Who We Are
Inventive Leap operates as a network-led consultancy, designed to reflect the reality of research commercialisation: complex, evolving, and rarely linear.
Our model allows us to draw on a pool of experienced specialists across commercial strategy, market validation, IP, investment readiness, and innovation management. This means each engagement is shaped around the specific decisions facing the client, rather than forcing challenges into a predefined framework.
By assembling the right expertise at the right time, Inventive Leap delivers focused, senior insight without the overhead, rigidity, or long-term commitment of traditional consultancy models.
A Curated Network of Proven Experts
Inventive Leap brings together senior specialists with hands-on experience in commercialising research and early-stage technologies. Every expert in the network has operated at the coalface of innovation, ensuring advice is grounded in practice, not theory.
Expertise Assembled Around Each Challenge
Rather than offering a fixed team, Inventive Leap assembles the right combination of experts for each engagement. As projects evolve, so does the expertise applied, allowing clients to access precisely the capability required at each stage of their commercial journey.
Senior Insight Without Institutional Overhead
Our network model provides access to senior-level expertise that would otherwise require significant in-house investment or long-term consultancy contracts. Clients benefit from depth and breadth of insight without the cost, complexity, or administrative burden of large advisory firms.
A Network Built Around Your Needs
Commercialising research involves a series of high-stakes decisions, often made under uncertainty. The challenges faced by an early-stage research group differ significantly from those of a university spin-out or a mature IP portfolio.
Inventive Leap’s network approach allows us to adapt to these differing contexts, bringing in the right expertise as needs change. This flexibility helps clients reduce commercial risk, move more efficiently from insight to action, and make confident decisions grounded in evidence rather than assumption.
Our consultants bring experience across:
Technology commercialisation and spin-out formation
Market and customer discovery in complex, emerging sectors
Value proposition design and go-to-market strategy
Investment preparation, pitching, and fundraising
IP positioning, brokerage, and valuation
Led by Experience
Inventive Leap was founded by Stephen McNulty, a serial entrepreneur, consultant, mentor, and investor with a track record of building and scaling innovation-led businesses across Ireland, the UK, and the US. Over his career, Stephen has raised more than €7M in equity and grant funding and has been recognised with multiple start-up and innovation awards.
Rather than building a consultancy around a single perspective, Stephen created Inventive Leap as a curated network of senior experts, bringing together specialists in commercial strategy, IP, market validation, and investment readiness. His role is to shape each engagement, assemble the right expertise, and ensure clients receive focused, evidence-led advice aligned to their specific challenge.
Stephen brings deep experience working with universities, research teams, and innovation-led organisations, and is driven by a simple principle: access to the right expertise at the right moment makes all the difference to impact.
Daniel Carte
Founder & Chief Strategy Officer
With over 15 years of experience in business consulting, Daniel specializes in helping companies develop long-term growth strategies and navigate complex market landscapes. His forward-thinking approach has helped hundreds of businesses scale successfully.
Sophia Reynolds
Director of Operations & Efficiency
An expert in streamlining business processes, Sophia helps businesses reduce costs, improve productivity, and optimize workflows for maximum efficiency. Her hands-on approach ensures companies run smoother and scale smarter.
Marcus Patel
Financial Consultant & Growth Advisor
From cash flow management to profitability optimization, Marcus provides data-driven financial strategies that strengthen business performance. His keen eye for financial planning has helped businesses maximize their revenue potential.
Meet Our Leadership Team
Our team of experienced professionals is dedicated to helping businesses thrive. With diverse expertise in strategy, finance, operations, and marketing, we bring the insights and guidance needed to drive real results.
Let’s Take Your Innovation Further
Whether you’re exploring an early-stage idea, shaping a commercialisation pathway, or supporting innovation within your institution, we’d love to hear about your work. Get in touch to start a conversation about how Inventive Leap can help turn research potential into real-world impact.