Imperial College Innovation Fund I continues Parkwalk's relationship with academia following vehicles dedicated to the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Bristol.
UK-based fund manager Parkwalk Advisors unveiled a vehicle of undisclosed size today to make co-investments in spinouts of Imperial College London.
The unit, dubbed Imperial College Innovation Fund I, is open to subscriptions from investors including Imperial’s alumni. It will invest under the UK’s EIS tax subsidy policy.
The Innovation Fund will back early-stage rounds for knowledge-intensive Imperial College spinouts, supplying follow-on capital where appropriate.
The fund mirrors vehicles previously launched by Parkwalk to co-invest in spinouts from the universities of Bristol, Oxford and Cambridge.
It comes after Imperial College decided to bring its tech transfer operation in-house after a spell in which it was managed by Touchstone Innovations, the Imperial-founded commercialisation firm later acquired by Parkwalk’s owner IP Group.
Ian Walmsley, provost of Imperial College London, said: “Early-stage investment really matters for deep science and technology startups. The Imperial College Innovation Fund will provide invaluable support to Imperial founded companies at this critical stage in their growth.
“Imperial’s thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem is unrivalled in the UK. Our staff and students are founding companies that move markets, disrupt industries and address societal challenges.”
