EVENTS

Are you a founder with a green or sustainable tech solution? Are you looking to secure investment to accelerate the development of your innovation, or perhaps, just widen your understanding of current sector-specific trends? 

This event organised in collaboration with iCAST, hosted at the newly opened iCAST Creative hub at the Carriage Works in Swindon, is your opportunity to network with fellow founders and investors who are keen to discover opportunities in sustainable chemical technologies.

We’ll be exploring the investment landscape in this growing field – an area which crosses traditional boundaries between science and engineering to develop novel sustainable technologies with chemistry at its core.

Investments in this area are really hotting up. We’ve seen the recent £4.35m investment raise by Kelpi, which is harnessing the power of seaweed to create unique polymers. At this event, you’ll have the exclusive opportunity to hear from Neil Morris, CEO of Kelpi, alongside Hugh Bartlett from Green Angel Ventures, who was part of the recent investment round.  Their fireside chat will explore this recent investment from the founder and investor perspectives and look at the potential of the sector more broadly.

You will also be able to meet a host of spin-outs, start-ups and scale-ups pioneering the materials of the future, including a high-performance, sustainable composite, an alternative fibre for paper and cardboard and nanoporous metal-organic frameworks for water harvesting.

Throughout the event, you’ll gain invaluable insights into the sustainable technology sector from an investment perspective. A facilitated panel of sector experts, founders, and seasoned investors will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the industry’s current trends, challenges, and opportunities.

Agenda:

17:00 – 17:30 Arrival, Refreshments and Networking

17:30 – 18:00 Fireside Chat: The challenges and opportunities in Sustainable Chemical Technologies with Neil Morris, from Kelpi and Hugh Bartlett, from Green Angel Ventures.

18:00 – 18:30 Facilitated discussion around challenges and opportunities of investment in sustainable chemical technologies and adjacent sectors with Professor Matthew Davidson, Max Slinger, Helen Liang and Harry Alexander.

18:30 – 19:00 Company exhibition, Refreshments and Networking

19:00 Event Close

Speakers

Professor Matthew Davidson, Executive Director, iCAST
Matthew Davidson is Whorrod Professor of Chemical Sustainable Technologies at the University of Bath. Besides Executive Director of iCAST, he is also Director of the Centre for Sustainable and Circular Technologies (CSCT) at the University of Bath and leads the Catalysis for the Circular Economy strand of the UK Catalysis Hub.

Max Slinger, Investment Manager, Mercia Ventures
Max joined Mercia in 2023 as part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund team. He is focused on early-stage investments in the Midlands and South West. He trained with Deloitte in Corporate Finance M&A, and then created an M&A function at a FTSE 250 business to acquire and sell businesses, in which he supported management to transform the group.

Helen Liang, CTO, LabCycle  
Before LabCycle, Helen was a research scientist with a background in microbiology, biotechnology and sustainable chemical technologies. She had witnessed first-hand the problem of laboratory plastic waste in the research and healthcare sectors across different continents. Determined to solve this, she co-founded LabCycle alongside her PhD as a Marie Curie FIRE Fellow at the Institute of Sustainability at the University of Bath.

Harry Alexander, Investment Manager, QantX
With a background in material science and formulation, Harry has spent the last 12 years working within the innovation ecosystem and engaging directly with entrepreneurs, scientists and stakeholders across a breadth of emerging technology sectors.

Neil Morris, Chief Executive & Co-founder, Kelpi
Serial entrepreneur, CEO and Co-founder at Kelpi, TEDx speaker, leading a global mission to replace fossil fuel plastics with seaweed-derived alternatives.

Hugh Bartlett, Investment Principal, Green Angel Ventures

Before joining Green Angel Syndicate in 2018, Hugh was with Titus Trust. In 2021 Hugh was awarded the prestigious BusinessLeaders Green Young Executive of the Year award for his achievements at Green Angel Syndicate. Currently working with Kelpi as the Investor Director.