UKII is Not

UKii has been founded to drive innovation in IT security, but it is often mistaken for various other initiatives, organisations and processes. We wanted to let you know exactly what we are not.

UKii is NOT a Dragon's Den or Technology Dating Agency

If you want a Dragon's Den environment for your IT security related products, but without the dragons, go to the new Technology Den (www.technologyden.co.uk), or sign up your innovation to be considered for the London-based Infosecurity Europe's “Lion's Den” session for security innovation next Spring.

What UKII does is gets you towards the stage where you know what questions you will be expected to respond to at such sessions. These will be as much if not more business focused as technology focused. We aim to get you confidently to first base and are glad to point you to whichever group or organisation will help you most at the stage you are at. We do not provide money and we do not ask you for money.

We are much more than a “dating agency” for IT security innovators. Our starting point is to put you off by stressing the hardships and difficulties involved in getting innovation into corporates. We aim to provide guidance on understanding how your mindset needs to adapt to link in effectively with corporates and the corporate mindset

UKii is NOT a Channel for VC funding

We view the UKII as complementary to the services provided by Venture Capitalists, Business Angels, banks, and other sources of finance which are all providing the means for innovators to secure contracts for their innovation.

We are able to facilitate this process by helping take innovators directly to potential customers in end user organisations.

There is all the more need for UKII to do this given the limited and shrinking capital available to start-ups from Business Angels, and a migration of focus by Venture Capital from small  to medium growth companies, to larger, more established companies. 

UKii is NOT for Profit, or Seeking Funds

The UK Innovation Initiative is a unique organisation, rooted in altruism but providing a very necessary business need. Our core activity, to drive debate to bridge the cultural gap between IT Security SME innovators and large corporates seeking information assurance and reputation risk reduction, is free of charge. Also free of charge is our service preparing innovators for interactions with potential corporate champions.

UK Innovation Initiative has been kick-started by Harrogate-based Erudine, a small, innovative software business that is now secure and growing fast. Frustrated by the scope of current initiatives to bridge the chasm between innovators and business it wants to help other small innovators avoid the unnecessary pain it has undergone.

Our funding comes those who benefit from our operations. Through their sponsorship we help build subscribers as corporate thought leaders taking an active role in helping facilitate the adoption of  UK innovation. We also provide platforms for them to demonstrate that thought leadership especially to their peers and to Parliamentarians and elsewhere to help secure strategic advantage.

UKii is NOT a Government Agency

We are independent of the very many commendable initiatives aimed at nurturing and fostering R&D and innovation. There are, for example, regional development agencies, knowledge transfer networks, and a good number of other schemes designed to help innovators. For many the starting point and the focus is on the innovator side of the innovator/business divide.

Our UK Innovation Initiative is highly supportive of all these activities and gladly point innovators in their direction.

However, our starting point is from the corporate business end, and we operate at a high level but also first principles, not bounded by regions or sector. We seek to help innovators direct to end user organisations.

We aim to promote debate about narrowing the gap between innovation and its take-up by business both with the government and with the opposition, through various channels. We are fortunate in having support from John Suffolk, Government CIO, for what we are aiming to achieve.

UKII is NOT a Channel to Systems Integrators

We see systems integrators playing a valuable role, and with government reluctant to deal directly with very small companies, systems integrators are often the only route open to innovators for some government contracts.

The UKII has a dual role here. Firstly to give innovators no-holds-barred advice on methods employed by some systems integrators to take unfair advantage of their position. And secondly, by helping make end user organisations aware of innovators directly, to help them exert influence on their systems integrators to adopt innovations that will help the end user organisation.