How do you see the current investment sentiment in the UK and how has it changed from your perspective?

The initial shock of the Coronavirus crises in the resulted in private equity / venture capital investors concentrating on supporting their investee companies, in some cases by providing additional capital. Through the second half of the Summer and into the Autumn there has been a return to new investment. We are seeing plenty of investor interest in businesses in areas that have come to the fore as a result of the pandemic (gaming being an example) or which are well placed to take advantage of the two fundamental economic changes which preceded it – digitalisation and the transition to net zero.

The focus topic of this year’s startup award series is smart mobility, which might be considered unfortunate during these times with the automotive industry facing big challenges itself. What’s your take on this?

In the UK there is a genuine desire to have a green recovery. Scotland, in particular, has one of the most ambitious net zero targets in the world. At the same time, we now live in a connected world which benefits everyone. So, there are going to have to be very significant improvements in the efficiency with which we move people and goods around. Smart mobility has a really important role to play in that, and so is as important as ever.

How do you think smart mobility has changed in the UK over the years?

A few years ago, discussions on smart mobility often got no further than “uberisation”. Since then, there has been a growing realisation of the extent of the need to develop and deploy both digital and physical technology together (for example data analytics and smart charging infrastructure) as well as an increased focus on MaaS and other sophisticated smart mobility solutions (such as autonomous vehicles). Given the role that the public sector plays in transportation, we have also seen a greater focus on smart mobility solutions from local and national government.

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