The Fund, which is backed by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and 9 publicly funded research bodies, including STFC, BBSRC, NERC, and Dstl, is independently managed by venture capital specialist Midven. Founded in 2002, the Fund holds investments in some of the UK’s most innovative companies, operating in biotechnology, synthetic biology, agriculture, engineering, computer science, and environmental technology sectors. The Fund is dedicated to kick-starting promising technology companies developed at some of the UK’s largest publicly-funded research facilities, and its portfolio includes companies working on novel antibiotics, research into Alzheimer’s disease, “green” chemicals, and airport security.