On an autumn evening in October, the Uncommon office in Holborn was flooded with colours, the bustle of friendly conversations and light, as Associated British Ports (ABP) and its partners Plug and Play, welcomed diverse startups and investors for their ‘Inclusive Energy’ event.
Organised as part of ABP’s Energy Ventures Accelerator (EVA), the goal of ‘Inclusive Energy’ was to provide a forum to share ideas and discuss how we can work together to champion more inclusive growth as we innovate to enable the energy transition. It also offered a chance to showcase the stories of individuals who have broken the mould in the hope of inspiring others to follow their ambition.
A key highlight was an inspirational keynote speech delivered by Laura Wood, ABP Regional Head of Commercial for the Humber. Addressing a packed audience, she shared some of the challenges she's faced, the importance of not giving up in the face of adversity and the leading role for innovation to accelerate industrial decarbonisation.
“Well, we’re here today in the name of the energy transition, so let me ask you a question. Who has 15 years’ experience of producing scalable green hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuel or capturing CO2 and storing it?
“The bottom line is that we are in unchartered territory, and we have a serious challenge on our hands. The clock is ticking to 2050 and we need to break new ground when it comes to the energy transition.
“I believe we innovate by finding new ways to do old things. We need different perspectives to catalyse this innovation.”
But creating a more inclusive environment for startups is notoriously challenging – from helping them operate in a fiercely competitive landscape to navigating the gender funding gap. For example, it is often highlighted that the percentage of equity funding that goes to female-founded startups in shockingly low – somewhere between 1.8% and 9%, depending on the definitions used.
Despite this, there is room for optimism, with the UK Government’s commitment to supporting female founders through initiatives such as the ‘Invest in Women Taskforce’ backed by the UK Chancellor, Rachel Reeves and the ‘Women-led High-Growth Enterprise Taskforce’ which focuses on boosting growth outside of London. Businesses and investors also have a big role to play in promoting greater inclusion and diversity and venture accelerators, such as EVA, can help by connecting innovators and showcasing inspiring role models – two aspects which ‘Inclusive Energy’ aimed to address.
The next big event coming up in EVA’s events calendar is our Humber Innovation Day on 12th November, where we’ll explore the future of industrial decarbonisation in the Humber region. Find our more and register: https://lu.ma/zg3de8es
