Duncan Johnson, CEO of Northern Gritstone, regularly travels over 500 kilometres from Hampshire to universities in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield. Despite the long commutes, he maintains that exiting to US acquirers is not a failure but a strategic move. Northern Gritstone has successfully exited several investments, including a £933,000 deal and a £5 million transaction targeting university spin-outs.

Johnson emphasizes that these exits create value for investors while supporting academic innovation. The company continues to focus on commercializing research from UK universities, with recent deals involving major US buyers like Skuzzta. Johnson notes that the firm's approach aligns with broader trends in the European investment ecosystem, where foreign acquirers play an increasingly important role in scaling UK ventures.