High Tech Start-up

One of our associates became a non-executive director of a company to assist in its start-up. The use of his contacts inside and outside the IIB network was crucial to the successful launch of the venture.

How did we become involved?

• Initiated by informal discussions with a UK professor at an international conference
• Assistance given to establish a joint venture company between the professor, the university and the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

What have we done for the company?

• Operating formally as a non-executive director
• Defined the JV’s market and product strategy satisfying the R&D objectives of the Professor and the commercial objectives of the university and the Civil Aviation Authority.
• Operating as a management team member
• Negotiated and secured a European Space Agency contract that underpinned the JV company for three years and provided follow-on contracts.
• The contracts expanded and supported a complete departmental research team, brought income and wider commercial contacts to the university and fulfilled technical and commercial requirements of the UKCAA.

Core Competencies

• Marketing and sales
• Contract negotiation
• High-tech R&D expertise