LinkedIn profile: Rodney Kelly's LinkedIn profile

Senior Advisor: Health Innovation Network

I have supported over 200 companies over 3 years for the NHS innovation service called the Health Innovation Network, many of them in the health tech/ aging tech space. Through the network, which is the single front door to the UK National Healthcare Service, I meet at least two companies daily to whom I provide guidance on system demand, regulatory frameworks, clinical validation, real world evidence and piloting, financial forecasting, investor readiness/matching, government support structures, intellectual property, international market strategy and access and many additional pieces of information aimed at accelerating clinical innovation and entrepreneurship. 

In this capacity. I have supported multiple Japanese companies, many coming from direct referrals from JETRO, (Japanese External Trade Organisation). Reversely, I have directly supported over 20 UK companies entering the Japan market through our partnership with the Department for Business and Trade and industry partners such as AstraZeneca. I have convened three international ‘Japan Market Access’ events in collaboration with the above, having brought together the relevant stakeholders from the network I have built over the two decades doing business in Japan - to provide, system demand intelligence, investment opportunities and distribution partnering linking opportunities. 

Aging 2.0 APAC Coordinator

Additionally, I have been the APAC Coordinator for Aging 2.0, a US-based organisation and network of experts focused on identifying and promoting gerontology/ aging innovations and resources for whom, I have supported multiple ventures into Asia, including Japan. This involved helping them connect with payers and joint venture partners, namely in life and health insurance. 

University of Cambridge, Judge Business School: Mentor (Rodney Kelly, University of Cambridge)

I am a mentor at The University of Cambridge Judge Business School’s Accelerate Cambridge programme. In this role I have mentored multiple life sciences companies looking to access and succeed in the Japanese market, supporting them with a roadmap to gaining clinical validation, real world evidence, on the ground partners and investment opportunities. 

Japan Ambassador: Scottish Business Network (Rodney Kelly's SBN profile. )

I have recently been appointed the Japan Ambassador for the Scottish Business Network, as well as being a Global Scot. I am overseeing a large volume of requests from Scottish businesses, including many in the life sciences sector, looking to access the Japan market. I work closely with Japanese corporate venture capital teams to identify promising innovation from this pipeline to support their identified acquisition goals and broker mergers and joint venture partnerships.