Fostering cutting edge entrepreneurship in deep science and technology.
The Institute for Deep Tech Entrepreneurship aims to understand and address the critical barriers to the successful commercialisation of Deep Tech ventures. Many of the world’s most pressing problems — from addressing climate change, developing sustainable food and water systems, and improving human health and well-being — depend critically on the successful commercialisation of fundamental science and engineering innovations that are often referred to collectively as “Deep Tech”. Deep Tech is a cornerstone of continued advances in new technological paradigms that arise from fundamental science and tangible innovation.
While Venture Capital (VC) remains a powerful source of risk capital to build traditional digital and technology ventures, the nature of Deep Tech ventures often makes them a poor match for VC investment: they have longer timelines to go to market and generate revenue, the technology and market risks are significant, de-risking these technologies is capital-intensive, and the high standard of science is not easily matched with commercial experience of the same calibre. Together, these factors imply that many high potential ventures are either spun out too early or undercapitalized, leading them to fall into the “valley of death” between university research programmes and commercially viable investments.
The Institute for Deep Tech Entrepreneurship will build on the College’s strong entrepreneurial culture and outstanding research foundation in Natural Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to position Imperial College as a global leader in the design and development of entrepreneurial funding models, frameworks, policies and tools necessary to commercialise Deep Tech innovations.
The Institute aims to provide a thriving ecosystem for nascent Deep Tech ventures through three inter-related areas of work to help these “moonshots” achieve their full potential.
- Commercialisation Platform
Implementing a funding and support model that is specific to the commercialisation challenges faced by Deep Tech ventures so as to get them further along the path to commercial viability before they spin out and seek financing to grow and scale.
- Ecosystem and Policy Support
Engaging with ecosystem and policy challenges specific to Deep Tech to support a vibrant Deep Tech ecosystem in the UK and beyond.
- Research Platform
Developing a first-of-a-kind research platform to inform evidence-based best practices that are specific to addressing challenges associated with building Deep Tech ventures.
The Institute for Deep Tech Entrepreneurship is led by Professor Ramana Nanda, Professor of Entrepreneurial Finance. Learn more about the Institute for Deep Tech Entrepreneurship.
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