I have written regularly about innovation for a number of years. I was Chair of a very early VC group. I wrote first in the form of a newsletter – with links to useful news items; but over the last nine years and while a Nesta Associate, people and programmes that support startups and scaleups have been my focus.

If you would like to tell me about your particular interest, I would be happy to try and link you to relevant stuff (www.johnwhatmore.com), though the startup world moves on fast.

I would also be happy to explore special interests in this field on anyone’s behalf.

Best wishes to you all, and good luck, cos you need that! (Is that an interesting topic: how does a startup make good luck?!)

John (john.whatmore@btinternet.com)

PS I do have one more blog up my sleeve – about the topic that I have addressed most frequently: namely mentoring. This time last year Imperial, a potential source of new businesses perhaps greater than any other in the UK, launched a big new mentoring scheme. There is a distinct divide: between those for whom full-on mentoring programmes are of fundamental importance, such as Seedcamp, Techstars and Startupbootcamp, and on the other hand, many programmes for which mentoring – in various forms – plays a minor part, or none at all. Imperial consulted MIT about their Venture Mentoring Service (widely franchised throughout the world, but as yet unused in the UK) and designed and adopted a version purposed to become a major element in its startup/scaleup programmes. Signs are that it is not going as planned, but Imperial is just now decidedly coy about its progress; but has agreed to talk to me about it later this year. I regard this as a vital topic, so more anon. JW