Role Description: Fundraising Lead

Background & MATcelerate ZERO Vision

MATcelerate ZERO, a new partnership between six leading research universities, companies, and investors to develop climate solutions to achieve the transition to net zero.

MATcelerate ZERO will enable industry to find and accelerate the translation of the breakthrough materials technologies needed to achieve their sustainability and decarbonization goals.

Through MATcelerate ZERO, private and public investors will take advantage of access to new investment opportunities and play a lead role in enabling leading UK-based businesses to harness the world class science, creating well-paid jobs, re-energising local economies and growing UK plc. These investors will also enhance their reputation and demonstrate an active role in ensuring future economic growth and prosperity based on delivering climate resilience.

MATcelerate ZERO consists of six of the most materials research intensive and active universities in the commercialisation sphere, along with visionary industry partners. It will eventually expand to include all UK universities looking for an effective route to impact on global sustainability and decarbonisation goals.

MATcelerate ZERO Mission and Objectives

MATcelerate ZERO will help develop and commercialise breakthrough technology in new and advanced materials to be implemented by industries worldwide to help them address climate change.

The objectives of MATcelerate ZERO are:

1. Build a platform to deliver a critical mass of opportunities for commercialisation of world leading intellectual property in advanced materials originated from the founding universities.
2. Work with the founding universities and corporate partners to build a pipeline of commercial opportunities, hone the business propositions through translational support and accelerator pilot projects, and prepare each project for investment or commercial funding.
3. Coordinate the materials ecosystem.
4. Build lasting partnerships with public and private sector organisations, as well as relevant investor communities.
5. Use the pipeline of successfully translated projects to build a permanent investment company and accelerator programme to support and fund a wide range of advanced materials companies throughout the UK and abroad.

Role Description

The partnership is now looking for a Fundraising Lead to be responsible for creating and executing a strategy to source funding from private and public sources, donations, and commercial investments. The Fundraising Lead will also be responsible for building and maintaining relationships with funders, liaising with the existing TTOs teams, and creating fundraising materials. This is a part-time remote role for 6-12 months, subject to on-going funding, starting February 2024.

Fundraising Workstream Objectives

1. Lead the fundraising workstream with support from existing TTO and Henry Royce Institute team
2. Confirm high-level vision and objectives for MATcelerate ZERO, and corresponding fundraising objectives and strategy for the next 5-10 years: focusing specifically on linking the interim objectives and funding requirements to align with public (government, regional development banks) and private (financial institutions, family offices, corporate, institutional investors) investment opportunities and interests
3. Gain buy-in to fundraising strategy from University Partners/TTOs
4. Identify, prioritise and approach funding partners for short, medium and long-term investment needs
5. Conduct initial discussions with identified partners across the funding timeframes
6. Confirm levels of interest from identified partners and their investment requirements/conditions, with the priority being on short-term funding needs
7. Secure donations/grants for £1-2m

Next Steps

If you’re experienced in fundraising from our target investor communities, and interested in accelerating the transition to net zero, contact us before the extended deadline of midday Monday 05 February 2024, using the form below. Please provide a brief personal summary outlining your skills, experience and personal attributes that make you suitable for the role. A member of the MATcelerate ZERO team will contact you in due course.

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