PUBLIC EVENT
Hub Lates is a curated evening for people driving the UK’s deep tech ecosystem – bringing together founders, investors, operators and ecosystem leaders for high-quality conversation and connection.
Hosted regularly across the UK in the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Hubs, Hub Lates travels between regions to spotlight innovation happening nationwide while connecting local ecosystems into a broader, high-value network.
This London edition features an interesting dual perspective: Dr Asel Sartbaeva, founder and CEO of EnsiliTech, in conversation with investor and Board Member, Alexander Fink of Empirical Ventures and Fink Family Office.
Together, they will share the story behind EnsiliTech – from scientific breakthrough to venture-backed company – alongside an honest look at what it takes to build and fund deep tech in today’s landscape. Expect insights into the founder-investor relationship, navigating commercialisation, and what investors are really looking for in UK deep tech.
Alexander will also offer his perspective and role in Ensilitech’s growth, his career through investing and share insights on the UK’s deep tech ecosystem.
Beyond the conversation, Hub Lates is about who is in the room. We bring together a cross-section of the ecosystem to spark meaningful high-value connections across sectors, stages and disciplines.
If you are looking to make your next bright connection, or simply what to stay close to where exciting ideas are emerging – this is a space to designed to make it happen.
Programme
| 6.00pm | Registration and refreshments served |
| 6.25pm | Event opening and introduction |
| 6.35pm |
Inside Ensilitech: a founder-investor perspective
Facilitated by Katie Saddleton, Senior Ecosystem Manager |
| 6.55pm | Question and answer session |
| 7.05pm | Networking and refreshments |
| 8.00pm | Close of event |
Photography/filming notice
Please note that photography/filming may take place during this event. All photographs and videos will be securely stored on the Academy’s servers and used for editorial, marketing and media use by the Academy and selected press or industry media. Please let us know if you do not agree to this processing. Please refer to our General Privacy Policy for more details.
Venue and accessibility
It is very important to the Royal Academy of Engineering that our events are accessible to all. If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact Divine Mukasa more than one week in advance of this event so that necessary arrangements can be made.
Further information about accessibility at Prince Philip House can be found at: https://raeng.org.uk/about-us/accessibility.
Diversity monitoring form
The Academy is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and one of our goals is to develop an engineering community fit for the future. To help us achieve this, we would like to collect some basic anonymous data about the event attendees. If you would like to help, please complete the diversity monitoring form by logging into your user account on our website and completing ‘Update my D&I data’.
Dr Asel Sartbaeva
Dr Asel Sartbaeva is the co-inventor of ensilication and CEO/cofounder of EnsiliTech, a company revolutionising vaccine delivery by enabling room temperature stability without the cold chain. She read Chemistry at the University of Bath, secured a place on the Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Fellowship and Shott Scale Up Accelerator programme, where she strengthened her commercial and leadership skills. As a UNICEF “Girls in Science” Ambassador, she champions diversity and inclusion in STEM while advancing technologies that make vaccines accessible to everyone, everywhere.