The state of UK investment – Catherine Lenson, COO, Phoenix Court

Catherine Lenson, chief operating officer of Phoenix Court, discusses why well-defined corporate and investment culture supports a cohesive strategy, how different stages of investment come with drastically different needs and why sticking with a founder long-term is both rewarding and satisfying. Phoenix Court is a venture capital firm that backs businesses from the seed stage all the way through to IPO. Lenson has worked across the investment industry, having held roles at firms including UBS and SoftBank. 

Abu Bakkar, chief innovation officer at HLB International, discusses how artificial intelligence is transforming the priorities of the professional services sector, the challenges this presents to the next generation of consultancy recruits and why upskilling has become mandatory. HLB International is a global network of advisory and accounting firms. In the worldwide top ten of advisory organisations, HLB spans across more than 150 countries encompasses the work of around 60,000 individuals. 

Amanda Brock, chief executive officer of OpenUK, discusses how the term open source is so often used incorrectly, why true open source is fundamental to the success of innovation and why AI and its data has created complicated conversations around what it means to be open. OpenUK is the UK’s industry body for open source technology. Brock became the organisation's CEO in 2019, with a background of more than 30 years in the global technology sector. 

Will Hutton, political journalist, author and academic, discusses the potential implications of the upcoming Autumn Budget on the British tech industry, why working with the EU is vital for achieving the growth ambitions championed by the government and how the UK can maintain its place on the global tech stage. Hutton is a columnist for the Observer, president of the Academy of Social Sciences and the author of numerous major works covering politics and economics. 

Dame Ottoline Leyser, former chief executive of UKRI and chair of the advisory board of Innovate Cambridge, discusses the research and business success from the University of Cambridge and how that can be applied throughout the country, government plans to support a global Oxford-Cambridge tech hub and the power of local pride in growing new tech clusters. Leyser was appointed as the head of UK Research and Innovation, the public body which directs government funding to science and technological enterprises, in 2020. 

David Hogan, vice president for enterprise at NVIDIA, discusses the UK’s efforts in scaling its digital infrastructure to meet its ambitious goals in artificial intelligence and just how fundamental the recent shifts in AI technology have been to the shaping the future of the world. NVIDIA is one of the largest companies in the world, known for its top-of-the-line chips, it has been and continues to be instrumental in the rapidly developing AI sector. 

Laura Modiano, head of startups at OpenAI, discusses just how far artificial intelligence has advanced since the launch of ChatGPT, how AI is drastically accelerating the growth rates of businesses and how far the company’s flagship product can go. OpenAI is the creator of ChatGPT and is among the largest AI companies globally. Valued this year at $500bn, it is the most valuable private company in the world and has worked extensively with the British government on its AI ambitions. 

Fi Sellick, head of UK strategy at Square, discusses how macroeconomic challenges impact small businesses as well as their payment providers, how Square is implementing AI across different markets and cryptocurrency’s role in democratising finance. Square is a contactless payment system for businesses co-founded by Twitter creator Jack Dorsey. The company partners with firms offering support in payments and point-of-sale.

Karen McCormick, chief investment officer at Beringea, discusses the relationship between the business, technology and investment communities of the UK and the US, why the entrepreneurial spirit of the UK is catching up to Silicon Valley and why almost every business has become an AI business. Beringea is a transatlantic venture capital investment group jointly based in London and Michigan. McCormick discusses the challenges tech companies in Europe face when trying to emulate the success of US tech giants and what firms like Beringea look for in a portfolio company. 

Christoph Lippuner, co-founder and chief executive of Semble, discusses why healthcare professionals are far too often victims of extreme burnout, why that is a problem for everyone and the challenges he faced raising money for his business. Semble provides management software for healthcare providers. The platform helps clinicians and clinics manage everything from scheduling, billing, and prescribing to patient data and administrative workflows, aiming to reduce manual work and amplify time spent on patient care.