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Building the VC we wish we had as founders

Turning breakthroughs into outsized returns

Total capital raised

£53m+

Capital deployed

£25m+

Deep Tech focus

100%

Portfolio companies

16

SCVC

Early-stage investment for Deep Tech startups — by founders, for founders

SCVC is an award-winning Deep Tech VC specialised in early-stage UK companies.

Led by exited founders with deep technical expertise, we are uniquely placed to understand what makes a core technology revolutionary and how to help founders harness its potential.

We back founders who, like us, want to change the world through advanced technologies, from biotech to quantum.

We support Deep Tech startups with investment from pre-seed to series A and apply our ‘technology-product fit’ model to guide teams through technical and commercial de-risking.

What is Deep Tech?

Deep Tech refers to innovations rooted in significant breakthroughs in science and engineering.

Unlike regular ‘tech’, these technologies are often built upon years — even decades — of research and development, using intellectual property and proprietary technology to tackle global challenges.

Rather than small incremental improvements, Deep Tech companies create transformative category-defining solutions with a long-term focus, in fields like AI, quantum, synthetic biology and advanced materials.

Why Deep Tech?

Deep Tech doesn’t just solve big problems — it builds the next giants.

Backed by IP, not just hype, these companies are uniquely positioned to generate category-defining returns by creating entirely new markets and technologies.

This is where the next generation of $10B+ companies will come from — and where early-stage investors will see the greatest upside.

Our focus

We invest in founders developing breakthrough technologies that can deliver outsized returns.

Our exclusive focus on Deep Tech reflects our conviction that this is where the next generation of market leaders — and the most substantial value creation — will occur.

From proprietary IP to untapped markets, we support companies with the potential to redefine sectors and dominate new categories.

Our portfolio

Engineering
Biotech
Biotech
Quantum/AI
Quantum/AI
Biotech
Engineering
Biotech
Engineering
Biotech
Biotech
Biotech
Biotech
Materials
Biotech
Opening a new pathway for PAD patients

IsomAb is developing isoform specific antibodies to treat patients with diseases that currently have limited or no treatment options. Its bioinformatics and knowledge-based platform approach has identified the therapeutic antibody ISM-001 as a development candidate for peripheral arterial disease (PAD). By progressing this through clinical trials, it has the potential to significantly improve the wellbeing of those affected by PAD which causes risk factors such as type 2 diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure.

Shrinking mobile radio front ends in smartphones, smartwatches and IoT devices

Forefront RF is revolutionising how mobile devices manage complex radio frequency environments for cleaner signal transmission. Its next-generation connectivity solution replaces fixed frequency filters with a tunable duplexer to reduce a device’s component count, increasing the number of supported frequency bands. Embracing miniaturisation, this addresses common size, space and weight issues associated with mobile devices while also reducing manufacturing costs and emissions.

Developing the Gentrafix platform technology to revolutionise gene therapy

Bitrobius Genetics is transforming the treatment of genetic diseases by intercellular transmission of DNA. Its Gentrafix™ platform technology overcomes a major challenge in gene therapy - ensuring therapeutic genes reach the majority of cells in an affected area - by generating plasmids that can replicate, spread and carry genes within human cells. This paves the way for more cost-effective manufacturing of potential cures, addressing the limited number of gene therapies currently available on the market, which are among the most expensive medicines in history.

Our goal

Backing companies at the earliest stageto deliver the biggest outcomes

Building the VC we wish we had as founders

Find out more

Turning breakthroughs into outsized returns

Find out more

SCVC team

Harry Destecroix

Founder & Managing Partner

Harry is the Founder of the Science Creates ecosystem, Founder & Managing Partner of SCVC, and Trustee of Science Creates Outreach. He founded his first company, Ziylo, in 2014 during his chemistry PhD. As CEO, he led Ziylo to acquisition in 2018 in a deal worth up to $800m. Three years prior, Harry built Bristol’s first Deep Tech incubator (thus founding Science Creates) after identifying the need for specialised lab space for startups in Bristol. In 2020, he founded SCVC, Science Creates’ VC arm, to back category-defining Deep Tech companies in the UK.

Harry’s work has been recognised multiple times, winning the 2023 RSC award for Chemistry World Entrepreneur of the Year and Barclays’ Icon of the Year entrepreneurship award in 2021. In 2025, Harry was awarded an MBE in the King’s 2025 New Year Honours List for his services to science.

John Williams

General Partner

John is a self-taught software engineer turned Deep Tech entrepreneur. As Co-Founder and CTO of Kudan Inc, he pioneered computer-vision based augmented reality in 2011, responsible for some of the most popular apps and games of the era and building the largest full-stack AR developer ecosystem. He was instrumental in pushing early deep learning into computer vision, which in 2014 led to Kudan moving deeper than AR to create Artificial Perception – an advanced form of AI used by autonomous robots and vehicles to understand and interact with the world around them. Kudan enjoyed a spectacular IPO on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2018, going on to exceed a $1bn market cap. John was involved in Kudan’s corporate venture capital and oversaw Kudan’s acquisition of VC-backed Artisense GmbH, a Deep Tech AI spinout from Technical University of Munich.

Catherine Fletcher

General Partner

Cath joined SCVC at its inception, leveraging her scientific expertise to transition from academic research to a leadership role in venture capital. Since helping to found SCVC, she has developed and implemented all key investment and portfolio management processes. Cath manages SCVC’s deal and fund structures, executing over 30 deals in the last 3 years and establishing SCVC Fund 2 with a novel structure. She also directs SCVC’s contributions to Science Creates' national accelerator programmes and provides mentorship within the Science Creates ecosystem. She has a PhD in Supramolecular Chemistry from the University of Bristol and has completed a number of Post-Doctoral positions across Imperial, Southampton & Queen Mary Universities.

Laura Davies

Principal

Laura is a Principal at SCVC, where she invests in early-stage Deep Tech companies and is Investor Director on the board of SCVC portfolio companies.

Laura has broad experience across the life sciences. She is a Biochemist with seven years research experience across industry and university settings, holding Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Biochemistry from the University of Oxford. Her research experience includes three years at TCR T-cell therapy biotech Adaptimmune.

Before joining SCVC in 2021, Laura worked at BBSRC-UKRI developing funding programmes to support the commercialisation of academic research.

Phoebe Lambourne

Investment Analyst

Phoebe joined SCVC in 2024, following a successful internship with the firm in 2020, as the firm’s Investment Analyst, supporting SCVC’s investment process and wider operations.

She has a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and an MSc in Cancer, both from UCL. Phoebe was nominated for the UCL Dean’s Research Prize for her postgraduate research in the TRACERx lab.

Prior to joining SCVC, she worked at a specialist biotechnology consultancy firm, performing technical due diligence for early-stage investors.

Jamal Samuels

Intern

Jamal is an intern with the SCVC team, supporting members across all areas of the business. He has extensive experience leading global, strategic partnerships in big tech and managing teams to deliver against growth goals. He holds a degree in Physics from the University of Bristol and hopes to complete an MBA from a top UK business school in the near future.

Outside of work, Jamal enjoys playing sports and travelling, having just returned from a two-year global travel sabbatical.

Public Event
04 Jun 2025

A specially crafted event as we prepare to expand our footprint with OMX, our 3rd incubator in Bristol.

Public Event
26 Jun 2025

An evening of science, storytelling and spectacular bakes in support of STEM outreach

Knowledge Hub

Latest updates from the Science Creates ecosystem