The UK has a thriving spinout ecosystem. Innovative technologies cultivated in academia have gone on to raise millions in capital and exit in blockbuster IPOs. But who is the most active investor in UK university spinouts?
According to a recent report by data platform Beauhurst, that accolade is shared by London-based Parkwalk Advisors and Scottish Enterprise, a government body.
Each organisation made 31 equity investments into UK spinouts in 2021.
Among Parkwalk’s spinout investments was its participation in a £34.5m round for University of Cambridge therapeutics startup PhoreMost. It also invested in the University of Oxford diagnostics spinout Brainomix’s £17m funding round.
Founded in 2009, Parkwalk was set up by Moray Wright, CEO, and its chief investment officer Alastair Kilgour. Each of them previously worked at financial services firm Lazard, where they both personally invested in spinouts....