The KPMG Private Enterprise Tech Innovator in the UK 2024 competition is heating up, as nearly 400 applications have been narrowed down to just eight regional winners from across the UK. The future tech titans will pitch head-to-head to compete for the crown in London on 23 July.
Standing between them and the 2024 Tech Innovator in the UK title is a panel of eight impressive judges with a depth of knowledge and experience of technology and innovation.
Meet the judging panel
It’s time to meet some of our judges and find out what they are looking for from a winning pitch and a leader in innovation.
Sharing views from a banking and investment standpoint are Julia Hoggett and Stephen Nundy.
Hoggett, who has been CEO of the London Stock Exchange since 2021, understands what it takes to truly drive change as she was recently awarded a damehood for her services to business and finance in the King’s Birthday Honours List.
“The perfect pitch for me is about passion, purpose and practicality,” says Hoggett. “It matters how invested a founder is in their vision and in executing. Companies driven by purpose often last for the long term and can keep customers and staff engaged. But none of that matters if there is not a clear-eyed sense of the true target addressable market, the path to delivery, and the obstacles that need to be overcome to get there”.
Nundy, who is CTO at Lakestar, is an experienced technologist and engineer with a passion for setting strategy, introducing technology innovation and building high-performing teams for ambitious global businesses.
“My top three recommendations for the perfect pitch from a startup are:
“Refine the pitch content: Clearly articulate your value proposition, market opportunity, and business model. Ensure your solution’s uniqueness and potential impact are evident.
“Polish the delivery: Practice thoroughly, maintain clarity and confidence, and use professional visual aids. Make sure your pitch is well-timed and smoothly delivered.
“Engage with the judges: Prepare for the Q&A, be honest if you don’t know an answer, and show genuine enthusiasm and commitment to your startup. Anticipate questions and provide thoughtful responses.”
Offering a lens on what true innovation and entrepreneurship require are Ezechi Britton MBE, Vishal Marria and Elliot Street.
Britton, who is CEO of the Centre for Finance, Innovation & Technology, is a serial tech entrepreneur. His journey has taken him from software developer to co-founder and CTO to a venture capital partner. He previously worked as the principal and CTO in residence at Impact X Capital Partners LLP, a venture fund focused on supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs.
“The top three things that I look for in a good pitch are the ability to answer the fundamental questions – why, what and how,” says Britton. “Why is this a problem and the scale of the opportunity? What is the solution, and what have you done so far (traction)? How you are and your team going to do this and how will I benefit as the investor?
He adds: “It’s also really important to be able to get across why you are the best team to do this, what’s your unfair advantage?”
Street, the CEO and co-founder of Inovus Medical, certainly knows what it is like to stand in the shoes of the businesses pitching, as he claimed the Tech Innovator in the UK 2023 crown and went on to be runner up in the global final in November last year.
Vishal Marria, CEO of Quantexa, 2023’s only new UK unicorn business, is also no stranger to driving ambitious plans.
“Creating and maintaining a strong company culture in the face of rapid global expansion is no mean feat. This is why I lead with Quantexa’s four core values in mind to ensure we are all on the same mission – DATA: Determination, Ambition, Teamwork, Accountability.
“All scaleups face common challenges and it is through the process of living and breathing those four core values – that has made everything we have achieved at Quantexa to date possible”.
Understanding the market potential and the ability to disrupt will be reflected through the views of Russ Shaw CBE and Katie Prescott.
Prescott, the technology business editor at The Times, analyses the fast-changing landscape of tech and knows what it takes to stand out.
Shaw has been influencing the tech ecosystem as the founder of Tech London Advocates (TLA) and Global Tech Advocates (GLA). These not-for-profit groups of leaders work to promote and build tech ecosystems while addressing the issues on the horizon. Shaw has also been appointed London Tech Ambassador by the Mayor of London’s Office and advisor to the Digital Skills Partnership so his guidance is worth noting.
“There are three key components that I look for when startups pitch to me,” says Shaw. “Brevity – you have to be able to tell me in one or two lines, what does the company does. Clarity – what is the customer proposition and how does the company deliver? Team and funding – who is the team and who are the financial backers?”
The final judge on the panel, Bina Mehta MBE, has been instrumental in growing the UK tech ecosystem and establishing the Tech Innovator in the UK competition.
Mehta is the chair of KPMG in the UK, and the first woman to hold the role in the company’s 150-year history making her well-versed in what it takes to disrupt. She has spent over 30 years in international M&A and restructuring and is a leading voice on sustainable growth.
She has expertise in championing entrepreneurship and fast-growth businesses from financing to international expansion and mentoring leaders and entrepreneurs, and was recently appointed to the UK government’s AI Opportunity Forum with a remit to promote the adoption of AI in the private sector.
Mehta advocates for sustainable growth, most notably through her award-winning podcast, ‘Pull Up a Chair’, where she interviews senior leaders on their sustainable growth ambitions. She is a council member of the Institute of Fiscal Studies, an honorary fellow in entrepreneurship at Cambridge Judge Business School, and she was awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list for services to trade and investment in the UK and supporting female entrepreneurs.
Her advice to our finalists on what the judges are looking for in a perfect pitch include:
• Keep it simple – your story should be the standout! Founders are passionate about their businesses but sometimes being so close can block their ability to tell their story to an audience that may not have heard of you before. Two or three simple sentences on your business is all that is needed – don’t use technical language which could easily lose the judge’s attention.
• Commercial opportunity – Have you explained the growth opportunities for this business? Practice delivering your pitch to someone outside of your business. Have you managed to get across the commercial success you’ve had to date, and the future opportunity in an easy-to-understand way?
• Differentiator – What is your USP? And why is your technology unique?
The eight finalists who are out to impress and bid for the title on 23 July are :
• Cellexcel – East of England winner
• Spinview UK – London winner
• Halocycle – North East winner
• Graphene Innovations – Manchester North West winner
• OGI Bio – Scotland winner
• Infinitopes – South Central winner
• Glaia – South West and Wales winner
• NetZeroNitrogen – Midlands
Who will win? You can join the Tech Innovator UK final virtually and cast your vote for the People’s Choice award.
Register here: https://events.kpmg.uk/webApp/kpmgSingleEventRegistration?eventId=85579308
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