The Iceni Seedcorn Fund is run by the LLP board with representatives from all the Partner Institutions. Day-to-day management is delegated to the Investment Executive, who consider all applications and make decisions on all investments, monitor approved investments and report back to the Partner Institutions.  The Investment Executive meets 10 times a year.

Our team

  • Dr Georgina Pope, UEA

    Intellectual Property Manager

    Email:georgina.pope@uea.ac.uk
    Tel: 01603 591575
    Location: University of East Anglia
    Profile: Georgina is involved in the protection and commercialisation of IP across the University. Georgina comes from a research background, with a PhD in Molecular Biology and BSc Hons in Microbiology. Georgina has supported the successful exploitation of projects at UEA through licensing and the development of spin-out companies including Spectral Edge Limited holding a Non-Executive Director position.

  • Dr Rob Singh

    Deputy Director-Enterprise

    Email:rjsingh@essex.ac.uk
    Tel: 01206 874278
    Location: University of Essex
    Profile: Rob is responsible for a team that form the point of contact for business to access University knowledge. He has a PhD in biochemistry followed by research in the field of matrix metalloproteinases. His experience of commercialising University research output includes managing a portfolio of over 160 patents, licence negotiation and management, grant funding and spin-out fund-raising. He has worked on projects in wide range of sectors, including semi-conductors and medical devices. As part of an MBA he compiled a reported on how UK University’s manage spin-out formation and is a Director of University of Essex Spin-out Metrarc Ltd.

  • Dr Martin Stocks

    Business Development Manager

    Email:martin@pbltechnology.com
    Tel: 01603 456500
    Location: Plant Bioscience Limited (PBL) and NRP Research Institutes
    Profile: Martin manages PBL's Health and Medical Technology portfolio. Until February of 2012, he was also responsible for managing the Model Gut (a wholly-owned CRO business unit of PBL, which was recently sold to Bioneer Farma A/S, of Denmark. Martin has a 20 year background in academic research, specialising in immunology, molecular biology and protein engineering, which culminated in the co-founding and running of a start-up biotechnology company (Iclectus Ltd.) where he held the position of Chief Scientific Officer. Following his time at Iclectus, Martin provided independent consultancy for the technology transfer and VC communities in the UK, before joining PBL in 2007.

  • Valerie Jolliffe

    Fund Adviser

    Email:valerie@javelin-ventures.com
    Tel: 07976 360264
    Location: Javelin Ventures Limited
    Profile: Valerie has been appointed by the partners to provide professional advice both to the Investment Executive and Iceni Advisory board. Valerie has a degree in engineering from Cambridge University and is a Chartered Secretary. She worked in the City for ten years before moving into early stage venture capital, managing EIS funds, university spin-out funds and proof of concept funds. She is a judge on the Biotechnology YES competition and a member of the NIHR i4i awards panel. She has been the fund adviser for Iceni since 2008.