Innovations building on fundamental science and engineering are critical for economic growth and well-being.
These advances, collectively known as deep tech, underpin transformative technologies such as next-generation therapeutics, quantum computing, synthetic biology, and advanced materials. They are also critical to solving some of the world’s most urgent challenges, from improving human health and addressing national security to building sustainable food and energy systems.
Deep tech ventures often emerge from universities and face substantial hurdles in accessing risk capital. Their technical risk can be time-consuming and expensive to reduce, requiring investors to have a strong grasp of the underlying science. They often require substantial regulatory engagement and may depend on the government as an anchor customer.
Moreover, the high standard of scientific talent in universities is not always matched with strong commercial experience required to build and scale such ventures. As a result, many promising ventures stall between lab and market, not for lack of potential, but due to gaps in capital, capability and mismatched incentives.
Led by Professor Ramana Nanda, the Institute for Deep Tech Entrepreneurship has been set up to support three sets of stakeholders in this ecosystem whose engagement is critical to address this grand challenge facing deep tech entrepreneurship: capital providers, innovators and policy makers.
Through our research into the most effective ways to reduce frictions facing these ventures, our programmes to support talent development, and policy and ecosystem engagement, we aim to help science scale and shape a more resilient, investable future.
"Breakthrough science has the potential to generate outsized returns, for investors, for society, and for the future. Our mission is to enable world-class university research to achieve its commercial potential by shaping credible opportunities, unlocking risk capital, and removing the barriers that hold back such ventures."
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