Chemistry World Entrepreneur of the Year 2005

The Chemistry World Entrepreneur of the Year award was given to Matthew Baker of Invitrogen on the evening of the 7th April at an awards ceremony held at the RSC's London offices on Piccadilly.  He collected a crystal trophy, a certificate and a cheque for £4000.

 

Matthew Baker, who founded the company DNA Research Innovations eight years ago, should be no stranger to success. In October 2004 he sold DRI to the world's largest life sciences organisation, Invitrogen, for a cool $65 million (just over £37 million).

 

His remarkable success came at considerable cost, he said, and rested on a combination of great team work and good luck.   Baker's team was key, as it can take years to find the right team members. Businesses like his - DRI developed DNA and RNA extraction technologies - need good business people as well as good scientists. Two very different areas of expertise.