Imperial College and Nikko Principal Investments have signed a twenty million pound agreement to accelerate the development of spin-out companies by Imperial College Innovations, the college's technology transfer company.

Nikko will invest approximately £2m alongside the Imperial College University Challenge Seed Fund (a government sponsored scheme to help UK universities fund the development of promising technology companies). The remainder will be invested alongside other investors in later-stage financing rounds.

Imperial College Innovations is tasked with exploiting Imperial's intellectual property and has developed over 50 spin-out companies with new companies currently being spun out of Imperial College at a rate of one a month. "The deal with Nikko allows Imperial College to double the remaining resources in its University Challenge Seed Fund," said Susan Searle, Managing Director of IC Innovations. She described the deal as "one of a number of strategic relationships that are being developed to ensure that Imperial College Innovations maintains its leading position".

Sir Richard Sykes, Imperial's Rector said that he was "very pleased that Imperial College has attracted such a credible investor to work with us," adding that, "this is a powerful recognition that Imperial College is uniquely positioned to deliver...high quality spin-out companies."