Over the last 3 months Stephen has given me guidance, inspiration and enabled me to grow confidence with my commercialisation idea. We have covered topics such as customer discovery, market segmentation, value proposition development, business-model design, software and workflow specification, commercialisation planning, IP considerations, customer journey mapping and developing a product roadmap. It has been a pleasure to work with Stephen and has made me think outside of my headspace to transform the ideas I had into fully formed plans and workflows. Thanks again Stephen!
Testimonials
I highly recommend Steve as a mentor, particularly for those in senior positions in deeptech/greentech companies. I found Steve through the Help to Grow Management Course (which includes 10 hours of mentoring), and was impressed by his range of experiences plus his knowledge of the course itself and how it works. Steve takes an active interest in his mentees, both on a personal development level but also in their companies and the structural/sectoral challenges they face. I’ve found Steve to be an excellent sounding board for ideas, and equally, Steve has brought a lot of knowledge, insights and advice for my own personal growth and the growth of the company.
Steve is a brilliant facilitator and his extensive network enables him to bring people with complementary skills and experience together in effective teams. He grasps new topics in seconds and has razor-sharp insights. I have no hesitation in recommending Steve in the strongest terms.
Stephen serves as a Mentor in the Northern Triangle Mentorship programme. We had ten sessions together, aiming to build a pitch deck and value proposition for microbubble mediated carbon capture and purification, being explored through the University of Sheffield Commercialisation Journey.
Stephen was instrumental in helping to distil the very large envelop of potential propositions and customer segments into a narrower focus that should form at least a starting point.
The essential issue is that in the current political climate, CO2 as a license capture service, the original idea, is unlikely to be very profitable. There are a wide range of competitors in a crowded, but actually dysfunctional market. We have many possibilities for utilisation of the CO2, but all have hurdles to overcome. Charting a path through to one is quite encouraging.
I met Stephen Tunnicliffe Wilson through the Help to Grow programme, and since January we have worked closely together on funding opportunities, refining my value proposition, identifying market segments, developing marketing strategies, and building a stronger sales funnel. He has also generously introduced me to several valuable contacts within the ClimateTech and startup ecosystem.
Stephen’s experience in commercialising hard tech, combined with his deep understanding of the startup world, has been incredibly valuable and impactful for me. Working with him has helped me organise my thinking and develop a clearer strategy for navigating the highly complex challenge of commercialising an innovative water reuse system within the traditionally conservative construction and water sectors.
It has been a genuine pleasure working with Stephen. I’ve learned a great deal from his guidance, insight, and practical advice, and I would highly recommend him as a mentor to anyone developing innovative technology solutions.
I met Steve at the Innovation Sprints and had the privilege of working with him through a series of mentoring sessions, covering deep insights into IP strategy, go-to-market planning, competition, and pitch skills. Steve is an exceptionally practical and structured mentor with deep experience in the printing industry, and a real talent for translating technical concepts into clear business value. Every session was fun, focused, and genuinely insightful. I’d highly recommend Steve to any founder working on deep-tech commercialisation.
I’ve been really lucky to have Stephen Tunnicliffe-Wilson as a mentor since May. He’s been a huge help across pretty much every aspect of building SwitchDye, from pitching for funding and the following challenges, to working through valuation models and investment agreements (and plenty of other random challenges along the way, often dumped on him with zero notice).
Stephen’s experience and perspective have been invaluable, he has a rare mix of commercial experience, scientific acumen, patience, and the most genuine enthusiasm for early-stage tech and business, I think I have ever encountered. Having his support has made a massive difference over the past few months, and I’m very grateful for it.
Steve’s been a real help to AENi. He asks the awkward-but-necessary questions that make you rethink assumptions and come back with a sharper plan. He challenged our hydrogen-first bias and guided a sensible move into electricity grid planning, without losing sight of a clear beachhead and where we fit in the value chain. He worked with us on the business model, made us prioritise a working demo to collect user feedback, tightened our investor story and deck, and that helped us get through our Northern Gritstone pitch. He pushed our delivery plan (ArcGIS integration, user testing, and what to build next), kept us honest on hiring (commercial lead vs NED), and made useful introductions, including Lily at Advanced Infrastructure. Practical, calm, outcome focused. Highly recommended. Thank you, Steve!
Alliance Consulting was a huge help to us under serious time pressure of negotiating a Proof of Concept trial. Stephen quickly got to grips with the background, brought additional knowledge of industrial markets and technologies, and added fresh thinking at a critical point in the deal process. The proposed business agreement was reviewed, the commercial position of key parties was explained, potential scenarios and options were outlined, and negotiation tactics were advised upon. The focused work added real value with direct impacts on our POC deliverables—we wouldn’t hesitate to work with Stephen again.
Since last autumn, Stephen has consistently guided me through both business and technical challenges. His feedback on my pitch decks, business model, and go-to-market strategies has improved my decision-making. He has a rare ability to anticipate challenges and align planning with real-world execution. His mentorship has been thoughtful and has made a clear difference, and I highly recommend him.