The Minds Behind EverQuest Capital: Meet the Team Backing the Future of Deep MakeTech

At EverQuest Capital Partners, our strength lies in the expertise of our multidisciplinary team. Each member brings a unique blend of experience, knowledge and insight to the table, all of which is incredibly valuable in supporting us to achieve our objectives. We are excited to introduce the exceptional individuals who are leading the way in driving innovation and commercialisation.

The investment strategy builds directly on the track record of the investment team and the wider experience of the EverQuest team, which has delivered circa £1.7 billion in cumulative realised exits across 20 realisations including 1 unicorn. A good example is the realised exit of more than 14x return on invested capital from a CPI related investment.

Stephane Mery – Partner

Stephane has over 20 years’ experience in private equity and entrepreneurship.

He was CEO of BBSF an early-stage fund behind the success of Spirogen (sold to Astra Zeneca for $400m) and Endomagnetics (sold for $310m to Hologic). He was also partner at Beringea leading investments in Life Sciences and Renewables including Biovex (sold for $1bn to Amgen).

Stephane turned around and successfully exited a company manufacturing and selling laboratory monitoring equipment.

Stephane is a Doctor in Veterinary Medicine, a Veterinary Pathologist and holds an MBA from INSEAD.

Hannah Wade – Partner

Hannah is a Partner and has over 20 years experience. She established CPI’s investor engagement and ventures arm in 2019. Under her leadership, CPI has built a strong portfolio of investments.

Through her long engagement at CPI, she has developed a strong network within the innovation sector. She leverages this network to cultivate a strong pipeline of investment opportunities for investors, attract strategic partners and connect portfolio companies into the infrastructure and research organisation ecosystem for technical, business and funding support. She is also passionate about promoting female entrepreneurship and is a member of the Lifted Project’s North East board.

A qualified lawyer, Hannah has a law degree from Leeds University and was a solicitor in private practice for nearly 10 years before joining CPI as in house legal counsel.

Peter Smith – Partner

Peter has significant experience in private equity and corporate finance previously working with Maven Capital Partners and CPI Enterprises.

Peter has led and worked on a number of the most successful transactions during his tenure, including that of Pragmatic (raised over £150million).

He has supported a range of fast-growing businesses including Qkine, Q5D, iPac, Descycle. He is responsible for new investments and has overall responsibility for all aspects of the business including strategy, client management and business development.

Peter holds an MSc in Finance from Warwick Business School and a first-class degree in Mathematics with Finance from The University of Liverpool.

Sarah Wang – Investment Analyst

Sarah Wang is a secondment from CPI Enterprises. She joined the team there as an Investment Analyst in 2023. She brings a passion for deep tech investment, having previously worked with leading firms such as Bertelsmann Investments and Tiantu Capital. Her values are deeply aligned with our commitment to people, planet, and place, and her analytical approach is a perfect fit for our mission.

Sarah holds a Master of Financial Analysis from London Business School (LBS) and a Business Administration degree from Ivey Business School in Canada. With a strong focus on responsible investing, Sarah is dedicated to delivering significant social impact as she builds her career in the investment world.

Ian Smith – Head of Investor Relations

Ian is the Head of Investor Partnerships at CPI Enterprises, having joined CPI in 2017. Leading the Investor Engagement function of CPI Enterprises, Ian’s focus is on the Deep-tech investor community and ecosystem aligned to CPIs capabilities and offerings.

Developing relationships supporting CPI, Investors, deep-tech companies and technologies and the associated stakeholders to maximise impact for all concerned is at the core of Ian’s day to day.

Ian has a PhD in Chemistry from Durham University, a MSc from Cranfield University, and a BSc from King’s College London. Additionally, Ian has over 10 years of entrepreneurial experience running a company that made sales and implemented projects across the globe.

Frank Millar – Strategic Advisor, Chief Executive Officer, CPI

Frank Millar has been Chief Executive Officer of CPI since 2020, following his initial role as COO when he joined in 2015. He has over 20 years of experience in technology development and deployment in the gas process and nuclear-decommissioning sectors. Frank brings extensive knowledge in engineering and project management too. His career has taken him across the UK, North America, and the Middle East, where he has played key roles in project delivery and business management.

Frank is a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Director, and his leadership is fundamental to the strategic direction and continued success of EverQuest Capital Partners.

Arun Harish – Strategic Advisor, Chief Strategy Officer, CPI

Arun is the Chief Strategy Officer at CPI.

Since joining CPI in 2008, Arun has held diverse roles spanning technology commercialisation, innovation consulting, fund-raising from private and public sources and business development. He has also shaped the development of CPI’s National Healthcare Photonics Centre and the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre. Arun sits on the CBI’s Technology and Innovation Council and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Innovation Board.

Prior to joining CPI, Arun worked with venture capital funded technology start-ups in the UK (Farfield Group) and India (Tejas Networks), where he held business development and R&D roles. Arun holds a PhD in medical nanotechnologies from the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University and an MBA from Warwick Business School.