The UK’s leading research universities are to get a massive boost for their spin-out activities from a new £150 million investment fund that is to be raised by the private equity firm MTI Partners.
The Orion Fund, to be established in collaboration with the technology transfer offices (TTOs) of University College London and Manchester and Edinburgh universities will be the largest specialist fund in the world dedicated to university spin-outs, according to MTI.
While it will invest the majority of the money in technology that has already crossed the Valley of Death funding gap and reached proof of principle, the Orion Fund will also include a proof of principle investment programme. This programme will be overseen by the three TTOs, providing pre-seed funding to get technologies to the point when they are ready for a larger investment from the Orion Fund of £250,000 - £750,000.
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