EVENTS

Explore the landscape for investment and the tech trends shaping the future of telecoms.

UKTIN is the innovation network for the telecoms sector in the UK. Earlier in 2024, alongside Bristol Innovations and PitchBook, it launched a first-of-its-kind Telecoms Investment Report, which took a deep dive into the telecoms investment landscape. It revealed that since 2020, well over £1.4bn in venture capital had been invested in the UK telecoms sector. Despite global venture market fluctuation, deal flow has been resilient in this lessor-understood market.

As an active tech investor, perhaps you haven’t considered telecoms as a sector of interest? Come along and find out more about the opportunity it presents, the diverse range of technologies (including quantum, AI, photonics and space) which are feeding the sector, and hear from other investors who are actively engaging.

If you’re a deep tech start-up with potential applications in telecoms, this event will give you the intel and contacts to start planning your investment strategy.

By registering for the event, you will be emailed a copy of the Telecoms Investment Report.

This investment strand is part of a wider UKTIN Telecoms Commercialisation & Network Economics Conference, making it an unparalleled telecoms networking opportunity.

Agenda

9:15 – 10:00 Registration & refreshments

10:00 – 10:10 Welcome, Ian Smith, Head of UKTIN

10:10 – 10:30 Deep dive: Telecoms finance – state of play

Investment trends shaping the future of the telecoms industry are focused on unravelling the complexities of venture capital in the telecoms market.  Turning R&D into profit and GDP and the economics of wireless: 5G as is and getting 6G right commercially.
Speaker: Ian Corden, CEO, Peira Consulting 

10:30 – 10:50 Fireside chat: Exploring investment insights in telecoms-related technologies 

This session will explore the emerging trends for investment in telecoms and adjacent technologies. Is telecoms seen as a viable sector to invest in? What are the key technologies raising investment? How should companies position them to be relevant for investment? Are VCs missing out on deals in this sector due to telecoms not being seen as the latest hot sector?
Speakers
Simon Bond, UKTIN Translation and Innovations Lead, Bristol Innovations
Nalin Patel, Lead Private Capital Analyst, PitchBook 

10:50 – 11:50 Panel: Opportunities and challenges from network economics to commercialisation 

Speakers
Philip Young, lead economic advisor, Vodafone UK
Charles Murray, Partner, Analysys Mason
Sean Royce, CEO, Quickline
Simon Rowell, Innovate UK 

12:00 – 13:00 Lunch & networking

Telecoms investment insights

In this track, led by Bristol Innovations, participants will have the opportunity to meet active investors in the telecoms sector and high-growth start-ups blazing a trail. The afternoon session will also discuss the UKTIN Telecoms Investment Insights report, which marks the first deep dive into telecoms sector VC dealflow.  In a series of interactive panels and roundtables, industry experts will discuss the key emerging trends in UK telecoms investment for start-up founders, angel investors and VC fund associates and partners.

Track host: Simon Bond, UKTIN Translation and Innovations Lead, Bristol Innovations

13:00 – 13:45 Panel discussion: telecoms VC investment pioneers

Discover new perspectives from an exclusive panel of seasoned investors and analysts, who will explore their learnings and share their vision for start-up-led technology innovation in telecoms:

• Lessons from Seed to Series C: the challenges, success factors and changing market dynamics of investing in UK telecoms startup 
• Impact of new business models and technology types: how the imperative of telecoms diversification is playing out at the cutting edge of technology innovation  
• 10-year data trends and highlights: what the UKTIN Investment Insights report can tell the telecoms sector about emerging opportunities 

Panel Moderator: Dr Andy Sellars, Advisor, Chip Start UK

Panelists
Dr Lee Thornton, Partner – Deeptech, IP Group
Nalin Patel, Lead Private Capital Analyst, PitchBook
Mirella Koleva, Founder, Quantopticon
Andrew White, Group CEO, Wray Castle Group
John Yeomans, Member and former Chair, Cambridge Angels

13:50 – 15:05 Roundtable sessions

In these roundtable sessions, participants will hear the experience of real investment deals, their motivations, challenges and outcomes from the perspective of investors and start-up founders.

Meet potential investors and the new start-ups bringing exciting innovations to market, network, evaluate trends and share ideas to forge valuable new connections.  
 
Each roundtable will run for 35 minutes, with 10 – 15 minutes of questions for the investor and investee company from the moderator and then Q&A from the roundtable participants. You can choose to attend the one most relevant to you.

Roundtable 1: Seed to Series A telecoms sector investment
Speakers: Sara Aloe, Founder, Stars Edge plus an investor
Moderator: Chris Hill, Investment Manager, SETsquared

Roundtable 2: Series B+ telecoms sector investment
Speakers: Allan Cannon, CEO, Krucial plus an investor
Moderator: Chris Pett, Advisor, SETsquared

Roundtable 3: First money in – pre-seed telecoms sector investment
Speakers: Russell Haggard, CEO, Vypercore plus an investor
Moderator: Karen Brooks, Programme Director, SETsquared

15:05 – 15:10 Summary and closing comments 

15:05 – 15:30 Closing keynote: The City’s view on telecoms trends

15:30 – 16:30 Networking & refreshments