INSIGHTS / Blog

For SETsquared’s Investment Programme Manager Chris Hill, Investment Futures 2026 is not just about what happens on stage. It’s about starting conversations early, building relationships over time and creating better connections between deep tech founders and investors.

Why Investment Futures is evolving

“Investment Futures is our flagship event of the year, and every year we look at how we can make it bigger, better and more valuable for the companies and investors who take part.

“At its heart, we’re still focused on finding and showcasing the very best companies across the SETsquared ecosystem. We have a competitive selection process, with only 20 companies selected from what can be nearly 100 applications across the SETsquared partnership.

“But the event has evolved. This year, we’re particularly focused on bringing new investors into the ecosystem and creating clearer paths through the day for different types of investors. For those interested in earlier-stage, pre-commercialisation and university spin-out opportunities, we’re creating a clear track through the roundtables. For those more interested in later-stage opportunities, we’re making sure there are relevant opportunities for them too.

“We’re trying to create really clear paths for attendees and delegates, because we attract a very broad spectrum of people across different stages of investment.”

Why starting early matters

“One of the biggest things we’ve learned is that Investment Futures shouldn’t simply be viewed as an event that happens on one particular day. Rounds can move quickly, so making sure companies have visibility with investors early on is incredibly important. But the real value is in creating the opportunity for conversations to develop over time.

“We used to think about Investment Futures as being primarily about the event itself. Now, we see it as a much broader process, starting with the launch of a company’s investment campaign and continuing through to the event and beyond. Those conversations can take time, particularly when we’re dealing with early-stage companies. An investor might meet a company and decide that it’s too early for them, and that’s absolutely fine. What matters is keeping the relationship going, updating investors as milestones are reached and allowing that conversation to develop.

“We’ve seen companies ultimately secure investment from investors months, and sometimes years, after that initial interaction. That’s why building those relationships early is so important.”

Where the deep tech pipeline is heading

“Some interesting themes are emerging across the companies coming through our pipeline. Defence and security have become a real area of focus, alongside cyber security and AI. We’re also seeing AI move beyond being a broad label that companies simply attach to their propositions. Instead, we’re seeing much more meaningful and specific applications of AI, with greater clarity around how the technology is being used in particular sectors and settings. At the same time, the areas we’ve traditionally seen a lot of strength in remain important. Health tech, clean tech and deep tech continue to be key areas across the SETsquared ecosystem.

“One particularly exciting area is where these technologies overlap. With defence, security, cyber security and AI becoming increasingly integrated, I’m particularly interested in the potential of dual-use technologies – companies whose technologies can have multiple applications across different settings.

“What’s exciting about these businesses is the potential for the market to grow beyond their initial application. Their initial market might not be their only market, and the companies that can demonstrate that wider potential are particularly interesting.”

What investors need to see

“The companies coming through our ecosystem are incredibly ambitious. But when it comes to investment readiness, ambition alone isn’t enough. Investors are looking for evidence, not just ambition.

“That means having a clear and defensible use of funds, with that funding tied to specific milestones. It means demonstrating that the company has thought carefully about its route to market and how it will access that market.

“Traction is also important, and that can take different forms. It could be early revenues, pilots, letters of intent or support, or evidence around regulatory pathways. These are early-stage founders and early-stage companies, so there will naturally be gaps. What matters is acknowledging those gaps and weaknesses, addressing them, and understanding where investors can help navigate the journey towards scale.

“For me, that’s a key part of investment readiness: not pretending everything is already solved but demonstrating that the company understands where it needs to go and what it needs to do to get there. We’re looking for evidence over ambition.”

The pitch is just the start

“We deliberately keep the pitch element of Investment Futures short and sharp. Companies have the opportunity to deliver a quickfire one-minute pitch, which is a huge ask. In that time, they need to pull out the key points: why they’re striving for success, what their aims and objectives are, and what their proof points are.

“The pitch is important because it draws investors in. But I’d argue that the most important part of the event happens afterwards, through the networking and meetings that take place throughout the day.

“That’s why we circulate pitch decks and one-pagers ahead of the event. We want investors to have a real feel for the companies before they arrive, so they can identify who they want to speak to and use the day to have the conversations that matter. The pitch might last a minute. The relationship could last for years.”

Opening the door to the wider ecosystem

“We want investors to leave Investment Futures feeling that they’ve seen a true reflection of the current SETsquared pipeline and portfolio. But I also want them to feel that they’re part of the network we’re building across the region.

“That means understanding how they can interact with us more effectively and how SETsquared can act as a conduit between very early-stage founders and investors. We have programmes and tools such as the Deal Readiness Toolkit, and we want investors to be aware of these resources and understand how they can engage with the companies coming through our ecosystem.

“Ultimately, it’s about making the connections easier: putting faces to names, giving investors access to deal flow and creating opportunities for them to engage as much as possible.”

What sets Investment Futures apart

“A big part of what makes Investment Futures different is the quality of the companies we select. We only take 20 companies, from a much larger pool of applicants, and we bring investors from our immediate network into the selection process.

“But we also think carefully about what’s happening across the wider ecosystem. We don’t want to simply replicate the same roundtables and panel sessions that are happening elsewhere. We want to build on what we’re hearing around us and make sure the content of the event is genuinely useful to the investor community. That approach builds on nearly 25 years of SETsquared’s track record – supporting university spin-outs as well as other member portfolio companies across the wider ecosystem.

“For me, Investment Futures brings together three things: the quality of the companies coming through, the quality of the delegates we attract, and an agenda that is tailored to the investor ecosystem and ultimately designed to benefit the founders we support.”

Making the conversations count

“For anyone attending Investment Futures for the first time, I’d say: be ready to get involved. Yes, you’ll see some really interesting companies doing incredible things, and the pitch element is fast and furious. But the roundtables are designed to be participatory.

“We want everyone’s voice to be heard, and we’ve secured facilitators to make sure we explore the key points and challenges around each theme. Just as importantly, those conversations shouldn’t end when everyone leaves the room.

“We follow up on the requests and actions that come out of the roundtables. People stay in touch after the event, and we want those conversations to continue. For me, that’s what makes the day more than a showcase. It creates opportunities for people to identify challenges, have useful conversations and then actually do something with them.”

Building a stronger UK deep tech ecosystem

“Ultimately, I hope Investment Futures 2026 demonstrates that the UK deep tech scene is continuing to mature. The companies coming out of our universities and innovation programmes aren’t just scientifically excellent. They’re becoming increasingly commercially sharp too.

“Programmes such as Innovate UK’s ICURe are supporting that development, alongside greater engagement with technology transfer offices and the pre-commercialisation side of the ecosystem. For me, that commercial mindset is increasingly important. But so too is changing the way investors and founders build relationships.

“I’d like to see those relationships become less transactional and more focused on backing the teams and people behind the technology early enough to help shape the outcome, rather than competing for it once the opportunity is already established.

“That brings us back to the central role of Investment Futures. It’s not just about what happens on the stage. It’s about building those relationships early enough to create better outcomes for founders, investors and the wider UK deep tech ecosystem.”

Join us at Investment Futures 2026

Want to connect with some of the UK’s most promising deep tech companies and meet the investors helping shape their journey? Join us at Investment Futures 2026 on 24 November to discover emerging investment opportunities across the SETsquared ecosystem, hear from selected companies and take part in conversations designed to build meaningful connections.

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