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Team
Board and Management
Dr. Ilian Iliev is CEO of NetScientific and Managing Director of EMV Capital, which is a fully-owned subsidiary of NetScientific. Co-founded by Ilian, EMV Capital is an award-winning VC investor specialising in early stage high-growth deep tech companies in the life science, sustainability and industrials sectors in the UK and internationally.
Prior to that he co-founded and was CEO of CambridgeIP Ltd (2006-2012), which he built into a leading IP and patent strategy and data analytics provider in the UK and internationally. Previously he co-founded a family business in industrials and electric engineering in Southern Africa. He is a Board member on behalf of the Group at many portfolio companies, including PDS Biotechnology Corporation., Glycotest Inc. (Chair), Sofant Technologies, PointGrab, Q-Bot, Martlet Capital, DName-iT, Vortex (Chair) and Wanda Health (Chair).
Ilian holds a PhD from Cambridge University’s Judge Business School with a focus on Venture Capital; Master’s in Economics from the Witwatersrand University, South Africa; and is a former Associate Fellow at Chatham House. He has authored numerous academic, policy and industry reports.
Charles Spicer is an experienced chair and director specialising in the medtech and life sciences industries. He advises both public and private companies. He currently chairs Creo Medical Group plc, IXICO plc, and Korn Wall Limited (KwickScreen). Furthermore, he serves as the Chair for the UK Department of Health’s Product Development Awards Selection Panel B for Invention for Innovation (i4i). Charles previously held directorships at Aircraft Medical (acquired by Medtronic Inc. in 2015) and Stanmore Implants (acquired by Stryker Inc. in 2016).
Charles was previously Chief Executive of MDY Healthcare plc, a strategic healthcare investor and, prior to that, Head of Healthcare Corporate Finance at both Numis Securities and Nomura International. Charles has a PhD in History from London University and an MA in History from Cambridge University.
Ed Hooper is Executive Director, General Counsel and Group Company Secretary of NetScientific, providing legal, strategic and commercial support to the Group and its Portfolio Companies.
Ed joined from his position as a Partner at an international law firm, where he led and developed the firm’s Corporate Finance team in London. He has over 20 years’ experience as a lawyer in the City, specialising in advising on a broad range of transactions, including fundraisings, M&A, IPOs, joint ventures and restructurings, many on an international scale.
Ed is a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree (LL.B) in Law and German Law from the University of Exeter, and a Master of Laws degree (LL.M) from the University of Saarbrücken.
Jonathan Robinson is an experienced company director and entrepreneur with a focus on business development. Most recently he chaired the board of the international top-level domain registry operator, Afilias (until its acquisition in December 2020). Jonathan is a current investor in private growth businesses in a wide range of sectors.
Jonathan previously co-founded the publicly quoted Group NBT plc (formerly NetBenefit) which ultimately became NetNames Group. He was main board director and Chief Operating Officer of the Group, from 1999 until June 2009. At Group NBT, Jonathan was responsible for all areas of product management and associated strategic planning, fulfilment operations and industry policy issues, as well as acquisition integration projects. NetNames was taken private by HG Capital in 2011. Jonathan was also previously a non-executive director of the .uk internet registry operator, Nominet (UK) Ltd for two distinct terms of office. He remains active in the domain name sector.
Jonathan has a PhD in Materials Engineering and a BSc (Physics) from the University of Cape Town. Previously he held research posts at Imperial College, London from 1993-1994 and then at the Rolls Royce Technology Centre at the University of Cambridge until 1997. During his research career, Jonathan published numerous research papers and enjoyed periods of research work at the University of Groningen, Netherlands, and the University of California, Berkeley, USA.
A commercial, growth-focused and highly experienced Finance Leader with over 20+ years of experience in a wide range of financial institutions from blue chip organizations such as AXA to owner managed SME’s such as THB Group, R K Carvill & Co. and Towergate Partnership. A qualified chartered accountant by profession with a degree from Auckland University (NZ). Most recently have undertaken a number of interim roles within financial services for a number of high growth tech enabled SME’s, before which worked at Source for 6 years a European ETP provider (Investment Manager) which was sold to Invesco in 2017.
Investment and Operational Team
Nick brings a wealth of experience from his private client network, having built a strong community of High Net Worth Individuals helping raise considerable assets into some of the UK’s most exciting companies.
Nick’s particular focus has been structuring investments under the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), with experience ranging from Deep Tech, Engineering, Real Estate and Asset Backed securities. Nick holds a BSc from King’s College London’s School of Medicine.
Harry is an Investment Associate at EMV Capital, where he plays a critical role in evaluating investment opportunities, performing due diligence analysis, and developing internal processes for fund operation. Before joining EMV Capital, Harry worked as an Associate at an IP consultancy firm, where he analysed patent data and advised on patent strategy.
Harry holds both a BA and MSci in Natural Sciences from The University of Cambridge, demonstrating his expertise in the field.
Gianluca brings 6 years of experience in the VC industry focusing on supporting early-stage companies through numerous stages of their development. Gianluca has established an extensive network of sophisticated investors and high net worth individuals whilst raising money for some of the UK’s most exciting funds and companies. Gianluca has had vast experience in structuring financing rounds for companies in the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), including companies in the Deep Tech, SaaS, Life Science and Fintech sectors.
Gianluca holds a BSc in Economics and Geography from the University of Reading.
Josh has over 5 years’ experience in the venture capital industry as both a fundraiser and operator. Josh has raised funds for some of the UK and Europe’s most innovative technology businesses, including companies in the Deep Tech, MedTech and Life Sciences sectors.
Josh holds a BSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Mitchell leads the Project Management function at the NetScientific Group facilitating execution and streamlined delivery of projects within the portfolio.
Mitchell is a highly experienced project manager with an extensive background in the Life Science Diagnostics sector, specialising in point of care Medical Device platforms, having successfully led projects from concept to market through regulated bodies in the US, EU, UK, Canada and Australia.
Prior to joining the NetScientific Group, Mitchell was working as a project lead at an early-stage diagnostics start-up based in London.
Mitchell holds a Electrical Engineering degree from the University of New South Wales, and a Project Management Professional Diploma from Swinburne University of Technology.
Anete leads marketing and communications at EMV Capital and NetScientific Group, specialising in brand strategy, digital marketing and campaign management. Anete previously worked in an international finance brokerage where she oversaw marketing strategy for services like HNW mortgages, securities backed lending and corporate finance.
She holds MSc in Strategic Marketing from Imperial College London and BA in Management with Marketing from the University of Leeds.
Selina Frost
Selina is a seasoned Client Services Manager in the financial services sector, specialising in back-office and operational support. Selina excels in managing complex client needs and operations, demonstrating skills in problem-solving, effective communication, and attention to detail.
Hannah Jarvis
Hannah is a seasoned accounting professional who joined NetScientific Group in 2022. With a passion for numbers, Hannah pursued a career in accountancy straight after A-levels and quickly became AAT qualified. She brings 17 years of diverse accountancy experience in both practice and industry, with expertise in multiple sectors including payroll.
Phoebe is an experienced Executive Assistant with a history in management consulting, adept at refining operations and supporting senior executives in their pursuit of strategic objectives. She has a track record of enhancing efficiency and enabling sound decision-making, with a commitment to delivering impeccable support.
Venture Partners and Advisers
Ian Cooke is former Director at the Carbon Trust, where he was responsible for managing the investment portfolio and leading the commercial development of the Carbon Trust innovation activities. Earlier in his career he worked in venture capital, corporate venture and international business development in the engineering and environmental sectors. He has founded and invested in a number of successful new ventures in the engineering and technology fields.
He qualified as an Engineer in South Africa and was awarded a Master of Business Administration from Cranfield School of Management, UK.
Kevin Dean is an engineer with 30+ years of experience in technology, information systems and informatics innovation. He is the Managing Director of Health Tech consultancy Smart Health Science Limited, working with innovators and venture funders to bring health technology and services to the market. Kevin is also the Chair of Sweden-based quantified MRI company AMRA ab that is creating the world’s biggest body composition database; Chair of Combinostics Oy, a Finland-based international company that provides advanced tools for data-driven diagnostics in dementia, MS and Alzheimer’s Disease, giving the physician a holistic view of all patient data.
Kevin is also a Senior Research Fellow with the RAND Corporation in Europe; Adjunct Professor of Telehealth and Assistive Living at the Maersk Institute in Denmark, and is a member of the Pistoia Alliance Advisory Board. Kevin has worked in health & care for over 20 years, with past roles including health & care Innovation Director for Cisco, and as Non-Executive Director of Genomics England Limited (the world’s largest Whole Genome Sequencing programme) with responsibility for Information.
The Health Services Journal named Kevin, in 2013, as one of the Top 50 Innovators in Healthcare.
Chris Niehaus is the founder of Hampstead Advisory, a boutique M&A advisory firm. He has held executive roles at global investment banks, gaining leadership experience and driving revenue growth across Europe, the UK, Africa, and the Middle East. Chris specializes in General Industrials and Infrastructure, and has built strong client relationships across Europe and South Africa. He is known for his cross-cultural expertise, strategic thinking, and analytical skills, which have proven valuable in M&A transactions.
Ulrich is a career expert, talent advisor, experienced executive search consultant and author. He’s worked in the UK and internationally with CEOs and their teams across a range of sectors, including military special forces and world class athletes. Ulrich has hired and advised leadership teams internationally, ranging from start-ups to the FTSE 100.
Martin spent most of his recent career at Videndum plc, a media technology group which grew during his tenure to become part of the FTSE250. He began as a management accountant before heading up M&A and sat on the Board from 2017 first as Group Business Development Director and latterly as Group Finance Director.
He led Videndum on its transformation via M&A from a mechanical-engineering group into electronics and software. He was the Videndum representative on various minority investments as well as steered the group financially through COVID.
He has an MA in Law from Trinity Hall, Cambridge, is an ACCA qualified accountant and has an MBA from Cranfield School of Management. He trained and qualified as a solicitor with Linklaters & Alliance in the UK. Previously he held corporate development positions at Bunzl plc, at a private equity funded media equipment business and worked in investment banking at N M Rothschild.
John Clarkson
John Clarkson is an experienced business professional and qualified accountant, who had a successful early career working in various financial, audit and management positions in the UK and overseas. John brings many years of commercial expertise in leadership roles, including that of CEO, Chairman and Non-Executive Director. He has been a member of a number of business and professional groups, and has written articles and undertaken speaking engagements in both the UK and Europe.
John is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, a qualified Public Finance Accountant, a Fellow of the Institute of Consulting and Chartered Manager. He is an active investor in start-ups, high-tech and growing businesses, where he has been involved in strategy development, fundraising, contract negotiations, remuneration and corporate governance arrangements.