The South West is home to an innovative, founder-led Venture Capital (VC) firm which gives life sciences startups the opportunity to grow.
Many of the world’s best-known companies began life with venture capital funding. VCs support startups and other businesses with the potential for substantial and rapid growth. They raise money from limited partners to invest in promising startups or even larger venture funds.
SCVC, the VC arm of Science Creates, focuses on early stage deep tech spin-outs: science and engineering discoveries in advanced technologies, from quantum to biotech, that transition out of research institutions to form new startup companies that can deliver global impact across healthcare and sustainability.
Companies supported by SCVC include startups who are creating medical devices for people living with limb difference, advancing technology to deliver transformative cell therapies for use in cancer treatment, and developing next generation nebulisers to treat respiratory conditions.
Unusually for UK VC, SCVC is founder-led. Dr Harry Destecroix is its co-founder and managing partner.
Harry co-founded biotech startup Ziylo while studying for his PhD at the University of Bristol. Ziylo, a university spin-out, developed a synthetic molecule that binds to glucose in blood. He exited Ziylo when it was acquired by Novo Nordisk in 2018 as a platform to develop improved insulin delivery.
In 2017 he set up Science Creates to support a growing cluster of deep tech startups in the UK with research facilities and national deep tech accelerator programmes.