digital expert and a successful business leader, with a proven track record of delivering technical innovation in complex environments.
Massimo, as designated Director, represents UKRI-Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) as the Special Partner in UKI2S.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- CSO of Samsara Therapeutics
Dr Peter Hamley is an Advisory Board Member for UKI2S.
Peter has a long history in the BioTech Industry, having started his career at AstraZeneca after graduating from his postdoctoral studies at the University of Pennsylvania and his PhD from Cambridge University. He also obtained his MBA from the University of Bath.
Having spent over a decade at Sanofi, aiding in global drug discovery across leadership and development roles - Peter's experience is unparalleled, pushing advancements across many therapeutic areas throughout his time in the organisation.
Currently, Peter is CSO of Samsara Therapeutics, leading the biotech industry in autophagy therapeutics - vital in helping prevent disease caused by neurodegeneration.
His unique blend of expertise has resulted in a fantastic repertoire of more than 60 patents, papers and book chapters published under his name.
Peter's wealth of knowledge and experience is a vibrant asset to UKI2S, enabling enhanced decision making during investment into life-changing organisations within the biotech and life sciences sectors.
Job Titles:
- Head of Seed Investments at Future Planet Capital
- Investment Director & Fund Principal
Dr. Andrew Muir is Head of Seed Investments at Future Planet Capital and the fund principal for UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund. He also co-manages the Stephenson Fund, backed by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Starting his career at Zeneca in advanced materials, he went on to roles in research and business development at the medical device company Biocompatibles and then Vice President of Technology for a US start-up in disinfection of medical equipment.
He started his career in venture capital with NESTA (the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts). He has a degree and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Oxford.
Job Titles:
- Independent Committee Member
Eddie enjoyed thirty five years in UK Government service, in defence, security and foreign affairs. From 2011 to the end of 2016 he was Chair and CEO of HMGCC, a part of the FCDO, specialising in the engineering, manufacture and integration of secure communications and other tech systems for Government. Since leaving HMGCC, Eddie has acquired a portfolio of Non-Executive and Advisory roles helping deep tech British start-ups and scale-ups to grow, especially in London and Oxford. He is a Fellow of the IET.
Fadi Al-Zir is currently on secondment from the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA).
Fadi has a BSc in Electrical Engineering from Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, and gained years of valuable experience as an electronics, control & instrumentation engineer. Prior to his role at UKAEA, he was involved in research & development of avant-garde RF sensing solutions, as well as RF plasma reactors for the energy sector in UAE, taking ideas from inception to field deployment.
Currently, he leads the development of experimental process control and diagnostic systems across UKAEA programmes, enabling safe and consistent progress of fusion science towards delivering the clean energy of tomorrow.
Fazal Chaudry joined UKI2S in January 2023, on a temporary placement from the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. At UKAEA Fazal is involved in overcoming the challenges to realise commercial nuclear fusion. This involves addressing both the technical as well as the commercial challenges in sustaining and developing a fusion economy. He is also involved in bridging fusion with quantum technologies. He works closely with the UKI2S team to screen new investment opportunities, and supports deal completion for promising opportunities.
Prior to this role, Fazal worked almost 8 years in the space industry, at satellite level working on deep space missions and satellite Telecoms. Also, he worked on innovating AI technologies, and linking AI commercial opportunities to the surgical market. Fazal holds a BEng first class with honors in Mechanical Engineering from Oxford Brookes University, and an MSc in Space Studies from the International Space University in Strasbourg France, under a scholarship by the UK Space Agency.
Hassan developed his scientific skills and knowledge at Durham, primarily in molecular biology and fusion proteins. He has also worked at the birthplace of the CRISPR-Cas9 technology, Vienna Biocenter, looking at the role of transcription factors in stem cell differentiation during early embryonic development. He developed his interest in startups while working as one of the first employees for a leading start-up in Newcastle. He has also previously founded a venture-backed tech startup and prior to joining UKI2S, he worked as a start-up scout for Ada Ventures.
Hassan is responsible for screening new investment opportunities, completing initial diligence for promising opportunities, and portfolio support and monitoring, with a specific focus on engineering biology investments.
Job Titles:
- Advisor to UKRI 's Science
- Independent Committee Member
- Technology Investor
- Venture Partner at Syncona Limited
Hitesh Thakrar is an experienced technology investor, with over 25 years' experience investing in public equities in the life sciences, information technology and innovation sectors.
Since 2015, he has moved into early stage venture investing. Hitesh is currently a Venture Partner at Syncona Limited (a Wellcome Trust backed early stage venture fund); a Governance Board Member of KQ Labs at the Francis Crick Institute (an accelerator representing the ‘Knowledge Quarter' area around the King's Cross, Euston and Bloomsbury regions of London, with the Turing supporting next generation businesses in data science and life sciences); and the Chair of the Investment Committee for Newable Ventures (a pre-Series A deep tech fund).
Hitesh is also an advisor to UKRI's Science and Technology Funding Council (SFTC) that helps early stage companies spin out from UK universities. He recently joined as a Trustee of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Charity. Previous non-executive director roles include work with Desktop Genetics and Tropic Biosciences, both companies using CRISPR technology in gene editing.
Prior to 2015, Hitesh worked at various public market institutions in global equity research and fund management including ADIA (Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund), JP Morgan, Aviva Group, Dresdner Bank and New Star Asset Management.
Hitesh has a degree in chemistry from Kings College, London, an MBA from Cranfield University and a CFA from the American Association of Investment Analysts. He has previously held a position as Innovation Fellow at the University of Cambridge.
Job Titles:
- Head of Business Partnerships at UKRI - NERC
- Head of Business Partnerships at UKRI Natural Environment Research Council
Jacky Wood is the Head of Business Partnerships at UKRI Natural Environment Research Council. Before Joining UKRI, Jacky was Acting Executive Director at JPI Oceans Secretariat. Jacky has significant experience in European Science, biotechnology and environmental technology policy having worked in a number of roles for the Department of Trade and Industry.
Job Titles:
- Chartered Engineer
- New Products Manager at Renishaw
- Secondment from UKAEA
Jason Joannou joined UKI2S in January 2023, on secondment from the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). At the UKAEA, Jason leads the systems engineering function, which supports the alignment of fusion technology development with market needs and encourages a holistic approach.
Prior to this position, as New Products Manager at Renishaw, Jason played a key role in establishing the company's Additive Manufacturing Division. He led the development of the RenAM 500M, Renishaw's first in-house designed metal additive manufacturing machine, from university research and development to successful commercial launch.
Jason is a Chartered Engineer and holds a master's degree in Engineering from the University of Cambridge, specialising in manufacturing. He began his career designing an innovative product for the shipping industry, through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership between an SME and the University of Southampton.
Job Titles:
- Independent Committee Member
John Patterson is a former Army officer whose final appointment was as a board member and executive director responsible for a £3.5bn pa portfolio including information systems; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities; and medical technology. He was a founding member of the oversight board for the jHub, Strategic Command's innovation platform.
John now advises innovative tech companies, including experts in artificial intelligence and data analytics; engineering; medical technology; space, surveillance and uncrewed systems. He is on the advisory board of Bean Partners, a mid-market corporate finance advisory firm; is a Non-Executive Director and Trustee of Stop the Traffik, a UK-based global charity dedicated to ending human trafficking; and is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology.
Job Titles:
- Independent Committee Member
Currently the CTO of Paragraf, John has led the development of capital equipment for the semiconductor and electronics industries for over two decades across wide-ranging technology areas from front end Semiconductor processes to wafer level packaging applications. In these positions John has been responsible for bringing novel technologies and processes to the industry and supporting the introduction of products by top tier consumer electronics companies.
John has held Non-Executive positions in high technology companies in semiconductor and advanced imaging markets with experience of the business and technology acquisition process from a multinational corporate viewpoint.
Starting his career in consulting engineering, John has also worked in the development of systems for particle accelerators and Synchrotron physics.
Job Titles:
- Interim Executive Director of Innovation and Skills at UKRI - BBSRC
Karen studied for a degree in Biology and PhD in microbiology. Before joining BBSRC, she worked in commercial research and development with both a small biotechnology company and a large corporate. Karen has extensive experience within BBSRC, and the Research Councils in a broad range of research and innovation strategy areas. She has held a number of senior roles in what is now the BBSRC Innovation and Skills Group, including leading BBSRC business engagement activities, and establishing a knowledge exchange and commercialisation team. More recently, Karen has also been involved in developing the BBSRC research and innovation campus strategy, working on BBSRC's bioeconomy strategy, and ensuring these enable bioscience research to deliver benefit and impact for the UK.
Mark White - Chief Investment Officer
Mark White joined Midven in August 2006 and is Investment Director and Investment Committee member of the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund.
He has over twenty years experience in investment with extensive periods in UK investment banking and emerging markets, including raising and managing a R100m fund in South Africa.
Most recently, he led the transformation of NESTA's investment operations, building it into the most active technology seed investor in the UK. He holds an MBA from London Business School.
Oliver Sexton - Chief Investment Officer
Oliver Sexton joined Midven in April 2014 to manage the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund's engineering biology investments.
Prior to joining Midven, Oliver managed commercialisation of bioengineering and medical technologies At Imperial Innovations and was on the board of oncology therapeutic Acublate Ltd. Earlier in his career he held commercial and partnering roles at Ark Therapeutics.
Oliver also managed a team of biotech buy-side analysts and worked at a pharma strategy consultancy.
Oliver has a BSc in Molecular Biology/Biotechnology and an MSc in Plant Science from Bristol University.
Phoebe Seltzer is an Investment Associate for UKI2S.
Having gained her Research Master's in Chemical Biology and Bio-entrepreneurship from Imperial College London, Phoebe's initial roles in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry were as a researcher in a plethora of labs across the US and UK. Throughout her time, she was able to work on molecular biology, protein chemistry and photo-physics, solidifying her broad and profound understanding of a number of disciplines within the industry.
More recently, Phoebe has worked in market research, consulting on drug/product development and launch in specialised areas of oncology, rare diseases, and digital health. Her passion for scientific exploration has been an asset in her career so far, and will be of huge benefit within UKI2S' portfolio decisions.