Got a great idea, a strong patent, and a close-knit team? Sounds like you have the perfect basis for a successful start-up – now it’s just a matter of getting some money. Right? Hahaha, no. Fund-raising, unfortunately, is not quite so easy, and so it helps to get a bit of an insight into the tricky world of valuations, ownership splits, and slide decks. Luckily we’ve got all the right people in one spot for you, so you just have to turn up. Come along to SynBioBeta London and hear from these knowledgeable VCs.Kathryn Owen from Imperial InnovationsImperial Innovations was originally set up as the technology transfer group for Imperial College London. Since then the group has listed on the London Stock Exchange and used the extra funding provided to expand into a wider portfolio, one which now contains companies spun-off from Cambridge, Oxford, and UCL. With a portfolio worth over 320 million GBP, a market capitalisation of over 600 million GBP, and 38 companies in the portfolio, Imperial Innovations is certainly a fund to watch in the future.Representing Imperial at SynBioBeta London is Kathryn Owen, Healthcare Ventures Associate, whose many responsibilities include the identification and evaluation of startups in the therapeutics and diagnostics space. With a doctorate from Imperial College and experience working at AstraZeneca, one of the worlds’ largest pharmaceutical firms, she has an excellent background for spotting potential winners in these fields.Oliver Sexton from MidvenKeeping with our English theme, Midven are a venture capital firm located in the middle of Birmingham, England’s second largest city. With several investment funds under management totalling more than 70 million GBP, Midven has a stake in over 130 companies – including ones we’ve previously covered such as Synthace. Most of their investment focuses on the West Midlands region around Birmingham, and their selection of funds provides the group with a broad portfolio of high-tech start-ups.Oliver Sexton has been with Midven for several years now, managing the synthetic biology investments of Midven’s ‘Rainbow Seed Fund’ – a fund targeting university spinoffs and synbio companies. He was previously part of the medical/bioengineering commercialisation team at Imperial Innovations and so will undoubtedly have a lot to talk about with panellist Kathryn Owen. Venture capital is, of course, a very close-knit world, and thus events such as these discussions are excellent for those who wish to get that first introduction.Veronique de Bruijn from Icos CapitalVeronique de Bruijn follows a common path for venture capitalists, having spent a number of years working in equity deals and M&A (mergers and acquisitions) at firms such as PricewaterhouseCoopers and Hollandsche Beton Group. Her portfolio tends to focus on biotech, and indeed she is currently the interim CEO of Photanol, an Amsterdam-based company currently developing bioengineered cyanobacteria for chemical production.Icos Capital are a venture capital firm with a focus on ‘cleantech’ ventures, essentially companies with a sustainable focus such as bio-production or low-waste filtration. Based in the Netherlands, with offices just beside the bustling Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Icos are well placed to take advantage of the European investment scene – although to date their portfolio is heavily focused on Dutch firms.Katrin Burt from SyngentaSwiss-based Syngenta doesn’t really need introduction, of course, with their global presence in the agricultural biotech field rivalled only by that of Monsanto. Syngenta Ventures, their venture capital arm, is a highly active investor in early-stage agriculture firms, having invested over $100 million USD in their portfolio over the last ten years. (This impressive figure is somewhat dwarfed by the current purchase of Syngenta by China National Chemical Corp (ChemChina) – a deal which will cost ChemChina a mere $43 billion USD).Katrin Burt has been at Syngenta Ventures for several years, having come from a Partner role at the VC firm known as Intersouth Partners. While at Intersouth she was a member of the boards of several portfolio tech companies, and this experience has been very helpful in her current role on the boards of AgBiome and Agrivida. She’ll be sharing some of this experience in the upcoming panel discussion at SynBioBeta London.Karl Handelsman from Codon CapitalCodon Capital is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm, whose investment focus (as the name suggests) lies in the fields of preclinical drug development and synthetic biology. Karl Handelsman, the founder of Codon Capital, established the company in 2013 to follow on from his many years’ experience in investment and business development at companies such as the (now closed) CMEA Capital. With experience in lean startup methods, he works with universities to extend translational research while simultaneously acting as a direct angel/VC investor. With a portfolio which includes such well-known names as Caribou Biosciences and Antheia, he’ll be well-placed to share some insights into the world of VCs.Moderator: Joško Bobanovic of SofinnovaLast, but by no means least, is our moderator, Joško Bobanovic from Sofinnova Partners. The Paris-based VC firm has been investing in a number of early-stage life science start-ups, with a current portfolio that includes such SynBioBeta favourites as Synthace. Joško Bobanovic is currently a Partner with Sofinnova’s Green Seed Fund, and brings with him a wealth of venture capital and entrepreneurial experience. Certainly the perfect person to keep our Investor Panel running smoothly.SynBiobeta London will be running from April 6th-8th, while you’ll find the Investor Panel on April 6th. Come along and learn what you need to know.