The Entrepreneur in Residence for Medilink Midlands, Christian Kumar, has been appointed by Medtech Makers Lab as their Chief Executive Officer. With over three decades of experience in corporate finance, investment banking, and wealth management, Christian brings his extensive knowledge to support the ambitions of Medilink Midlands members as they strive to commercialize their own innovations.
According to Christian, the Entrepreneur in Residence program aims to facilitate innovation by providing strategic support and a tactical roadmap for innovators in the Midlands. He expressed his delight at engaging with Medilink Midlands and his eagerness to apply his knowledge and experience to their endeavors.
Throughout his career, Christian has demonstrated a profound understanding of strategic growth across various sectors and has played a pioneering role in developing “demand-based” business modeling. His successful portfolio includes six companies and over 22 investments in sectors such as Leisure, Med Tech, Construction, and Energy.
Currently, Christian actively supports universities and governmental bodies in devising strategic inbound investment initiatives, shaping comprehensive expansion strategies that align with their overarching goals and foster growth and innovation.
Melanie Davidson, the CEO, describes Christian as an ideal fit for supporting Medilink Midlands members due to his enthusiasm, drive, experience, expertise, and connections. She emphasizes that his experience, networks, and advice will help members navigate the complexities of commercializing their innovations. Christian’s invaluable role involves linking suppliers, academia, and innovators while seeking funding from private investors, especially when government funding is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain.
Despite the recent £650 million investment growth package by the Government for the UK’s life sciences sector, funding remains a highly competitive area. This necessitates organizations like Medilink Midlands to think creatively in offering and delivering support and opportunities to their members.