In this extract, Managing Partner Eva-Maria Dimitriadis and Chairwoman Dr Annalisa Jenkins reflect on their journey so far and share why Conduit Connect is such a valuable support to founders.

Eva-Maria Dimitriadis, Managing Partner

If there was no COVID-19, we would be inviting you to celebrate our second birthday. Instead, we invite you to think about what this pandemic has taught about what really matters, and to think about how we can support you in making this world a more sustainable one, where everyone has access to the same opportunities – from healthcare to education, to a safe and protected planet. The last few months were challenging, but we were also heartened to see that while public markets may have been volatile, there was a cohort of companies that people could rely on. Conduit Connect companies like Tincture, Tech will Save Us and The Bower Collective were providing much needed solutions and struggling to keep up with demand! And those are the struggles we like to see.

One of the reasons I joined the Conduit Connect was because I was so attracted to the community. Sometimes it’s quite refreshing to preach to the choir. Let us sing in unison, using our voices and our wallets to propel the next impact unicorns who, as Sir Ronald Cohen would say, aspire not only to be worth a billion dollars, but also to improve a billion lives. If this is your mission, then we are singing from the same hymn sheet. We look forward to seeing you soon, at the Conduit, on Zoom, and beyond.”

Dr Annalisa Jenkins, Chairwoman

“When I first learnt about the Conduit, it seemed to be the word on everyone’s lips. I found myself being invited to meetings, forums and dinners and was intrigued by the fascinating diversity of thought and the passion for driving change and making a difference. Many of the challenges and opportunities were those that I was increasingly paying attention to in the broader global health care agenda. When Eva asked me to consider joining the Board of the Conduit Connect I already had a dozen commitments on my plate… But it was clear that this business had real potential to help shape the future of so many companies addressing the causes I support. So it was an easy decision to rebalance priorities and say yes.

As an entrepreneur myself, I know first-hand the challenges of being a founder. That first fundraise, that first board meeting, that first exit… It’s daunting and often lonely. I truly believe that our value lies in our ability to connect both financial and human capital with smart driven energetic founders who understand the importance of purpose and impact. We are focussed on helping the right companies gain access to the right sources of capital and talent along a journey to develop and deliver products and services that are going to make big differences and in many cases address big inequalities, secure our health and the planet for the next generation. Although many are early stage businesses, it has been encouraging to see both a potential COVID-19 diagnostic test and a potential COVID-19 vaccine, choosing to work with the Conduit Connect in the last quarter. As we all know, investing in startups is a risky business. It takes courage and conviction, and critically when it comes to the Conduit Connect, it requires personal connection and passion. Passion about our society and our planet. I hope you will agree with me that as an early stage organisation we have already made significant progress on our journey and we certainly have big ambitious plans.”

About The Conduit Connect

The Conduit Connect believes that the Conduit community has the impetus and the power to support and scale solutions that can have transformative impact on pressing social and environmental issues. We help impact-driven founders to access the knowledge, networks and capital needed to scale their solutions.

Since launch, the Conduit Connect has reviewed 486 businesses and through its unique impact screening and diligence process, 61 have been selected to benefit from the resources available in the community and surrounding networks.

• 15 Showcases hosted, providing a platform for 58 companies to present to over 1,300 members.
• 44 individual investments have been made by Conduit community members to our portfolio companies
• All 17 UN SDGs addressed and positively impacted across the Conduit Connect portfolio

This report, and the achievements described, are aligned with the Conduit Connect’s core values and our mission to support the delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Read our report to learn more about the portfolio and how the Conduit Connect companies have been weathering the storm of COVID-19.

To download the report, please fill in your details here.

Share This Article