Innovation was one of the buzzwords of 2017 as it was used to try to make the ordinary seem appealing. Real innovation – taking disruptive ideas that are new to the market all the way through to commercial success – is a really risky activity. It can deliver huge potential for growth, though, so it is worth investing in.
Supporting such a risky activity – particularly where it is based on cutting edge technology that requires investment in resources for research & development – is not right for every source of finance.
You need to understand where specialist investment might come from for your growth business, there are two main sources of external finance for innovation:
1.Equity investment from business angels, crowdfunders and venture capital firms
2.Public sector funding from organisations such as Innovate UK.