Chris Perkins is a seasoned entrepreneur and innovator with a career dedicated to solving complex challenges at the intersection of technology, value creation, and community. With a strong foundation in chemical engineering, Chris has led transformative initiatives across renewable energy, biotech, and healthcare. He co-founded Dropworks, a groundbreaking startup simplifying research through advanced PCR technology, later acquired by Bio-Rad Laboratories. Previously, he founded Copernican Energy, where his visionary approach helped pioneer solar-based biofuel solutions. Chris also served as an Executive-in-Residence at the Rocky Mountain Innosphere, mentoring startups and driving advancements in energy and biotech.

Dave Grimm, a Partner at AlbionVC, specialising in the complex process of translating academic research into successful Deep Tech companies.

Dave has spent a decade transforming University Spinouts through his groundbreaking partnership with University College London (UCL). His investment focus is broad, covering key deep-tech opportunities including Quantum Computing, Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Cleantech, Medtech, and Hardware.

Prior to joining AlbionVC, Dave spent four years at Spark Ventures. His career path is uniquely diverse: starting at Detica, moving to an FMCG startup in China to make a real-world impact with high-growth businesses, and eventually dedicating his expertise to the investment side. He holds an M.Sci in Natural Sciences (Mathematics and Chemistry).

Andy Palmer is a renowned automotive leader with over 45 years of experience shaping the industry. Formerly COO of Nissan and President and Group CEO of Aston Martin Lagonda, he is now the Founder & CEO of Palmer Automotive Ltd. and Palmer Energy Technology Ltd., specializing in interim CEO roles and company turnarounds.

Andy is also a prolific entrepreneur and board leader, serving as Chairman of PodPoint plc, Inobat, HiLo Ltd., Ionetic Ltd., and Executive Chairman of Brill Power Ltd. Beyond his corporate achievements, he is the founder of The Palmer Foundation, an advocate for innovation in the automotive and energy sectors, and an Honorary Group Captain in the RAF.

A visionary and commentator on automotive innovation, Andy brings unparalleled expertise in leadership, sustainability, and transforming businesses for future success.

Dr David Cleevely CBE FREng FIET is a celebrated entrepreneur, investor, and tech innovator. He is the Chairman of Chemify, Focal Point Positioning, and the Cambridge Science Centre, and has founded or co-founded several successful companies, including Abcam and 3WayNetworks. A prolific investor in over 35 companies, David also chairs ventures such as Bocca di Lupo and Gelupo.

He has been a driving force behind Cambridge’s innovation ecosystem, co-founding Cambridge Network, Cambridge Wireless, and Cambridge Angels, and advising on communications policy for Ofcom and the Ministry of Defence.

A Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the IET, David has held prominent academic roles, including Founding Director of the Centre for Science and Policy at Cambridge. 

With a career blending technology, policy, and entrepreneurship, David brings unparalleled insight into innovation and leadership.

Dr David Kingham, Founder and Senior Advisor at Tokamak Energy Ltd, a UK company dedicated to accelerating the development of fusion power.

Tokamak Energy is combining two key technologies - compact spherical tokamaks and high temperature superconductors - to create modular fusion power plants. 

David's leadership has helped the company raise over $300M in private investment and grow to over 280 staff. A recognised authority on the subject, David has spoken at Davos on the question, 'Will science save us?' His answer: 'Yes.' He sees the path forward as a series of solvable engineering challenges, which Tokamak Energy is tackling with rapid progress.

Priya Perumal is Chief Scientific Officer at C2CA, a position secured through Deep Tech Leaders. An accomplished researcher, Priya specialises in converting industrial sidestreams into sustainable construction materials to address growing infrastructure demands and reduce natural resource depletion.

With expertise in recycling mine tailings, urban mining waste, and demolished concrete, Priya develops innovative solutions for supplementary cements, granulated aggregates, and alkali-activated materials. Her recent work includes exploring CO₂ sequestration, eco-friendly materials, and circular construction methods.

Priya also excels in project management, IP management, business development, and transitioning research from concept to commercialisation. Her leadership and dedication are driving sustainable innovations in construction.

Eric Mayes is the CEO of Endomag, a company that spun out from University College London and the University of Houston in 2010. Under Eric's leadership, Endomag developed innovative solutions in the healthcare sector, culminating in a significant acquisition by Hologic for $310 million last year. Eric is a unique figure in the UK startup scene, bringing a wealth of experience from founding two advanced materials companies, Nanomagnetics and Apoclara, as well as contributing to the growth of Cambridge Display Technologies, one of the first Cambridge spin-outs to float on NASDAQ. His extensive background and strategic vision have been key to Endomag’s success, making this episode a special opportunity to hear from a CEO who has navigated the startup journey from inception to exit.

Henrik is Co-founder and Board Director at Puraffinity

He embodies the spirit of extreme challenge, a drive that powers his work in Deep Tech. This same drive led him to bicycle the Silk Route from China to Denmark - a 9,350 km journey completed in just 87 days - and train Kung Fu full-time with Shaolin monks in China for four months.

Professionally, Henrik is recognised as a top innovator, having been named to both Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe and MIT Tech Review 35 Under 35 Europe in 2019. He is a recipient of the prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering 1851 Royal Commission Enterprise Fellowship and was the single recipient of the Outstanding Student Achievement medal among 2,200 Imperial College London graduates in 2015.

James Arnold is an engineer-turned-strategic leader who helps Deep Tech companies achieve rapid growth. With 20 years of experience, James has proven his ability to operate at scale, having helped grow two of Europe’s Deep Tech unicorns, Lilium and Arrival, from small teams to hundreds of employees. His focus is on practical results: he's an expert in product delivery, programme management, complex process implementation, and leading successful fundraising rounds. James's core strength is his ability to create a clear strategic path, connecting the company's long-term vision to the immediate needs of the customer and the team's daily execution.

Keong Chan, Managing Director of Out The Back Ventures. With 20 years of capital markets experience, Keong is an expert in early-stage investment, capital structuring, IPOs, and reverse takeovers. He has a particular interest in early-stage deep and frontier research emerging from universities and specializing in guiding its journey through commercialization. Keong assists research projects by providing essential capital raising and structuring support to successfully bring innovative ideas to market.

Kevin is the Managing Director of Lam Capital, the venture capital arm of Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ: LRCX), a $100B semiconductor materials engineering and manufacturing equipment company. In this role, Kevin invests in and supports entrepreneurs creating innovative solutions in advanced materials, manufacturing, compute hardware, and Industry 4.0. He is passionate about helping innovators tackle complex challenges, especially in today’s rapidly evolving landscape.

Kevin’s career spans high-growth sectors such as Sustainable Agriculture, Renewable Energy, and Additive Manufacturing. He has led product development and business development for diverse technologies, including energy storage, photovoltaics, and IoT sensors. With experience as CEO of a venture-funded hardtech company and as a startup co-founder, Kevin thrives in entrepreneurial environments. He also mentors entrepreneurs through the MIT Venture Mentoring Service in Silicon Valley.

Marc Singer
Marc Singer has nearly three decades of experience in venture capital, starting his career in the early '90s when the venture and entrepreneurial ecosystems were vastly different. Over the years, he has co-founded two venture firms, including Osage University Partners (OUP) in 2009. 

OUP is dedicated to investing in companies that transform groundbreaking university research into market-leading products, offering hands-on support at every stage, from seed to growth rounds. With investments spanning over 70 companies across software, hardware, cleantech, life sciences, and more, Marc brings deep expertise and a mission-driven approach to advancing the university entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Mark Bjornsgaard, Founder and CEO of System Two Group, a venture capital firm that invests in and partners with leading corporations and entrepreneurs across Europe and the US.

Mark is a proven serial entrepreneur who has grown numerous businesses from scratch to scale, achieving seven exits so far. He has successfully raised hundreds of millions of dollars for over ten businesses in sectors including health care, technology, and energy.

His most recent success was founding Deep Green Technologies (now an Octopus Energy Generation company) in 2016. Deep Green builds and operates innovative heat reuse data centres, demonstrating his passion for creating positive social and environmental impact through his ventures. His current portfolio includes companies like Civo, Caldera, and Optect.

Paul Mascarenas OBE is a leader in the automotive and engineering sectors, serving on the boards of onsemi (NASDAQ: ON), United States Steel Corporation (NYSE: X), and the Shyft Group (NASDAQ: SHYF). He is also a Venture Partner at Detroit-based Fontinalis Partners, advising several startups and early-stage companies.

Previously, Paul held significant roles at Ford Motor Company, where he rose to Corporate Vice President and Chief Technical Officer, overseeing global research and engineering and founding the Palo Alto Research and Innovation Center. He chaired FISITA (UK) Ltd from 2018 to 2021 and was President from 2014 to 2016.

Paul holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from King's College, University of London, and an Honorary Doctorate from Chongqing University. He is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. In recognition of his contributions to the automotive industry, he was appointed an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II.

Peter J. Nieuwenhuizen PhD is a passionate advocate for sustainability in the chemical industry. With a PhD in chemistry, he has worked in various roles including lab research, sales & marketing, strategy consulting, executive leadership, venture capital, and in collaboration with green chemistry startups. Peter has served as CTO of AkzoNobel and Enerkem and is currently the Board chair of Itaconix Plc. He believes the chemical industry, central to many aspects of modern life, must evolve from its linear, fossil-based model into a circular, sustainable future. His work emphasises collaboration across technology, business, and creativity to address climate challenges and resource scarcity.

Scott White is a highly accomplished serial Deep Tech entrepreneur and the Founder of Pragmatic Semiconductor. With direct involvement in ten technology ventures, Scott has spent 25 years building and successfully selling five tech businesses across telecommunications, photonics, and machine learning. As an inventor on over 60 patents, he focuses on translating exciting technical ideas into tangible commercial traction. Scott also serves as Board Chair for companies in quantum computing, robotics, and space tech, and advises the UK Government’s Semiconductor Advisory Panel

Tony Cochrane is a seasoned commercial executive and current Chief Commercial Officer at Nexeon, a role secured through Deep Tech Leaders. With a robust technical and operational background, Tony has extensive experience in strategic marketing, business development, manufacturing, and technology management.

His career spans building and leading commercial teams across North America, Europe, Asia, and Brazil, with a focus on clean energy, green hydrogen, and technology commercialization. 

Tony is an expert in technology licensing, executive management, and developing channel partnerships, bringing a unique blend of technical expertise and strategic vision to drive business growth.

Tony Pearce, COO at Paragraf. 

Tony is a globally experienced operations and technology professional with a distinguished history of establishing, improving, and scaling manufacturing and engineering organisations across the semiconductor industry. 

His expertise is currently focused on advanced electronic and semiconductor material and capital equipment manufacturing—the key enabling technologies driving crucial applications like 5G, power, and photonics. Tony's leadership in areas like new facility start-ups, lean operational excellence, and implementing embedded automotive quality systems makes him a vital voice on bringing next-generation materials to market.