The Point Zero Forum’s roundtable on “Ideas to action to progress: the innovation journey from academia to industry” established that robust institutional support, innovative funding models, public-private partnerships, supportive regulatory frameworks, interdisciplinary collaboration, and adapted investment strategies were needed to scale the science and technologies being developed today at the speeds necessary to reap their promise.
 
Funding remained a significant barrier, particularly for early-stage ventures in clean tech and hard tech sectors, and traditional venture capital models, with their short-term horizons, often fail to support the long-term, high-risk nature of sustainable technologies. The discussion highlighted the need for new financial intermediation models that provide patient capital, with institutional investors like university endowments and pension funds identified as potential sources. Additionally, public-private partnerships were recognised as crucial for driving sustainable innovation by providing the necessary resources, expertise, and regulatory support to scale sustainable technologies.
 
2024 also reflected a new challenge: emerging businesses struggle to balance commercial demands with safe, conscious development, as seen in the Pause AI and Right to Warn movements. Startups also struggle to identify and retain talent as they scale, creating challenges of culture and consistency.
 
What do experts and experienced practitioners do in the light of these challenges? This roundtable furthers the conversation to consider both the funding and business models that have proven effective in facilitating conscious scaling, and the steps being taken to ensure culture and talent serve to address global challenges such as climate change and driving progress towards a more sustainable future.

AI is transforming the financial tech stack, with foundational models driving innovation in key areas and is revolutionising the way software is built and engineered. From accelerating development cycles to enhancing security and compliance, this conversation will explore the real-world impact of AI on innovation, and how the financial services industry is harnessing it to create the future of technology.