Everything you need to know on Martin Glen and Building Companies That Matter

Introduction

In a world where YouTubers are launching venture firms and headlines scream about billion-dollar valuations, Martin Glen is a calm, clear counterpoint. With a background that spans hedge funds, IPOs, and industrial analysis across London and Hong Kong, he now sits at the heart of deep tech investing at Parkwalk Advisors, quietly helping build the kind of companies that actually matter.

In this interview with Inside Success CEO David Sonowo, Martin reflects on his unexpected journey into VC, what makes a pitch memorable, and why the real measure of success isn’t fame or flash, it’s whether a business is making an impact, hiring people, and sticking around.

Martin Glen and his starting journey in VC

David: How do you decide whether to pursue an investment?

Martin:  We ask if it’s realistic based on what we’ve seen. If yes, we do more due diligence and meet with the business again. If we invest, I sit on the board, help with strategy, and connect them to people who’ve seen similar issues. We also raise money from individuals, so we attend events and explain why university spinouts are exciting and world-changing.

David: How did you end up becoming a VC? Can you walk us through the timeline?

Martin: Honestly, I didn’t plan it. I was a bad chemist and wanted real training, so I moved into the city and became an analyst in chemical companies. Back then, chemical companies were massive and great for learning about industries.

After 8 years in London, I moved to Hong Kong to analyze Asian industrial firms during their early growth. I came back to London later for family reasons and joined a hedge fund focusing on IPOs.

Eventually, some friends started Parkwalk. I liked their mission, supporting university ideas with impact, and joined them. I’ve been here 8 years now.

David: How do you decide what industries or types of science to focus on? Do you follow market trends?

Martin: We’re different from most VCs; we don’t chase specific tech trends. We back deep tech spin-outs from universities, anything from AI to hardware, as long as it’s not consumer apps or single drug development. What matters to us is the team, commercial potential, and returns. For things like AI, what matters now is not just the tech itself but how it’s used and what value it creates.

Challenges and Successes

David: What’s been your most exciting project and the one that didn’t quite go as planned? 

Martin: I’ll start with the last question, there was a company with tech that could swap in local adverts live inside films. You’d see a Taiwanese drink ad on a billboard in Bond movies if you were watching in Taiwan. It was clever and wowed investors, but it never took off; no strong market demand, tech scaling issues, and not enough sales. Disappointing all round.

Then a successful project, a spinout called YASA from Oxford made lighter electric motors by removing the central yoke. Early wins with sports cars like Koenigsegg, then Ferrari, and finally a full partnership with Daimler, who bought them outright. Sold for a couple hundred million pounds. Not a unicorn, but a solid return and a proud journey.

A moment of Reflection

David: What would you advise your younger self?

Martin: Retire earlier, haha. Okay, enjoy life more. When I started in the city, the hours were long and socialising was quite hard with handling clients and companies. I’d say broaden your skill set too, I was too narrowly focused. Talk to people doing different things, at different stages. It helps you understand your place better. And just be a bit nicer to people, no harm being good and kind to people 

Advise for our young readers

David: What advice would you give a young entrepreneur trying to get a VC to pay attention?

Martin: It’s hard, we see 2,000 pitch decks a year, so don’t be discouraged. Show passion and vision; why this idea, why now? Show diligence. Do you know the market, the competition, what customers want?

Understand the business side. If you don’t, bring someone who does. You’re asking for our money so we need to know you’ll spend it wisely.  Don’t pretend you know everything. Be open about what you don’t know because that honesty goes a long way.

Finally, pitch to the right people. We only back university spinouts. If that’s not you, don’t waste your time, or ours. Every pitch counts, even if we say no. We might like you, and we talk to other VCs on your behalf so always leave a good impression.

David: What money advice would you give a young entrepreneur?

Martin: Officially, I can’t give financial advice, but personally? Learn compounding early. Pick something solid and keep backing it. That long-term growth adds up.

Also, take some risk while you’re young. You’ve got time to recover and learn  about yourself and about what you like doing and what you don’t like doing. And that’s all good. So take a little bit of risk early. 

The Future of VC

David: VC seems to be turning into this rockstar lifestyle, especially with YouTubers like KSI starting their own firms. Is that media buzz real on your end?

Martin: No, it’s not real. Look at my background, I’ve got a plastic Darth Vader mask. That’s about as glam as it gets here.

Influencers influence many things, but that doesn’t make them mainstream. In investment, there are very few rockstars. Your time at the top is limited. You can be brilliant for a few years, good for a long time, but that’s it.

The media’s obsessed with how much money people raise. I’m more interested in how the companies are doing; what revenues they’ve got, how many people they’re employing. That’s what matters. Not a $10 billion valuation with zero revenue. I want to see real companies making a difference.

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