Our speakers for this lecture, Ed Field and Deborah Bitterfield, will guide students through the exciting yet challenging transition from an academic spin-out to securing initial funding for a startup. The session covers practical milestones, common pitfalls when pitching to investors, and how to align your product story with market expectations. You will walk away with a clearer roadmap from lab to first cheque and a stronger sense of what investors listen for when the story is still early.