Portfolio availability: Chair • NED • Advisor
For Boards — Chair / NED / Board Advisor
I help science-based scaleups raise capital, professionalise governance, and convert research into revenue — with communications that support deals, hiring, and partnerships. Open to 2–3 roles across UK/EU (seed → Series B).
What I do on a board
- Funding & investor narrative: I build the story, align it to the model, run the data room, and lead diligence Q&A to shorten time-to-yes.
- Governance that scales: I install board rhythm, decision rights and KPI discipline that supports growth and audit/risk without slowing the team.
- Deep-tech commercialisation: I turn lab breakthroughs into enterprise value — ICP, pilots, pricing, and the first £1–5m revenue path.
- Partnerships & transactions: I structure/sequence deals, prep for M&A/IPO hygiene, and keep stakeholders aligned.
- High-stakes communications: Spokesperson & comms lead (IR/PR, crisis/change) so announcements support raises and hiring.
Selected outcomes
Result
Element 2 — Hydrogen infrastructure
Founder/CEO: Took H₂ refuelling from idea toward national footprint. Recruited SLT, raised £6.5m+, delivered multi-million annual sales, and built investor/customer pipelines.
- Network strategy, partners and sites
- Investor narrative, model + data room
- Spokesperson for media and stakeholders
Result
Evove (G2O) — Graphene filtration
CEO: Commercialised Manchester-developed graphene filtration. Secured public + VC funding, delivered pilots and early traction, and implemented pricing/unit-economics discipline.
- Spin-out → market programmes
- Pilot pipeline and customer references
- Investor materials and diligence readiness
Transactions
Intelligent sensing — M&A programme
Oversight experience on a $1.5bn acquisition programme — aligning board, investors and management on strategy, diligence and integration planning.
- Strategy & sequencing of deals
- Board materials & stakeholder comms
- M&A/IPO hygiene and integration prep
Where I’m most valuable
Hydrogen & cleantech • Advanced materials/graphene • Sensors/instrumentation
University spin-outs and scaleups • Seed → Series B • UK/EU
How I work with CEOs & Chairs
- Diagnose (first 2 weeks): Pressure-test strategy, model and narrative; map partners/investors; agree board rhythm and priorities.
- Act (30–60 days): Lock investor materials and data room; secure references/pilots; start investor and strategic meetings.
- Scale (60–90 days+): Close the raise or strategic deals; institutionalise governance and reporting; plan the next operating phase.
References available on request.
Press & Speaking
Press bio (120 words)
Tim Harper is a Chair, Non-Executive Director and Board Advisor working with science-based scaleups across hydrogen, advanced materials and sensing. He helps founders professionalise governance, align strategy and numbers, and raise capital — with investor communications and media that support deals and hiring. Tim founded Element 2, the UK hydrogen refuelling company, recruited the senior team, established the network strategy, and raised over £6.5m. He previously led the commercialisation of Manchester-developed graphene filtration at Evove (G2O), securing public and VC funding and early customer traction. Tim collaborates with universities including Cambridge, Manchester and MIT, and is the author of Born to Disrupt. He is a regular speaker on industrial decarbonisation and deep-tech scaleups.
Speaking topics
- Hydrogen infrastructure & industrial decarbonisation: what scales, what doesn’t, and why.
- Board discipline for deep-tech: governance, KPIs and funding narratives that close.
- From lab to market: commercialising university spin-outs in materials, membranes and sensing.
- Investor & media communications: aligning the story, the numbers and the data room.
- Special situations: leadership transitions, crisis/change communications and stakeholder alignment.
- Lessons from building Element 2 and scaling graphene filtration at Evove (G2O).
Formats & availability
Keynotes (20–40 mins), fireside chats, board/offsite facilitation, private roundtables. In-person or virtual. Media spokesperson available for print, broadcast and podcasts.
Portfolio availability: 2–3 roles open (Chair, NED, Advisor). Press & speaking • Outcomes • What I do