From FOAK to Scale – Lessons in Commercialising Big Hardware

Hardware-heavy cleantech faces the toughest path to market, with innovators often forced abroad to scale. This session looks at what it takes to move from seed and FOAK (first-of-a-kind) to Series B and beyond, while managing risk, cost, and investor confidence.

• How do public grants and guarantees (e.g. UKRI, National Wealth Fund) reduce Series A / FOAK risk? How important are blended finance structures to support FOAK projects?

• What role should banks play in providing debt for scale-up projects?

• How can early corporate partnerships de-rick technology adoption?

• What lessons can UK founders who have scaled abroad bring back home?