The University of Cambridge has revealed the first cohort of 11 startups selected for the Start Accelerator program. These startups were all founded by Cambridge students, alumni, and academics, and they are working on complex challenges across hardware, life sciences, and sustainability.
During the three-month period, these founding teams will receive early-stage funding, mentorship, development workshops, and access to office and lab space before the program concludes with a Demo Day in May featuring investors from across the UK and Europe.
This is the list of companies:
1.) AetoSense – Applyies patented technology to drive precision in air quality monitoring, addressing potential health hazards
2.) BioTryp Therapeutics – Divides bacteria to conquer infections and provide an alternative to traditional antibiotics, starting with urinary tract infections
3.) BravelyCultured – Uses a proprietary marine microbial biobank and solid-state cultivation methods to replace animal- and petroleum-based products
4.) Cambridge Vision Tech – Early detection of Alzheimer’s
5.) Molyon – Creates next-generation high-energy density batteries for weight-critical applications
6.) Nanomation – Builds computer vision software for the semiconductor industry to enable clients to build products using advanced, complex nanomaterials
7.) Orbit – Uses non-invasive nanotechnology to create a smart fitness device for brains, making mental health data transparent and actionable
8.) Protonera – Turns waste plastics into valuable commodities to make recycling work
9.) VOLTQUANT – Fixes the UK electricity grid to solve one of the biggest challenges preventing Net Zero
10.) William Oak – Develops a point-of-care test for micronutrient deficiencies to improve maternal, infant and child health
11.) Xterna – Engineers a cell-targeting platform that delivers therapeutic cargo to specific cell types
Start Accelerator 1.0 is for early-stage tech companies connected to Cambridge, either as a recent graduate, researcher, or academic. The program was designed to accelerate and smooth the path to success, enabling Cambridge startups to compete with emerging companies. Of the 30 founding team members participating in the first-ever cohort, 76% have a Ph.D., while 10 different nationalities are represented, including British, American, Dutch, Indian, and Lithuanian. The average age of the cohort is 34 and the average CEO age is 29. About a fifth of the founding teams and 36% of the CEOs are women.
During the 12-week program, the teams will receive non-dilutive seed funding from a pool of up to £2 million, including funding from the University of Cambridge and investor partner Parkwalk Advisors. Each team will also receive 50 hours of intensive mentorship from its own entrepreneur in residence (EIR) and one of the founders’ networks of over 100 experts, specialists, and connections.
The supporting partners involved in the program include sponsors KPMG, AstraZeneca, Hitachi, the Babraham Research Campus, and the University of Cambridge Judge Business School. The teams also benefit from free hosting by ideaSpace West, a newly redeveloped co-working space on the West Cambridge site, and priority access to lab space. The Founders at the University of Cambridge program is delivered by Cambridge Enterprise, the innovation arm of the University.
KEY QUOTES:
“Cambridge is an ideas capital and as we enter the next wave of digital innovation the university is producing a new generation of venture scientists who are fully focused on solving the world’s biggest problems, with audacious world-leading innovation and research. Selecting the first teams to join the inaugural Start Accelerator program was a difficult task, but we are committed to supporting these teams to turn their science and research into practical reality. Venture scientists like these hold the key to building a stronger, more sustainable economy and with the right support the potential is huge.”
- Gerard Grech, Managing Director at Founders at the University of Cambridge
“We’re really pleased to see such a varied cohort of entrepreneurs coming through the first Start Accelerator, which exemplifies the high-quality research and technology that is being produced by University of Cambridge and this new global programme. As the UK’s most active investor in university spin-outs, and having worked with Cambridge Enterprise for over 10+ years, we look forward to supporting this set of founders as they scale.”
- Moray Wright, CEO at co-investor Parkwalk
“It’s great to see such an ambitious group of founders coming out of Cambridge as they scale their ideas into companies. I benefitted greatly from organisations such as Cambridge Enterprise at the early stages of Cambridge GaN Devices to help me switch from having an academic focus to an entrepreneurial focus and I am pleased to have the opportunity to pay that help forward as an expert at Founders at the University of Cambridge.”
- Dr Giorgia Longobardi, Founder and CEO of Cambridge GaN Devices and expert at Founders at the University of Cambridge
