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The investment represents the first significant investment of BPEC’s new Seed division focused on early-stage businesses. BPEC Seed’s Pete Lockett said: “Kelpi stood out to us as a strong combination of world-leading scientific innovation with great entrepreneurial experience. Cofounders Neil, Murray and Chris have established a business which can deliver profit and purpose, playing a vital role in addressing climate change and impacting on plastic pollution.” Jerry Barnes, founder of BPEC, said: “As the largest and most active Angel Investor in the South West, we are delighted to once again invest in a highly innovative SME in the region that can become a world-leader with the right support. Our Seed

division was set up this year specifically to enable our members to support start-ups and it works well alongside the RAIA programme.” As a SETsquared Scale-Up Programme member, Kelpi, benefitted from Kelpi already has sourcing the Regional Angel Investment agreements in place with Accelerator (RAIA) seaweed suppliers in scheme delivered by SETsquared Europe, as well as Asia and funded by where most of the world’s Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation seaweed is currently agency, which cultivated. aimed to simplify, de-risk and accelerate public/private co-investment into ambitious, deep-tech businesses. To date, the programme has supported nine companies (including Kelpi) to raise £820K of Innovate UK grant funding which leveraged £2m Angel equity investment.

The Kelpi lab is one of a handful worldwide using seaweed to create bioplastics.

WORKING IN RENEWABLES: HOW CAN WE ENCOURAGE MORE WOMEN TO APPLY?

Under-representation of women in the renewable energy sector is down to a number of factors. But with the potential for 10-15 million jobs in the anaerobic digestion industry alone by 2030, opportunities are clearly there to be encouraged and promoted. Dr Nina Skorupska, chief executive at the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA), looks at challenges and prospects.

Statistics suggest that just 22% of employees within the energy industry are women, with the renewables sector being only marginally higher than this at 32%. But these figures don’t come as a surprise to Dr Skorupska. A lack of specific qualifications, diversity barriers and public perceptions are just three of the numerous hurdles women have to overcome in their journey to a career in renewables, but what can be done to inspire them to enter the industry?