UKI2S wins Best Sector Support Organisation at the OBN Awards

LONDON, UK - Nov 8, 2019 - UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund (UKI2S) is delighted to announce it is has been awarded Best Sector Support Organisation at the 11th Annual OBN Awards celebration last night. UKI2S was nominated on the strength of its work nurturing new businesses in life sciences arising from the great science undertaken in the UK; providing the patient, long-term committed capital and strategic advice these companies need to thrive.

Over the past decade and more, UKI2S has built a substantial track record with 55 portfolio companies created - with only £14m of capital from UKI2S - that between them have attracted over £500m of later stage investment and now have a combined market value of over £700m.

Dr Andrew Muir, Investment Director at UKI2S, commented: We could not be happier with the outcome of last nights Awards. This success is evidence of the thriving innovation taking place in the UK life science sector, and the need to support these budding entrepreneurs with funding, mentorship and guidance.

UKI2S has been instrumental in the creation and development of many bioscience companies; an independent analysis of the Fund showed that over 70% of its companies would not exist without the Funds support. Such companies include Quethera, a gene therapy company focused on glaucoma; UKI2S was the founding investor and helped guide the company to acquisition by Astellas Pharmaceuticals for £85m. UKI2S has also been instrumental in the success of Atelerix, a company enabling the storage and transport of viable cells at room temperature, by providing start-up funding and leading a seed round with investors introduced by UKI2S.

The OBN Awards celebrate innovation and outstanding achievement across the UK Life Sciences industry, including emerging to late stage R&D companies as well as life science investors and support services. The Awards cover Biotech, Medtech, Synthetic Biology and Digital Health.

UKI2S works closely with its partners - which include UK Research & Innovation and Dstl - to nurture innovation and in turn, boost the UKs competitiveness and productivity by commercialising key technological advances in industrial biotech, ag tech, healthcare, medicine, clean energy, materials, artificial intelligence, software and space.

We would like to thank OBN for organising the awards, and to congratulate the other finalists in this category, Bulb Laboratories and The Biosphere, Newcastle.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

About the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund (UKI2S)
UKI2S is a national seed investment fund that helps the UK to build innovative companies, leverage private investment and grow jobs. UKI2S achieves this by nurturing new businesses arising from the great science undertaken in the UK; providing the patient, long-term committed capital and strategic advice these companies need. Over the past decade and more UKI2S has built a substantial track record with 55 portfolio companies created - with only £14m of capital from UKI2S - that between them have attracted over £500m of later stage investment and now have a combined market value of over £700m. UKI2S works closely with its partners - led by STFC, BBSRC and NERC, which are all part of UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) and Dstl - and is aligned with the Catapults and Innovate UK to create the best environment for innovation to flourish and in turn, boost the UKs competitiveness and productivity by commercialising key technological advances in industrial biotech, ag tech, healthcare, medicine, clean energy, materials, artificial intelligence, software and space. UKI2S is independently managed by specialist venture capital firm Midven www.midven.co.uk

For more information, please visit www.ukinnovationscienceseedfund.co.uk.

Photo: Pablo Lubroth, Biotechnology Investment Manager and Dr Andrew Muir, Investment Director at UKI2S

For more information please contact:

UKI2S
Dr Andrew Muir UKI2S
T: 0121 710 1990
M: 07968 298816
andrew.muir@midven.co.uk

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Emma Pickup / Richard Anderson
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T: +44 (0)20 3755 0571
E: UKI2S@sciad.com