Right now, Imperial staff and students are developing bold new technologies and business models that could revolutionise your industry. Very often, the vehicles they’re using to deliver these innovations are startup companies – at the last count, our ecosystem was home to around 300 startups, all advancing new solutions in fields as varied as energy, quantum computing, and healthcare.
One recent success is Inflowmatix, now acquired by utilities multinational Suez, which is using advanced hardware and data analysis to improve the resilience of ageing water networks. Another is PsiQuantum, valued at over $4 billion, which aims to use semiconductors to build a commercially viable quantum computer.
I’d like to say a massive thank you to you, our innovation partners, for helping to progress the startups in our ecosystem. These companies take years of hard graft to turn into commercial successes. They depend vitally on the sector-specific expertise and close collaboration you provide.
We are continually developing our startup infrastructure, and last year we launched an investment fund in collaboration with Parkwalk Advisors. This provides Imperial-linked startups with seed and pre-seed funding to help bridge an early-stage funding gap and develop and de-risk their businesses.
The fund has already invested in five startups including Charco Neurotech, which offers a wearable device to alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson’s, Cheesecake Energy, which is developing a portable energy storage technology, and FreshCheck, which creates tools for hygiene verification in markets like hospitality and healthcare.
Imperial and Parkwalk have now launched a second fund, the Imperial College Enterprise Fund II, which is currently fundraising for further investments. The fund always works in syndication with other investors in our ecosystem, creating opportunities for all. You can learn more about the fund by contacting Parkwalk or attending its launch event this month.
And to learn more about our startup landscape, drop us a line on enterpise@imperial.ac.uk – you might find the next technology to transform your field hiding in plain sight.
Best wishes,
Dr Simon Hepworth
Director of Enterprise
Imperial College London
