‘Shining a light on deep tech chemistry and the innovation journey’ – Mini Conference by RSC Change Makers

‘Shining a light on deep tech chemistry and the innovation journey’ – Mini Conference by RSC Change Makers

Wednesday 21st May: 11.30 – 13.00

• Learn more about how the new Royal Society of Chemistry initiative, Change Makers, is bringing together ventures, mentors, advisors, impact investors, and others from across the innovation ecosystem in a joint mission to power positive change through deep tech chemistry entrepreneurship.
• In this mini conference from Change Makers, hear about the technologies being developed, our ventures’ social and environmental missions, and their journeys and the support needed on the way to impact. After this showcase of innovation, get your questions about the road to impact answered by your peers and experts who have been through it before.
• Then join us to hear how the RSC is convening the key actors to tackle persistent systemic challenges in deep tech chemistry entrepreneurship. Our RSC expert will share more about our first mission and how it will tackle the shortage of appropriate laboratory space for deep tech chemistry.

Session 1: How the RSC is powering positive change through deep tech chemistry entrepreneurship
What do we mean when say deep tech chemistry and how will our entrepreneurial ecosystem, Change Makers, support ventures and target the systemic challenges they face?

• Speaker: Ben Voysey, Manager, Entrepreneurship – Royal Society of Chemistry

Session 2: Beyond the lab: how start-ups are turning deep tech chemistry into impact
Hear from four of our Change Makers ventures about the ways their ground-breaking technologies will have impact on key societal challenges, learn about their journeys so far, and hear their insights into one of the major challenges they have overcome and how they did it.

Speakers include:

• Chris Kay,Founder and Chief Scientific Officer – Interface Polymers
• Asel Sartbaeva, Co-founder and CEO – EnsiliTech
• Molly Allington, CEO and Co-founder – Albotherm
• Alex Heaffey, Ecosystem Development Specialist – Royal Society of Chemistry

Session 3: Tackling the deep tech chemistry commercialisation journey
Turning a deep tech chemistry idea into a viable product capable of impacting key societal challenges, like treating currently incurable disease or reducing plastic waste, is plagued with unique challenges.

Join our panel of experienced entrepreneurs, mentors with a wealth of industry experience, and an investor with a track record in turning deep tech chemistry ideas into impact, and hear their insights on topics from finding investment, scaling-up, and spinning out a deep tech chemistry idea, then get the chance to ask your burning questions about the commercialisation journey.

Speakers include:

• Alexandra Lindsey, Investment Director – Maven Capital Partners UK LLP
• Jonathan Hopper, Vice President Platforms and Founder – OMass Therapeutics
• Mark Gronnow, Process Development Unit Lead – Biorenewables Development Centre
• Andrew Waterworth, Manager – Impact Investment Initiatives – Royal Society of Chemistry

Session 4: Converging the chemical sciences, property sector, investors, and policy to catalyse more chemistry labs for start-ups
Deep tech chemistry technologies are at risk of not reaching their full potential due to a shortage of chemistry labs across the UK. We must build a supportive landscape, make the case for chemistry labs, and build the value case for investment.

• Speaker: Kate Carlisle, Ecosystems Challenges Portfolio Manager – Royal Society of Chemistry

Find out more about the Unlocking Innovation (see below) report that details the challenge and our cross-sector initiative, More ChemLabs, that will bring together the chemical sciences, property development, investment, government, and advocacy to unlock lab spaces that work.