From Biology to Venture Capital and from London to Australia - an Alumna's Story
In the latest of our series of inspiring talks delivered by a diverse line-up of speakers, we were delighted to welcome Amelia Armour to speak about entrepreneurship and venture capital with our students.
Amelia, an alumna and current parent, began by saying she hoped that, by sharing her extensive experience, she would inspire the students to think about entrepreneurship as a potential career.
Rather than working in a ‘Dragon’s Den’ scenario, where products are designed to be sold to people, she explained that she invests with business-to-business companies and cited CSR (formerly Cambridge Silicon Radio) and their development of ground-breaking Bluetooth technology as a prime example.
Preferring not to specialise ‘too early’, she studied Natural Sciences, majoring in Biology, and during her placement – developing anti-fouling paint to prevent molluscs growing on the underside of boats – she realised that lab work, with its perception as a male-dominated industry, was not for her.
Through a Deloitte graduate scheme, she gained her accountancy qualification, and it was her love of science combined with her financial insight which drew her to venture capital and, specifically, investment at an early stage to back people and scientific innovation. She also gained international experience, from London, the centre of the world for specialist insurance, to Australia, where she worked in banking in Sydney.
To use a school analogy, she explained that she invests at the ‘Kindergarten stage’ often backing the people behind an idea first and the idea itself second. In some cases, she continues to support these ventures for up to 20 years.
Asked what makes a good entrepreneur, she replied:
“It is the inspiring storytellers, the team leaders who can take on advice, and the strategic and forward thinking that make good candidates.”
As for getting started, she said:
"There is never the perfect time to act on a good idea – just start! Notice a problem that you care about, talk to other people and get their feedback, start small to test your ideas before bringing in experienced people to help you stay focussed."
Some final advice from Amelia – never underestimate the power of networking. It gives her access to the best founders with the best ideas, and it connects the entrepreneurs with the people with the experience and insight to spot an opportunity worth investing in.
As anticipated, Amelia’s was a truly inspiring session and a fantastic addition to our Inspire My Future series, offering a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn from a member of the wider St Mary’s community about the exciting possibilities that lie ahead.
April 2026