Ithaka Life Sciences for NETWorks
Building businesses in the life sciences sector requires strong but flexible leadership as a venture moves from start-up to trading profitably and potentially through to exit. Inputs into the process from outsourced experts require great sensitivity and skill – with scientific depth, commercial acumen and staying power to make it happen.
In conversation with Dr Paul Rodgers:
It is in Dr Paul Rodgers’ opinion, that founders who take those critical first steps in the company of those who have taken that road before them, are most likely to succeed.
Ithaka Life Sciences is all about making it happen. Their aim is to share knowledge and knowhow with their clients as early as possible to eliminate risk and to prepare a venture for its journey ahead.
Paul Rodgers is an entrepreneur who is widely acknowledged within the life sciences market for his work with young companies. Not only for his scientific, corporate governance and ‘investment readiness’ expertise; but also for his strong leadership skills, his ability to work across disciplines, and the insightful way he builds appropriately skilled teams.
And he has taken the same approach to building Ithaka Life Sciences – a company he set up 2000 – that has quickly built a reputation as one of the UK’s leading consultancy and interim management service providers, specialising in the nurture and development of new and growing life science businesses.
Ithaka has built a team of experts who draw on real experience in taking science into the commercial market and share his principles and ideals. It employs 10 commercially and technically astute scientists, management consultants and business leaders – who prior to joining Ithaka and since then – have founded 20 life science companies and raised more than £50 million in investment finance for early stage ventures.
Companies include: Hydron- Pantherix-Cambridge Drug Discovery-Xention Discovery- Axis Genetics – Pestax – Smart Holograms – Pysnova Neurotech.
The team’s specialist knowledge includes: founding company directors, investment finance; specialist recruiters; IP strategists; Pharmaceutical industry facilitators and management buyouts experts.
Market expertise include: pharmaceutical R&D, medical devices, diagnostics and sensors, agriculture and food biotechnology.
This diverse range of expertise means they can supply services at each transitioning stages associated with the company’s growth through to exit.
Ithaka Life Sciences can provide the essential focused leadership and practical set up and operational management services at pre-start up through to exit. The team work alongside company founders to develop a compelling investment proposition that fits with their own goals and ambitions both for the business and for themselves. As the new venture evolves, they can help source the skills to take it to the next level.
Dr Paul Rodgers: ‘This is where the Ithaka Team excel. We remain focused not only on immediate technical and commercial goals, but on the road ahead. It means obstacles can be planned for well in advance and pitfalls avoided.’
Ithaka’s services are not just about imparting knowledge; the support is practical, tactical and as well as strategic. This critical hands-on experience means that Ithaka Life Sciences is well-placed to guide and deliver technical and commercial strategic planning services for public sector champions and private investors too. In the North East, they have worked closely with One NorthEast and the Centre of Excellence for Life Sciences in the region.
Under Paul’s leadership, the Ithaka Life Science Team has undertaken more than 100 assignments for over 60 clients; a high proportion of which is repeat business.
And wherever you are in the commercial process Ithaka’s services are delivered with the same depth and level of commitment whether you are close to market or just exploring the commercial opportunities.
Engaging with Ithaka Life Sciences means you gain access to a much broader spectrum of knowledge both within the company and via its personal network of more than 800 contacts.
The company has offices in Cambridge, Manchester and Oxford and set up an office in Durham in 2004 providing a centre of expertise and access to a wider community to the North East.
Copyright Ithaka Life Sciences 2008
