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Growing the Kent Economy 2016
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The combination of tailored business-
to-business engagement with access
to equity finance and support to
commercialisation makes Kent a
destination for the ambitious life
sciences entrepreneur.
The following companies have received
equity finance from the Discovery Park
Technology Investment Fund:
Coomtech : Coomtech’s unique clean
technologies will improve performance
and emissions by drying biomass and
coals for the global power generators
across the world.
Altermune – Altermune Technologies
LLC is a privately owned R&D company
developing a novel therapeutic drug
platform designed to redirect host
immunity to fight infectious diseases.
Viramal – Viramal is a speciality
pharmaceuticals company with a
unique platform technology for
trans-dermal delivery of sex hormones
via a cream.
Flute Office Ltd - FluteOffice Ltd (“Flute”)
is a sustainable recycling company that
utilises waste cardboard to create
ingenious, high quality office products,
providing a ‘closed loop’ cycle for many
large corporates including M&S, the
NHS, Capita and Costa Coffee.
TC BioPharm - TC BioPharm is developing
a late stage anti-cancer immunotherapy
product with existing indicators of
safety and efficacy.
The £5 million investment fund was
established to meet the demands of
businesses for equity finance. The aim
is to build upon the original investment
of £5 million and increase the funding
available up to £50 million by attracting
other public and private sector investors.
Since the development of Discovery
Park, which rose from the impending
closure of Pfizer’s Sandwich-based
operation in 2011, Kent has established
itself as a destination for excellence and
innovation. Now the site of an Enterprise
Zone, Discovery Park offers 1.5m sq. ft.
of high quality office and laboratory
space, making it one of the premier
destinations in the UK for high tech
businesses.
The DPTI Fund provides a specialist early
stage investment vehicle to companies
with the potential to become high
growth SMEs. In addition to investment
from the DPTI Fund there is a requirement
for other private, public or industry
sector investment.
In partnership with Kent County
Council, Narec Capital Ltd provides
technical and financial support through
to product commercialisation. With the
growing number of life sciences
businesses in and around Discovery
Park, the county is gaining a national
profile as a destination for this sector
and particularly pharmaceutical
companies.
The Discovery Technology Investment
Fund will make:
Investments between £200,000
and £500,000
A maximum of 15 investments
Attract further investment up to £50m
Open for Innovation:
Discovery Park Technology Investment Fund
Meeting the demand from businesses and building on the success
of the county in attracting and growing life sciences industry, Kent
County Council is proud to have launched the Discovery ParkTechnology
Investment Fund last year.