Northstar Ventures, in partnership with Durham University-led Northern Accelerator, a collaboration between the North East’s universities, hosted a breakfast event in London to showcase the next decade’s £30 billion of investable opportunities in North East England.
Held at Aviva’s London Head Office, regional stakeholders, leading industry figures, and universities gathered to showcase why the North East presents a pivotal opportunity for the green and knowledge-based economy to thrive in the UK, underpinning key themes of regeneration, infrastructure, and innovation.
A 150-strong audience of investors, multinational firms, banks, political leaders, and decision-makers heard from a high-profile regional panel who spoke about the size and scale of the opportunity, highlighting the region’s assets and strengths as a northern research powerhouse, a testbed for innovation and emerging tech hub.
The event was delivered working alongside Durham University, Newcastle University, Northumbria University, University of Sunderland, Teesside University and University of York, that combined have a research power that exceeds that of global flagships such as Oxford University and are at the centre of the North East’s emerging knowledge economy, driving the next generation of entrepreneurs and talent.
Northstar Ventures, together with Northern Accelerator, is aiming to attract leading industry talent, enable ground-breaking research and innovation, support the spin-out of new companies and finance them through venture capital investment.
The North East, anchored by its strong universities, towns, and cities, has leadership in areas such as NetZero, FinTech and Healthy Ageing.
Durham University spin-out, Low Carbon Materials (LCM) is helping the construction sector build a net-zero world. By recycling what most deem unrecyclable, LCM has created a carbon negative aggregate for concrete. Their building materials are tackling the colossal carbon footprint of traditional concrete, which makes up 8% of global carbon emissions.
LCM recently secured £1.9m in funding in a round led by Green Angel Syndicate (GAS). The round also involves other VC groups, including Northstar Ventures and individuals with experience in the construction sector. Following on from a successful year LCM has been named as one of three international finalists in the Fix Our Climate category, in the world’s most prestigious environmental prize, The Earthshot Prize, 2022.
Find out more about how we commercialise our research through Northern Accelerator
Find out more about The Earthshot Prize, 2022
Photo caption: Left to right - Dominic Endicott, Director of Northstar Ventures and Sarah Green, Chief Executive NGI.
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