Rob Maunder: How leading a university spinout can enhance your academic career

In this episode we meet Rob Maunder. Rob is the Founder & CEO of AccelerCom Ltd, a spinout from the University of Southampton, that develops solutions for the space industry.  Accelercom was founded in 2016 and now has an IP portfolio of more than 55 patents with their technology on-board over 200 satellites now in orbit. 

In this episode, Rob shares:

• Why keeping on foot in academia has been an extremely valuable asset for the venture

• How he has leveraged his enterprise experience to advance his academic career

• Why he believes the founder must be actively involved in the sales process

• How he frames venture-building as just another research project, only with a different set of questions

• Why he believes culture, not capability, is the real barrier to more commercialisation of university research

• Why it’s so important for university researchers to actively engage with external  stakeholders, regardless of how “blue sky” their research is

Rob shows it’s possible to build a successful high-growth venture and advance a successful academic career at the same time. His story provides a model for others, and acts as a reminder that commercialising research doesn’t need to be an either/or decision for academics.

This episode is essential listening for any university researcher considering how to balance an academic career with the pursuit of an entrepreneurial calling.