Brazen Summit 2026, Day 4: Scaling, Impact and the Road to Exit

A morning summit session in Bristol bringing founders, investors and engineers together to explore scaling values-led businesses, bringing new technology to market, and preparing for an exit.

Date: Thursday 12 November 2026

Time: 9.30am - 12.30pm

Location: St Nicholas Church, Saint Nicholas Street, Bristol BS1 1UE

Day 4 of the Brazen Summit focuses on the practical realities of growth for founders and scale-up leaders: how to scale without diluting company values, how to bring genuinely new technology to market, and how to build towards an exit.

The session opens with a keynote from Tilly Lockey, followed by Riverford founder Guy Singh-Watson in conversation with Gaynor Coley on building an impact-led business on their own terms. Simon Davies, Chief Test Pilot at Vertical Aerospace, shares insights on designing, testing and certifying a new aircraft, with lessons that apply beyond aerospace.

The morning closes with first-hand perspectives on acquisitions, mergers and IPOs with speakers including Nick Sturge MBE, Heather Frankham MBE DL, George Sandilands, and Lauren Crawley-Moore of the London Stock Exchange, discussing preparations for exit and what comes next.

Agenda highlights:

• 09:30 - 09:55 Opening keynote
• 10:05 - 10:50 Building impact-led businesses on your own terms
• 11:00 - 11:25 A test pilot’s guide to scaling the impossible

The summit runs each weekday morning from Monday 9 to Friday 13 November as part of Brazen, Bristol's festival of technology, creativity and culture.