Innovation and entrepreneurialism are flourishing on the road to net zero mobility on the evidence of a one-day masterclass organised jointly by sustainable transport consultants Cenex and executive search and research specialists Ennis & Co.
The inaugural Cenex Expo Masterclass, held on the eve of the Cenex Expo international event, was arranged to connect a group of start-up and scale-up businesses with senior automotive industry and innovation advisers.
Hosted by national law firm Freeths at its Milton Keynes office, the day gave five businesses taking part in the Expo the opportunity to present their net zero mobility propositions to a 20-strong audience of Cenex-invited experts and Ennis & Co associates.
The Ennis & Co team included senior leaders from across a broad range of automotive industry disciplines, including commercial, technology, engineering, product development, finance, people and marketing.
The participating businesses ranged from an established SME with ambitions to grow revenue in new areas to an early-stage start-up being run by a single entrepreneur.
They were: Randle Engineering (engineering and software solutions for OEMs); Hy-Met (ultrasonic sensing to detect flaws in battery cells); Reserve & Charge (software platform enabling EV drivers to reserve charging points in advance); RetailSonar (data solutions to optimise charging point locations); and Charge Gully (cross-pavement gullies for home-charging cables).
Each of them delivered a presentation under confidential Chatham House rules before receiving feedback from the expert audience, and in some cases the offer of ongoing support to help them on their growth journey.
Key themes that emerged from the discussions were the challenges of raising funds, identifying the best route to the market, protecting intellectual property and attracting talent in a highly competitive skills market. For some companies, the advice included suggestions about new revenue streams and valuable insights about their overall business model.
Lynda Ennis, co-founder and CEO of Ennis & Co, said she was delighted with the feedback she received from both the participating companies and the advisers and looked forward to building on the partnership with Cenex for future events.
She said: “We are very fortunate to work with a team of eminent associates who have led businesses from start-ups right through to multinational corporations within the automotive industry.
“Earlier this year, we established a new investment division within Ennis & Co Group with an ambition to harness this expertise to help start-up and scale-up organisations.
“Partnering with Cenex and Freeths to deliver this masterclass has been a very useful opportunity for our associates to give some innovators the benefit of their experience and wisdom as they embark on their growth journey.”
Robert Evans, CEO of Cenex, said the quality of advice that the five businesses received during the day was hugely valuable, and he was encouraged by the interest shown by some audience members in continuing their relationship with the companies.
He said: “Hopefully, this will be a stimulus and a catalyst for positive future engagement. For me, it would be a very successful outcome if I spoke to a company in a year’s time and they told me that someone they met in the room had worked with them proactively and moved them forward through their insights and professional advice.”
Martin Noble, intellectual property partner at Freeths, said he was impressed by the enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit shown by the presenting businesses.
He said: “It is not often that a business is able to obtain, at no cost, constructive feedback from an audience with such a depth of expertise and experience.
“I had no hesitation in offering Freeths’ support to this masterclass as it reflects our solid foundations of integrity, entrepreneurialism and expertise.
“I really enjoy listening to and supporting innovative businesses that are looking to grow, while also engaging with fellow senior leaders and experts. It’s a recipe for success on many fronts.”
Alistair Horsburgh, the former CEO of CitNOW Group and now chair of the company’s Advisory Board, was among the Ennis & Co associates who took part in the masterclass and described it as a positive experience all round.
He said: “A lot of us are at a stage in life where we’ve done what we needed to do in our careers and are happy to give something back to people who really need the next level of help. It’s also a very enjoyable thing to do, assuming that you’ve got something to offer and they want to listen.
“Most of these companies will run out of cash because they aren’t successful, or they’ll run out of cash because they’re too successful, so it’s all about people and getting the right kind of advice. But most of all, it comes down to whether they have the cash.
“If you’ve got the cash, the right people and the right product, and you have those three things in the right order, then that is what will make these businesses successful.”
