LONDON, July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Monday 26 June 2023 Milltrust International, a leading sustainability focused investment firm, officially launched the British Innovation Fund II (BIF II) at Burlington House, the Royal Society of Chemistry. In the company of 80 investors, Milltrust International unveiled the second vintage of its university investment fund, dedicated to propelling cutting-edge solutions that tackle challenges across food systems, healthcare, and the environment.
Launching at a crucial time in which the UK looks to take the next steps in furthering its leading status as a centre for R&D, BIF II aims to be a leading investment player in the university start-up sphere. On the eve of Jeremy Hunt’s Mansion House speech, hotly tipped to call for great institutional and pension fund support for British innovation, this fund will bring investors unparalleled opportunities to deploy capital into high-impact areas with considerable growth potential.
Recognising the momentum present in the market, the launch of British Innovation Fund II, a nationwide initiative to back the best university spin outs, aims to provide creative high impact solutions for addressing the great challenges we face today. British Innovation Fund II is again managed by Milltrust International’s veteran investors backed by a thought leadership panel of CEOs, founders and academics.
As a demonstration of this deep knowledge and thought leadership capabilities the launch featured a panel discussion on the role of impact tech sectors in tackling interconnected global issues. This included analysis of the ground-breaking innovations arising in the ag-tech, health-tech and climate-tech sectors and the crucial role early stage investment can play in delivering high-impact solutions to market.
These discussions demonstrated how the UK's university ecosystem continues to be an exceptional engine for ground-breaking advancements and the pivotal moment that has been reached in the growth of this sphere. Investment in spinouts for example has already grown rapidly from £405m in 2012 to £2.54bn in 2021 while London’s commitment to R&D outpaces many international peers, generating a spin-out for every £35.35 million invested compared to Los Angeles' £42.6 million.
With a pre-existing portfolio of game-changers including 52North, creators of Neutrocheck®, Roslin Technologies, Jiva.ai, Polymateria, Eupnoos, Cody Genetics and BugEra, Milltrust takes immense pride in its track record of supporting trailblazing enterprises. Leveraging this expertise and powerful network BIF II will support founders and companies with high value-add capital and close support delivering against Milltrust’s mission of investing for a sustainable prosperity while producing attractive returns.
Simon Hopkins, CEO Milltrust International said: “I’d personally like to thank all those who attended this memorable launch of British Innovation Fund II. Milltrust International hopes to have demonstrated its leading expertise in this space and deep commitment to supporting the most innovative start-ups in the UK, and indeed the world, to realise their growth aspirations while bringing game changing solutions to market.”
About Milltrust International Group
Under the theme of Sustainable Prosperity, Milltrust International Group is a specialist, award-winning investment organisation co-headquartered in London and Singapore offering a range life-changing investment solutions seeking to address some of the greatest themes of our generation including the development of emerging economies, rising food demand, technological revolutions and climate change. Clients include pension funds, sovereign entities, family offices, entrepreneurs and HNWIs. The firm operates in a regulated capacity across multiple jurisdictions including the UK, Singapore, Ireland, and Cayman. www.milltrust.com
Further Information
Citigate Dewe Rogerson: milltrust@citigatedewerogerson.com
