Creating a new UK investment narrative. Thank you to Cyrus Kapadia, Chief Executive of Lazard UK, for referencing Northern Gritstone is his recent opinion piece in The Telegraph. Cyrus believes that the narrative on private capital investing into the UK needs to become far more positive for good reason - the UK has many strengths and its economy is sorely in need of investment for growth. He highlights the opportunity stemming from the UK's entrepreneurial combination of innovation and research underpinned by its world-class universities. We couldn't agree more. World-class universities are part of the backbone of UK innovation. We invest in and support spinouts from three of these (the Northern Triangle of Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield) precisely because they represent an untapped innovation seam. Since Northern Gritstone's inception, investment into early-stage science and technology-enabled businesses in the North of England has increased tenfold to £300 million (sources: Beauhurst and Northern Gritstone) And that's the narrative for investing into the UK that we believe in. Ambitious founders creating the world-class companies of tomorrow stemming from the world-class science and technology in the North's universities today, for the benefit of UK plc. To read Cyrus' article, go to [paywall] https://lnkd.in/ej_-2-GN #profitwithpurpose
Jim Wilkinson
2mo
Excellent article!
Making the intangible tangible! - IPM Consultant and Patent Attorney -Tangible IP
2moI have not read the article but the title immediately tells me that Cyrus is out ot touch with reality. There has never been a greater feeling of deja vue. The problem for me is that it's not a new investment narrative it is a failed narrative that is as old as the hills in the UK. A few tweaks perhaps. 1. UK Universities come up with really good stuff. 2. UK based investors and often Govt invest in their POC and early phases. 3. If they look like they could become world class they are then sold to foreign interests through what is euphemistically called "inward investment". 4. Ensuing global value, intellectual property, jobs and tax revenues disappear overseas. UK Plc almost never benefits...big time. We get the crumbs. 5. Rinse and repeat. Money won't break this cycle as any UK based finance is always going to be small arms vs the big guns of overseas money. Unless we address this problem the death spiral just continues.