Acceleris Capital are delighted to announce that their founder and executive chairman, Norman Molyneux, has joined the Infection Innovation Consortium (iiCON) Advisory Board
Decades of under-investment in new drugs and diagnostics means the world is ill-equipped to respond to the burgeoning challenge posed by infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance, and emerging pandemics.
iiCON has been launched in response to this problem. The consortium’s collaborative effort is directly reducing the global burden of infectious disease with a co-ordinated initiative to address key roadblocks in global R&D pipelines and strengthen and regenerate the global anti-infectives supply chain.
The consortium is developing a leading global centre for infectious disease R&D in the North West of England as part of a £173.4 million programme. Founded with an £18.6 million Strength in Places Fund (SIPF) grant from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the programme capitalises on the region’s renowned track record in working on active translational programmes in vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics and antiviral formulations
iiCON has ten specialist research platforms that span early-stage discovery to optimal late-stage product placement in the market. Many platforms are able to pivot to handle any infectious disease in a format that inherently provides pandemic resilience for the UK.
The Consortium platforms are co-developed and operated by industrial, academic, and clinical partners. They support co-innovation and accelerate the product journey from concept to deployment - bringing new drugs, diagnostics, antibiotics, vaccines, hygiene and sanitation products into use more quickly, safely, and affordably.
Led by founding Director, Professor Janet Hemingway CBE of LSTM, iiCON comprises six Academic, Industrial and NHS partners: LSTM,Unilever, Liverpool University Hospital, Infex Therapeutics, Evotec, and theUniversity of Liverpool.
As part of the high-level Advisory Panel Norman will utilise his vast experience in the development of early-stage healthcare companies to assist iiCON. Norman founded Acceleris Capital 20 years ago and across this period he has been influential in introducing capital to early-stage, innovative healthcare, and technology companies across the UK with a track record of success. Acceleris are now viewed as a leading venture advisory house in the UK and this experience will be an invaluable asset for the Advisory Board.
iiCON founding Director, Professor Janet Hemingway, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Norman to iiCON’s advisory board. His vast experience and wealth of sector insight and experience will be hugely valuable to the consortium as we continue our journey to develop a world-leading centre of excellence for infectious disease R&D and infection innovation in the North West.”
ABOUT iiCON
The Infection Innovation Consortium(iiCON) is a public-private consortium established to support the discovery and development of innovative new products and treatments for infectious diseases.
Born out of the Liverpool City Region and backed by UKRI’s Strength in Places Fund and the European RegionalDevelopment Fund (ERDF), iiCON is led by the Liverpool School of TropicalMedicine (LSTM) and brings together infectious diseases R&D leaders:Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Unilever UK, theUniversity of Liverpool, Infex Therapeutics, and Evotec at Alderley Park,Cheshire.
iiCON aims to revitalise and innovate the infectious disease product pipeline by supporting industry with access to specialist, commercially sustainable research platforms, state-of-the-art equipment and skilled personnel - significantly de-risking and accelerating new product discovery, development, evaluation and impact assessment, and expediting routes to market.
The consortium’s collaborative effort seeks to reduce the global burden of infectious diseases, addressing the threat posed by a lack of new antibiotics, and the devastating impact of multi drug resistant infections.
Learn more: www.lstm.ac.uk/iicon
Follow us Twitter for live updates: @iiCONNW or join the conversation on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/infection-innovation-consortium
About Acceleris Capital
Acceleris Capital are an FCA regulated Investment Advisory house who focus on early-stage technology SMEs working on global unmet needs in healthcare, sustainability and software.
Since incorporation in 2000, Acceleris have advised and managed fundraisings for over 60 UK businesses and introduced over £150m investment, with a track record including start-up toIPO, trade sale and private equity exits.
Acceleris primarily source funding from their private angel group, Acceleris Ventures, global investment institutions and family office investors.
Norman Biography
Norman founded Acceleris Capital 20 years ago with the mission to play a small part in creating new businesses from the abundance of talent across the UK. Norman has directly contributed to the formation, capitalisation and commercialisation of more than 50 UK SMEs, taking multiple clients to successful value events across numerous sectors. Norman is an influential member of the investment community, sitting on the advisory panel for the Regional Office of The London Stock Exchange and acting as a lay member for the Council of the University of Liverpool.
