About

Mike Townend boasts over 35 years of investment experience, having traversed roles as an LP, GP, CIO, investor director, board member, and entrepreneur.

His tenure as CIO at IP Group, Europe’s premier deep tech investor, spanned ten years until April 2022, during which he spearheaded investments such as Oxford Nanopore and Ceres Power.

Prior to IP Group, Mike held influential positions at Lehman Brothers and Donaldson, Lufkin, and Jenrette. His financial market expertise was honed through leading public and private transactions at Paribas, DLJ, and Lehman Brothers, where he directed the hedge fund business as Managing Director.

Outside IP Group, Mike is deeply engaged in sustainability-focused ventures, notably serving as Chairman of Optimize, an AI routing company, and co-founder of Green Urban Transport, an electric vehicle enterprise. Additionally, he acts as an advisor to Yoo Group, a specialist property development entity.