Mission Control

 

What have penicillin, Viagra and the smallpox vaccine all got in common?

They were all discovered by accident.  And they were all discovered by Brits.

Great Britain has a stunning history of invention,

From Cats Eyes to the Electric Motor, the Internal Combustion Engine and the World Wide Web, some of the world’s most significant inventions began life on this island. 

Steve Jobs invented the Mac. We invented the Mackintosh. 

Now a group of entrepreneurs from the nation which came up with the word Silicone, is travelling to Silicon Valley. 

Yes, following in the steps of WebMission and the Clean and Cool Mission, this is Future Health Mission.  Supported by partners and sponsors including the Technology Strategy Board,UKTI, Microsoft, McKinsey & Company and Silicon Valley Bank, I’m co-hosting the mission with my partners (James, Bron, Edie and team) at Polecat. 

We have selected 20 fantastic companies, which you can read about here.  Each of them is interested in the future of health.   Their companies range from fertility monitoring to GPS devices for the vulnerable, from mobile health to DNA testing.

Meeting investors and potential partners, exploring expansion opportunities and spending time with each-other, this will be an action-packed week.  I know from previous missions that trying to organise a group of entrepreneurs can be a bit like herding cats…

Lots is planned.  Lots will happen by accident.  It’s a combination which has served us Brits well.