Queen’s University Belfast’s tech transfer office has launched a fund in partnership with Sapphire Capital Partners to invest in its spinouts.

Qubis, the tech transfer arm of Queen’s University Belfast, has partnered Sapphire Capital Partners to launch the Qubis Innovation Fund. The vehicle exploits tax relief structures for individual investors in the UK, known as SEIS and EIS. It will invest in Queen’s spinouts and companies emerging from partner universities, and it will be managed by Sapphire. Qubis has formed 90 spinouts to date and has achieved three exits through initial public offerings. Brian McCaul, chief executive of Qubis, joined Global University Venturing on its Talking Tech Transfer podcast last week to discuss the commercialisation unit’s successes and hint at the imminent launch of the Innovation Fund. The interview can be downloaded for free here.

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Thierry Heles

Thierry Heles is the editor of Global University Venturing, host of the Beyond the Breakthrough interview podcast and responsible for the monthly GUV Gazette (sign up here for free).