Watch the highlights from the most recent Sixth Sense Summit here.
Discover the top insights from Sixth Sense’s latest fireside chats, where industry leaders and innovators share game-changing wisdom with our program delivery partner, and founder of H-Catalyst, Richard Heggie. Here are some of the key takeaways: Sustainability’s next big win Eva Carranza and Marion Rouzeaud, Hexagon’s Head of ESG & Sustainability and Global Sustainability Director, pointed out the emerging business opportunity to develop full sustainability solutions; that means not only measuring emissions and impact but also helping with reduction planning and decarbonisation. Leadership lessons from Cobra Beer Lord Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer, shared his leadership philosophy: being a leader is about intuition, building a diverse and loyal team, and having an entrepreneurial ‘playing to win’ attitude. Utility trumps novelty Lee Sankey, founder of Door, explored what makes a scalable, game-changing new product: utility over novelty. Products or services should solve specific pain points, address needs, or even create them to connect with customers. The power of an introduction Elaine Warburton OBE, serial entrepreneur and founder, shared tips on securing investment: an introduction is one of the most successful ways to secure funds because it shows that someone else believes in you – leverage your networks. Innovation: luck or skill? Martin McCourt, NED at Tharsus and former Dyson CEO, spoke about how much innovation is about luck: it’s about being prepared for opportunities, fostering an innovative environment, and generating a flood of ideas – but also having a system to decide which are the great ideas to run with. Economic optimism: A new angle Will Hobbs, Barclays’ Chief Investment Officer, offered a new outlook on the economy and the numerous forecasts of doom or boom: treat it as “innocent until proven guilty,” because people are always innovating and growth is the norm, not the exception. Redefining victory Olympic rower, Cath Bishop, discussed her book “The Long Win,” which puts forward a new definition of success: it’s about purpose over winning, growth over reward, and collaboration over competition. Shaping the future of our ecosystem These insights from our fireside chats are helping to shape the future of manufacturing, driving innovation and success within the Sixth Sense ecosystem. Thank you to all participants for your invaluable contributions.
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In the race to secure funding, track down the best talent, and stand out on a limited budget, dedicating precious energy and resources to public relations might not top the startup to-do list. But what if we told you this is a rookie error? That a PR and content strategy should be a priority, with the power to move the dial on the above and more? With no legacy to lean on, PR and content marketing can help to raise your startup’s profile and establish a competitive edge; shaping how people see your brand, making them care about your mission and vision, attracting top employees and investors, and building trust and credibility with customers. But where to begin? Whether you’re already in the know or just getting started, we’ve put together a few tips and tricks to help you get the ball rolling with PR and content marketing for your startup. FAQs What is a press release? A press release is a written communication that shares newsworthy company statements or updates with the media. The ingredients: a snappy headline, concise and compelling copy, a clear message, and engaging quotes. What is a press kit? This is an essential tool to help stakeholders better understand your company. A good press kit includes a range of assets that share more about your mission, product/services, team, coverage, social media, and much more. What is a pitch note? In order to secure press coverage, you’ve first got to grab journalists’ attention – this is where a punchy media pitch comes in, laying out: What’s the proposed story? What points would it cover? Why is it of interest? And why now? What is an op-ed? This is a 600–800-word piece that shares your point of view on a newsworthy topic which relates to your company’s mission, vision, or values. It should be opinionated, informative, evidence-backed, and not overly self-promotional. What are trade publications? And which should we target? These are niche publications that share sector-specific news for a target audience of industry stakeholders. Focus on the outlets that your specific stakeholders read and those that publish similar stories to the one you’re pitching. Guiding principles It’s all about the narrative When you’ve spent years developing a product, it’s easy to get stuck in the weeds of technical details when trying to engage stakeholders. Though important, these complexities aren’t going to resonate with a broad audience. To cut through the noise and grab attention, you need to develop an authentic and engaging narrative that communicates your unique values, mission, and vision. Next, you need to weave this messaging through everything from your press kit to your pitch notes to help your startup stand out. Diversity and consistency are key Beyond your origin story, it’s important to garner a following around your startup’s evolving story. So, once you’ve nailed your narrative, you want to get your company’s offering in front of as many eyes as possible – generating buzz, maximising visibility, and reaching new audiences. This can
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Last year saw a sharp drop in global venture capital funding for startups, with Crunchbase finding a five-year low in VC activity in 2023. Manufacturing was one of the higher performing industries in terms of investment, seeing less than a 20% drop, but the sector still experienced a year-on-year fall in funding. Is this the new normal? How can manufacturing startups maintain a competitive edge to secure funding? What are the technologies and innovations that will bring investors back? These are some of the pressing questions we explored at the Sixth Sense Summit in London earlier this year, including during a roundtable session on how to fundraise in a challenging climate. Participants in that discussion included Jean-Laurent Pelissier, Managing Director, Head of Enterprise Software at HSBC Innovation Banking UK – a subsidiary of HSBC which supports the innovation economy, providing commercial banking services, expertise and insights to the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity and venture capital industries. We spoke to him to find out more about what the future fundraising landscape may hold. What was behind the worldwide drop in VC funding across all industries last year? What impact did this have on the innovation economy? Jean-Laurent Pelissier: I think 2023 was a reset year for the VC industry and the innovation ecosystem. People had to get comfortable with new valuations and new ways of operating, with a much greater focus on efficiency. When the markets took a dive in 2022, we saw a lot of companies pause and rethink how to manage their business and boost efficiency. We also saw investors re-evaluate how to value companies and become cautious about deploying funding, focusing equity on existing portfolios instead. However, I think this has now stabilised. Are you optimistic about the future of startup fundraising? Can we expect 2024 to see a marked improvement or are we in a ‘new normal’? Jean-Laurent Pelissier: I don’t think last year is where we're going to be forever. From an economic perspective there's more stability (at least in Europe and the US) with more bullishness from investors to deploy funds and some early green shoots of positivity in the public market [IPO markets reportedly showed early signs of recovery at the end of Q1 this year]. So from what we're seeing on the market, I am cautiously optimistic for 2024 – I expect to see more activity. In terms of the new normal, I think companies are coming to terms with embracing valuation resets. We saw companies listing in the public markets demonstrate this approach, which I think reflects the broader ecosystem’s new reality. When this trickles through I think we’ll see more funding rounds. Forbes recently listed 3D printing, smart factories, sustainability, advanced materials, AI and blockchain as the top six innovative opportunities for manufacturing startups. Do you agree this is what investors are looking for? Jean-Laurent Pelissier: Against the backdrop of companies needing to become leaner and more efficient, I think AI is going to become increasingly important. Many
Read the annual report“Sixth Sense has given us a unique and direct approach to growing our business by connecting us to Hexagon’s decision-makers and a wide external network. We are grateful for the experience and highly recommend it to others looking to expand their business”.
“The support from Hexagon has been incredible, from senior management right through to the resources we’ve had access to.”
“The program has been extremely effective and it seems incredible that we were able to come up with a concrete advanced value proposition by joining forces in just a few weeks’ time. 1+1 = 3!”
