Investors
East Hill Management Company
East Hill was founded in 2000 as an investment advisory company to manage alternative assets for high net-worth families, endowments, trusts and institutions. Its venture capital investments are primarily in early stage companies founded by world-class scientists in the life and physical sciences. In particular, they have clearly-focused products which address significant market opportunities and use proprietary intellectual property. Landon Clay is a Managing Member of the company, and regularly attends Stratophase board meeting.
Alex Cable
Alex is president and founder of Thorlabs, Inc, a leading designer and manufacturer of equipment for the photonics industry. Founded in 1998, Thorlabs now has 400 employees and operates internationally, with manufacturing and sales offices in the US, UK, Germany, Sweden and Japan. Alex’s entrepreneurial approach has led him to invest in a string of successful early-stage optics and photonics companies.
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is continually developing its intellectual property portfolio through its Centre for Enterprise and Innovation. It has had multi-million pound successes with its spin-out companies, with 13 spin-outs since 2000 and over 50 since 1969. They originate from a broad range of fields and include oil and gas exploration, pharmaceuticals, nanotechnology and optoelectronics.
Wyvern Seed Fund
Formerly known as the Sulis Seedcorn Fund, this University Challenge Fund recently split from the University of Bath and changed its name. The Wyvern Seed Fund will focus on spin out opportunities from the Universities of Bristol and Southampton.
IP Group
The IP Group was founded in 2001 to create value for its shareholders and partners through the commercialisation of intellectual property originating from research-intensive institutions. It has long-term partnerships with 10 UK universities, with more than 50 spin-out companies. Eight of these have listing on the Alternative Investment Market, one on PLUS markets and there have been two trade sales.
Stratophase board of directors
John Knowles, Chairman
After a career that took him to Divisional Manager at Plessey and Managing Director level in Morgan Crucible, John Knowles acquired Davin Optronics with a business partner in an MBI in 1990, growing the business to a £9m turnover. He is well connected in the detection industry and actively involved in a number of early stage companies in a similar field.
Richard Williams, CEO
Richard Williams has been CEO of Stratophase for three years. Prior to joining he ran the multi-million pound optical fibre and device fabrication facility at Southampton University. He has a PhD in Physics from Oxford University, and has worked in both physics and engineering sponsored by Rolls Royce PLC and Rover PLC.
Peter Smith, Non-Executive Director
Peter Smith is a world-renowned Professor of Optoelectronics at the ORC at Southampton University. He is a founder of Stratophase and continues to run a research group in the company’s specialist area which provides new technology and trained staff.
Alex Cable, Non-Executive Director
Alex is president and founder of Thorlabs, Inc, a leading designer and manufacturer of equipment for the photonics industry. Alex’s entrepreneurial approach has led him to invest in a string of successful early-stage optics and photonics companies.
Brian James, Non-Executive Director
Brian James is Vice President of East Hill. He served previously as executive VP at ADE Corporation, recognised as one of America's top small cap companies prior to its sale. His earlier experience, both financial and operational, was in venture backed companies and with Ford, Allied-Signal and Textron. He has a degree from the University of Vermont and an MS degree in finance from the University of Massachusetts.
Professor Harvey Rutt, Non-Executive Director
Professor Rutt was Deputy Director of the ORC at Southampton University from 1998 to 2007, when he became Head of School for the University’s School of Electronics and Computer Sciences.