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Agenda
Future Forward returns with a 3-day, online festival that celebrates the UK’s innovators and the investors that back them. Bringing together the leading lights from across early-stage investing.
Future of Finance
The Future Growth Capital Report identified a £15 billion equity gap across the UK annually needed to rebuild the investment supply chain and build economic recovery in the UK. Through the pandemic we’ve seen that many of the existing structural imbalances in the investment market have been highlighted such as the regions, sectors and founders from underrepresented groups, reinforcing the challenges that exist. We will be reviewing throughout the day what the future of finance will look like from the perspective of different aspects of the finance value chain, and how to ensure that we have an effective and connected investment ecosystem to address the future growth capital needs of scaling entrepreneurs across the UK.
welcome: 9:50 – 09:55
Introduction to Future of Finance
UKBAA CEO Jenny Tooth OBE will open the first day of Future Forward by setting the scene for Future of Finance and giving an overview of what to expect from the day’s events.
keynote: 10:00 – 10:20
British Business Bank – Catherine Lewis La Torre
The British Business Bank’s new CEO will talk about the challenges the investment industry is likely to face in the coming years and how the BBB is responding to them.
keynote: 10:30 – 11:00
The Future Of Growth Capital – Irene Graham OBE
Access to appropriate Growth Capital is the fuel to maintain a vibrant, innovative economy but the Covid-19 crisis has placed unprecedented strain upon business and finance ecosystems around the world. Irene Graham will discuss the key findings of the Future of Growth Capital report and the latest 2020 Scale-Up Review and what needs to be done to address the access to finance gap to support scaling businesses across the UK.
talk: 11:35 – 11:55
How Patient Capital will support the UK recovery
Judith Hartley, CEO of British Patient Capital, will be discussing the Future of Patient Capital and its importance in supporting the long-term growth of businesses here in the UK; what needs to be done to further build an effective supply of patient capital to address the current equity gap and support our future economic recovery.
Panel: 13:30 – 14:30
Industry’s response to COVID-19 and what changes are afoot for the future
Leading players from the investment market will discuss the impact of the industry’s response to supporting access to finance during 2020 and what needs to be done in short and longer term to address the potential growth finance gap going forward to support our future economic recovery.
roundtable: 15:00 – 16:30
The Future of Venture Capital and Angel Investing
This exclusive roundtable will bring together key members of the venture capital and angel community to discuss what the future will look like, what models will prove to be effective to build and grow VC and angel investment capacity across the UK and what more needs to be done by the government and the investment community.
Please note this roundtable is invite only
Investing in Diversity
2020 has really shone a light on many of the long-standing challenges around diversity in the investment market here in the UK, in terms of entrepreneurs’ access to finance and the whole investment base. This day is an opportunity to come together with leading players from across the ecosystem to unpick the existing challenges and inspire meaningful change. Throughout the day, we’ll be looking at the latest data on these issues and what actions are being taken to support underrepresented groups, including women founders and black and other minority ethnic founders. We will also be highlighting the work being done across the UK to encourage more women to angel invest. Investing in Diversity is a day dedicated to discussing strategies and creating real change in 2021 and beyond.
welcome: 09:45 – 10:00
Introduction to Investing in Diversity
UKBAA CEO Jenny Tooth OBE will open the second day of Future Forward by setting the scene for Investing in Diversity and giving an overview of what to expect from the day’s events.
fireside chat: 10:00 – 10:30
How Embracing Diversity Opens Global Opportunity
Join Rupert Gather founder of InvestUK in a fireside chat with Lord Nat Wei, Baron Wei of Shoreditch as they discuss how creating a diverse and open society helps the UK to attract top international talent and capital from around the world.
update: 10:45 – 10:50
Update from Alison Rose
An update from Alison Rose, CEO NatWest Group, on progress on the Rose Review on Female Entrepreneurship.
forum: 11:00 – 12:30
Women Investment Forum
Over the last few years, UKBAA has identified the distinct challenges faced by women in the investment ecosystem, from the disproportionately low level of representation of women seeking to angel invest, to the disparity in access to finance faced by women-led teams. In early 2020, based on the recommendations of the Alison Rose Review, action was taken across the ecosystem to change the outlook for women founders, with the launch of the HMT Investing in Women Code. Alongside the commitment to women founders, action has also been taken by angel groups throughout the UK, to create more inclusivity within networks and develop the tools and resources needed to build and grow more women angels.
Join us as key players showcase the actions being taken and understand how they can be applied across the angel investment community regardless of group size or stage, to continue the work that’s already taking place.
Panel – Re-balancing the playing field
This panel will look at the wider role women angel investors can play in helping to shape the investment landscape to support female founders of the future and increasing the gender diversity in the investment base. It will also pinpoint the many actions taken by leaders in the ecosystem.
Sponsor

keynote: 13:00 – 13:30
Looking at diversity through a new lens
The recent release of BBB’s ‘Alone, Together – Entrepreneurship and Diversity in the UK’ report highlighted that a person’s identity and wealth unfairly influence their outcomes. Black people and those from Asian and other ethnic minority backgrounds are struggling in our ecosystem. Alice Hu Wagner will present the results of the report and highlight the implications it has for the investment community.
Alice Hu Wagner
Managing Director, Strategy Economics & Business Development
British Business Bank
roundtable: 14:30 – 15:30
A strategy for change
Following on from Alice Hu Wagner’s Keynote, this roundtable will bring together key members of the investment community to take a deep dive into the data and explore the barriers and challenges faced by black and minority ethnic founders. As more organisations within our ecosystem make commitments to support underrepresented groups, we will look at the actionable changes needed to reset the systemic imbalances and create a more level playing field.
Please note this roundtable is invite only
techinvest: 15:30 – 17:00
TechInvest: Black Founders in Tech
TechInvest will celebrate London’s leading Black Founders in Tech who are propelling innovation in the Capital. We are looking to identify trailblazing innovators that contribute to London being recognised as a world-renowned tech hub and improve the way we live, work and interact with each other. From Fintech, Medtech, Smart Cities and Sustainable Tech, to Creative Tech, GovTech and Cyber Security, TechInvest Black Founders in Tech will present 10 of the most impressive Black founded teams who are disrupting the market and paving the way for the future of their respective sector.
SPONSORED BY:
Connected Investing
The connected investing event series returns in a dedicated day of panel discussions, keynotes and roundtables. The day shines a spotlight on some of the most exciting tech clusters and successful investors from around the country and looks at how an effective, nationally connected ecosystem is crucial for economic growth moving forward.
welcome: 9:50 – 9:55
Introduction to Connected Investing
UKBAA Managing Director Roderick Beer will open the final day of Future Forward by setting the scene for Connected Investing and giving an overview of what to expect from the day’s events.
Roderick Beer
Managing Director
UKBAA
fireside chat: 10:00 – 10:30
Tales of a Decacorn: The Importance of a Global Mindset
JPIN Venture Catalysts Ltd founders Nayan Gala and Gaurav Singh are joined by Ritesh Agarwal, the founder of OYO rooms – the world’s fastest growing and India’s largest hotel chain now valued in excess of $10bn. They will discuss the journey Ritesh took to become the youngest founder of a Decacorn and his views on having a strong investment and growth corridor between the UK-India.
Panel: 10:30 – 11:30
The most exciting investment sectors in Northern Ireland
From Cyber Security to Artificial Intelligence, Northern Ireland is home to a vibrant and growing technology scene. Join local investors and industry leaders from both the public and private sector as we discuss the key drivers behind its growth and where the best opportunities lie for investors.
fireside chat: thurs 26 Nov, 11:30 – 12:00
Angel Investment Cornerstoned by Grants – the Impact on the North East
The RAIA programme, spearheaded by InnovateUK, set out to inspire more investment in key parts of the UK. In a fireside chat with Roderick Beer and Jordan Dargue, we will discuss how carefully positioned grant funding has had a major impact on the North-East investment landscape.
Keynote: 12:00 – 12:30
Regional trends and the latest exits
Beauhurst’s Head of Research & Consultancy will use data to take us on a whistle-stop tour of the UK and its thriving sector clusters and venture capital scene and also share his findings from his latest research on the UK’s exit scene.
Panel: 13:00 – 14:00
Spotlight on Scotland – understanding the ecosystem
Scotland’s thriving Angel community creates a bedrock from which great business can scale. Our panel of leading investors and founders will unpick the investor ecosystem across Scotland and discuss the growth in sectors like FinTech and Big Data and the opportunity opening up for those that deploy at Series A.
Panel: 14:30 – 15:30
The Midlands, an Engine for Investment
The Midlands is the economic heartbeat of the UK, a region of excellence in connectivity – regionally, nationally and internationally. Join our panel of investment industry leaders as we explore the Midlands from East to West across 5G test beds, advanced manufacturing, e-commerce, fintech and life sciences, and learn more about how initiatives like the Midlands Engine Investment Fund are accelerating growth and driving innovation.
roundtable: 16:00 – 17:00
Levelling up agenda
How do investors support the leveling up agenda across the UK? This exclusive roundtable will explore the challenges faced by regional angel groups in building capacity, how London-centric groups can be enticed to deploy further afield and what initiatives can help stimulate more capital deployed outside of the golden triangle.
Please note this roundtable is invite only
closing remarks: 17:00 – 17:10
Future Forward closing remarks
UKBAA Chair Simon Calver shares his closing remarks as Future Forward: UKBAA Investment Summit comes to a close after three packed days.
pitching event: 2nd December 2020 9:00 – 11:00 online
SETsquared 2020 Invest
If you are an investor with an active technology portfolio, looking for high-quality deal flow then this is the perfect event to find new investment prospects.
SETsquared work with some of the most exciting technology companies in the South of England.
SETsquared 2020 Invest will once again bring together up to 20 ventures all seeking investments of between £150k to £5m, ranging from early-stage seed investment, EIS and SEIS through to A, B and growth.