Dominic Lowndes

We’re thrilled to share a landmark moment for us at Haylo: we have acquired Plessey Semiconductors Ltd, the UK’s leader in microLED display technology. For me, as a co-founder of Haylo, this isn’t just another deal, it’s a bold step towards shaping the future of AR/VR, optical computing, and AI-powered devices, industries set to be worth around £600bn by 2034. Over the next five years, we will: - Invest over £100m to scale from low-volume manufacturing to high-volume global production - Create and protect highly skilled jobs in Plymouth and the wider region - Build the hardware foundation for the next era of immersive, intelligent computing MicroLEDs will power the next generation of devices, from ultra-efficient AR/VR displays to optical processors that make AI faster, cooler, and far more sustainable. With Plessey’s end-to-end capabilities, world-class team, and deep IP portfolio, we’re ready to turn microLED breakthroughs into mass-market reality. This is a proud moment for me personally, for our brilliant team, our partners, and for the future of computing. And the journey is only just beginning. https://lnkd.in/ev7Hczth

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At Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE), we help transform Oxford’s world-leading science into companies with the ambition and potential to solve the world’s biggest challenges. But true global impact and scale requires access to the world's most important markets. We see it as part of OSE's role to help open up those markets for our companies early on. How? We’re building strategic international partnerships that open doors and accelerate new market entry for Oxford’s breakthrough innovations. Our ambition is to create a global network of "launchpads" to help connect Oxford’s high-growth companies with the local innovation networks, customers, partners and capital that they need to expand commercially beyond the UK.   This year, we took two important steps in that journey: in the United States and Japan. 🌏 ➡️ Earlier this year, we joined forces with leading US healthcare provider Cedars-Sinai to bring leading-edge UK health tech innovation to the all-important US market. Together, we aim to co-build and co-invest in new ventures emerging from Oxford with the potential to transform patient care, accelerating their entry and growth in the US. Our first joint investment was in Neu Health – a University of Oxford spinout developing a smartphone-based neurology care platform for Parkinson’s and dementia patients. With Cedars-Sinai’s clinical expertise and US commercial insights, Neu Health is now piloting its technology in Los Angeles, accelerating its journey to impact patients on both sides of the Atlantic.   ➡️ This month, as part of our international acceleration strategy, we’re delighted to also be partnering with Scrum Ventures and Tokyu Land Corporation to join the Sakura Deeptech Shibuya Accelerator in Tokyo. This collaboration gives our deep tech start-ups direct access to Japan’s thriving innovation and investor networks, plus workspace, mentorship, and connections to leading Japanese partners. For our portfolio, it’s a fast-track route into one of the most advanced technology markets in the world. Our ambition with these partnerships is to create a two-way street of opportunity: alongside opening pathways for our companies to commercialise globally, we also want to draw international partners and investors from those markets back into Oxford’s rapidly expanding innovation ecosystem – sparking new international collaborations and driving growth. Learn more about our Japan partnership here: https://lnkd.in/eK_9vu3U   #OxfordInnovation #GlobalLaunchpads #DeepTech #HealthTech #GlobalPartnerships #ScalingScience #BillionDollarScience

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As I head back to my desk in London, I’ve noticed a few founders (often in their first year or so) have been musing/seeking advice on holidays. Here’s the nuggets I’ve collated over the last 5 years, some obvious, some less so. Also, this is through the lens of a company that is shipping SAAS. Some businesses (European enterprise SAAS) will be very similar, others (e.g. B2C Christmas decoration e-commerce) will be wildly different: 1. Holidays are good. Probably necessary. Founding a category defining company is a 10 year+ game. If you work 18/7/365 you will almost certainly burn out. There’s probably some age dependence. I’d guess a typical 22 year old coming out of investment banking could last 2-3 years like this (not long enough); someone in mid 30’s likely a year-18 months (definitely not long enough) 2. Too much holiday is bad. Your business almost certainly performs hugely worse without you. If you’re taking 10 weeks fully off a year, your business is likely dead 3. I see two principal purposes: 1. Rest (to recharge your batteries and keep the intensity going long term) 2. Spend time with loved ones (compared to a more chilled job, many founders unthinkingly lose the relationships most important to them) 4. Rest is deeply personal. Different people recharge batteries in different ways. Nailing what effective rest is for you is similarly important to other aspects of maximising the impact of how you spend your time. It’s taken me a while to crack this formula. For me: 4 days intense partying with close friends, and then a week of complete isolation and quiet with my girlfriend seems optimal (I’ve iterated this over 5 years). For me a week of road biking would be the definition of hell and probably expedite burnout (but I know this is perfection for others) 5. Timing is vital. Practically no one buys shipping software in early August. So the impact on the business of me being “off” is an order of magnitude + smaller then. Many of the shipping SAAS CEO’s I respect most were “off” at the same time. 6. Don’t expect to be off 100%. I don’t think a founder can ever be off 100%. Something will come up. It’s less stressful to accept this upfront. And make sure those you are travelling with understand. That said I think cutting workload by 70-90% is totally possible. 7. What to cut when you’re “off”: -Internal meetings, the lack of which are not blocking team members that are “on” -Internal admin, the lack of which are not blocking team members that are “on” -External admin, which will not have meaningful business consequences -New business outreach 8. Things not to cut when you’re off: -Responding to client/prospect queries/requests -Excom meetings -Any work that has a major net positive impact on the cash position of the business -Running team responses to serious issues -Answering questions from team, where the lack of an answer would block them Now time to get back to my desk!! #shipsandshipping #maritime #founder #vc #seriesA

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Brilliant to host a roundtable this week with the British Business Bank and some of the UK’s most exciting scaleups to discuss the future of growth capital in the UK. We heard encouraging plans from the BBB - more freedom to invest, take risks, write bigger cheques, and in some cases, be the first to invest. Importantly, the BBB came to listen and our founders delivered a clear, timely message ahead of this year’s Budget. Risk appetite in the UK remains a defining challenge, but significant opportunities lie ahead, and progress has been made over the last few years. Founders highlighted critical barriers across deeptech, infrastructure, procurement, and the government's industrial strategy. Some of the key themes raised: ▶️ Unlocking public sector contracts to avoid the “feast & famine” cycle must be a greater priority. ▶️ Rethinking how the UK invests in deeptech & infrastructure and sees beyond B2B SaaS opportunities. ▶️ Broadening our definition of “innovation” to back bold ideas, not just tick boxes for grant providers. ▶️ Driving corporate & CVC risk appetite to better link blue-chip companies and founders. ▶️ Aligning procurement with investment to back UK companies - US companies are selected too frequently, buy British. ▶️ Exploring the role of secondaries to accelerate growth. Thank you to Louis Taylor CBE, Kristen McLeod CBE, Stephen Welton CBE and Leandros Kalisperas from the British Business Bank and to all the founders and investors who shared their perspectives so candidly - it’s clear that if we get this right, the UK has a generational opportunity to lead.

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