Companies developing sustainable technologies benefit from opportunity to pitch to investors
Six companies pitched to a panel of investment experts as part of the¬†KTN’s Chemistry and IB Showcase 2017.
Earlier this year, KTN – working in partnership with BioVale – invited entrepreneurs seeking investment (seed through to post revenue) from across the UK to apply for a unique opportunity to pitch in front of a range of investors. We were specifically interested in entrepreneurs who are developing sustainable technologies that can help move us towards a circular bio-economy.
We received a large number of high-caliber applications and invited a number of them to join us for specialist pitch training, facilitated by KTN’s talented Access to Finance and Funding Team.
More than 20 organisations went on to pitch to our expert judging panel at a Selection Day. Six ‘Finalists’ were selected to pitch ‘live’ during KTN’s Chemistry and Industrial Biotechnology Showcase in front of our hand-picked investor panel. We also selected a number of ‘Semi-Finalists’ Рor ‘ones to watch’ Рwho, together with the finalists, had the opportunity to network with the investors during the event.
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The six finalists were:
Colorifix: uses synthetic biology to convert commodity agricultural by-products such as sugar molasses into pigments and beautifully dyed textiles.
Sci Green: is rooted in research, growing through innovation, uses water, carbon dioxide and ethanol in “green” science processes, with customers in the automotive, waste, pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries.
Cambridge Carbon Capture: an award-winning early-stage clean-technology venture company based in Cambridge UK.
CelluComp: a material science company based in Scotland that produces and sells microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) from the waste streams of root vegetables – primarily from sugar beet pulp.
Ufraction8: aims to become a global provider of liquid particle processing solutions based on the best in class expertise in high throughput micro-fluidics.
CustoMem: is developing targeted capture of micro-pollutants from industrial wastewater.
The ‘Semi-Finalists’ Рor ‘ones to watch’ Рwho had the opportunity to network with the investors during the event were:
Adaptavate: focussed on developing and commercialising material solutions that disrupt the conventional construction industry.
Chrysalix: developing novel chemical processes that enable the use of waste wood and agricultural by-products as well as sustainably grown biomass to produce a greener alternative to today’s petrochemical industry.
Blue Gene Technology: aiming to replace existing bulk industrial chemical production methods with efficient, environmentally safe bio-conversions that avoid the use of toxic chemicals, prevent formation of unwanted side-products and reduce waste.
The judging panel picked Colorifix as the winners of the pitch event. They were awarded a prize donated by members of the BioVale Cluster which included mentorship from Secerna LLP, vouchers from Bettys tea rooms and a case of award-winning beer from Toast Ale.
Click here to read more about the Showcase event and the companies involved.
If you would like to discuss support for innovative and sustainable technologies that use chemistry and/or industrial biotechnology to help move us towards a circular bio-economy, please contact a member of the KTN team.