Edison Growth Conference 2026

‘What makes a difference is people.’ – Fraser Thorne opening Edison’s 2026 Growth Conference.

Kicking off the day, Edison CEO Fraser Thorne reminded the room that in a world of trackers, passive money and quant funds, the real edge still comes from backing high-quality people and companies – the names that will drive tomorrow’s growth.

Then two standout keynotes cut through the noise:

Toby Clothier (Oberon Investments) on a year that has been ‘a game of two halves’ – how war reset inflation expectations, why the AI capex ‘orgy’ can’t keep growing at this pace and his highest-conviction theme right now: gold mining M&A.

Neil Shah (London Stock Exchange) on why it has ‘never been easier to IPO in London’ – supply- and demand-side reforms, the new PISCES private securities market and the push to unlock UK pension capital (we invest just 3% versus Australia’s ~38%).

The through line? After a turbulent first half, the opportunities are there for investors willing to look harder.

Panel 1 – How is AI transforming the enterprise?

Host: Dan Ridsdale, managing director, technology

AI is now entering mainstream enterprise use, delivering real productivity gains, while raising concerns that it may cannibalise traditional software revenues. This session explores where AI is generating measurable value today, which sectors are moving fastest and how adoption will evolve as models become more capable. We also examine what will differentiate successful adopters over the next three to five years.

Panel 2 – Why HALO and why now?

Host: Neil Shah, executive director, market strategist

Heavy assets, low obsolescence (HALO) has emerged as one of the defining investment themes of 2026. In a market environment shaped by AI disruption fears, geopolitical fragmentation, supply-chain rewiring and a policy shift towards onshoring and infrastructure spending, investors are increasingly rotating to companies that own irreplaceable physical assets and serve structurally durable demand.

Panel 3 – $660bn in hyperscaler capex. Who supplies the power, the cooling and the concrete?

Host: Jonathan Day, director of content, industrials

The most certain return profile in the AI era is supplying the physical infrastructure, not betting on which model wins. Data centres require power, grid connectivity, cooling, fibre and specialist real estate, positioning energy producers, midstream operators and infrastructure providers to capture sustained investment at more compelling valuations and with attractive income characteristics. Rather than speculating on which AI platform prevails, this panel examines the more predictable return profile available through the ‘picks-and-shovels’ beneficiaries of the AI buildout.