Scalable Innovation Support
Medilink Midlands, working in partnership with our Entrepreneur in Residence Christian Kumar, has launched the Medilink Midlands Innovation Builder programme, designed to help founders discover a scalable business model for their new innovation.
A highly practical programme, and not a series of theoretical course of lectures, the programme will comprise online events, coaching, peer networks/learning and one-to-one access to an expert network of leading sector experts and investors.
Our objective
To help the participants discover a scalable business model for their new innovation, allowing them to build a commercial proposition with substantially less money and in a shorter amount of time compared to traditional methods.
By adopting proven tools to investigate customers, refining value propositions, and evaluating risks, the support will create business models that stand up to the scrutiny of potential investors, partners and customers. The builder will de-risk ideas and create a viable, accelerated value proposition for the relevant sector.
What to expect
The primary role of the builder is to assess commercial viability and develop entrepreneurial skills, ensuring participants keep testing hypotheses accurately to help them make sense of what they are discovering, helping participants find and understand the facts.
At the end of the builder, participants will have a clear understanding of the potential product market fit for their technology, in readiness for the next stage of investment/feasibility grant funding.
The builder will also involve:
- Smaller groups
- Focused approach
- Co-development
- Investment backed approach
- Idea-to-enterprise support
Applications launching in January 2025
On 30 January, we are running an online discovery session to showcase how the pilot phase of the programme will be delivered, and how it plans to help innovators:
- Discover a scalable business model
- Build a commercial proposition
- Get ready for investment
With limited places on each cohort group, we encourage anyone interested in becoming a cohort member of the programme to attend this discovery session, as facilitator Christian Kumar will also cover the guidelines and tips to a successful application.
The three cohort groups, are:
- Alpha Group – dedicated to researchers and academics that have a concept worthy of discussion to formulate the concept into a commercial pathway. Module “research to revenue” will be delivered through the Medilink Midlands Entrepreneur in Residence program, mainly online. Initial cohort intake max 40 companies.
- Beta Group – looking for companies that are post concept and pre revenue. Applicants may have a company or received funding [either private or public]. These applicants will have a formed business and are looking for a corporate strategy to marry their clinical development plan. Initial cohort intake 20 companies.
- Sigma Group – trading companies at any stage looking to scale internationally by funding or strategy. We will sit alongside the board guiding the growth of the underlying business. If these companies are not revenue generating, they will be seeking a series A £5m plus funding round. Initial cohort intake 10 companies.
Find out more about the facilitator
Christian Kumar, Chief Executive Officer of Medtech Makers Lab, brings his extensive experience in corporate finance, investment banking and wealth management. This has been gained over three decades of dedicated involvement in driving strategic growth for various enterprises to help support the ambitions of Medilink Midlands members as they strive to commercialise their own innovations
Throughout his career, Christian has honed a profound understanding of strategic growth across diverse sectors, and is proud to have played a pioneering role in developing “demand-based” business modelling. Christian thrives in the dynamic realms of Corporate Finance and Investment Banking, evident in his impressive portfolio encompassing six companies and over 22 investments across sectors such as Leisure, Med Tech, Construction, and Energy.
Currently, he is actively engaged in supporting universities and governmental bodies in devising strategic inbound investment initiatives. His role involves shaping comprehensive expansion strategies that harmonise with their overarching goals, fostering growth and innovation within these institutions.
Find out more about the Medilink Midlands Entrepreneur in Residence programme.