Roger Ashby

Roger is a serial entrepreneur with broad experience of starting technology businesses particularly arising from university research. He foresaw and proposed the need for seed funding for these fledgling businesses - the Government followed this advice and consequently launched the £40m University Challenge Fund.

Roger’s early career was in the petrochemical industry as a project manager responsible for turnkey construction contracts. These included such projects as cryogenic reservoir installations, oil terminals and deep water production platforms. The operations were based in many territories, including West Africa, the Emirates, the United States and Europe.

April 1975. Appointed Development Director of a Renwicks Plc subsidiary, a diversified engineering group and during a three year period helped redirect product portfolio and stabilise the company’s growth strategy .

1980. Joined the Fairey Group, a Pearson subsidiary, as a Managing Director of Fairey Winches and was responsible for taking a company into new product areas and profitability. Suggested to the group the potential growth of satellite communications but they declined to invest.

1985. Roger incorporated Satellite Technology Systems Limited, having funded it with personal cash. He recruited a management team and raised the equity funding. The company won the award of Best Technology Company for 1986 from Barclays Bank and BTG. The management made a trade sale in 1989. Roger continued to represent the interests of Satcom in Europe and established a Plc in the UK as President .

1992. Roger formed Dove Energy Limited, with past colleagues from the oil industry. Using new low cost technology it was intended to acquire declining oil reserves and recover additional outputs. Agreement was achieved to purchase several such production wells and the ongoing revenue streams. Dove managed the reserves of Neste in the North Sea.

1995. Roger had the opportunity to become an adviser funded by the Gatsby Trust, a private charitable fund owned by Lord Sainsbury, for a 3 year assignment to advise how universities could exploit their intellectual property. Roger began with the University of Southampton, where he started 6 companies in various disciplines, including electronics, pharmaceuticals and engineering. The most successful was Kymata Ltd, an optoelectronic components manufacturer which reached a valuation of $600m after 3 years. Roger was the founding MD of Southampton Photonics which raised $65m in the first round venture funding, 2000.

Awarded prize for Managing Director of best New Business in 1997 by KPMG. Awarded regional Entrepreneur Supporter of the Year Award from Ernst & Young, 1999.

On completion of the Gatsby assignment, Roger recommended that the Government should provide a special seed fund to allow universities to assess IP to proof of concept prior to commencing commercial development. The fund (The University Challenge Fund) of £40m was launched in 1998 & allocated to 14 universities. It has subsequently been substantially increased.

Current Activities Member of SWRDA Biotechnology Sector Group. Consultant to University College, London for knowledge transfer. Consultant to the Open Learning Company, distant teaching of university degrees.

Member of: The International Licensing Executives Society The University Companies Association UNICO The Association of American University Technology Managers The R&D Society Royal Society of Medicine (associate)