Inside Cambridge Enterprise with Mahesh Santiapillai

Our aim: How Cambridge Enterprise, throughout the years, has helped them evolve and grow in their careers and also learn about their views of its impact on innovation in Cambridge and beyond.

In the first piece of our people spotlight, ‘Inside Cambridge Enterprise’, we spoke with Mahesh Santiapillai, Investment Manager (Software/Deeptech). Mahesh joined the Cambridge Enterprise Ventures team last year, bringing a wealth of experience and insight from his work across technology ventures and investment.

Since arriving, he has added depth to the team’s expertise, supporting founders and early‑stage companies as they navigate the path from idea to impactful commercialisation. He spoke to us about working with founders, tackling “impossible” gaps and why Cambridge Enterprise continues to be a place of growth and learning.

We began by asking Mahesh what he enjoys most about working at Cambridge Enterprise.

“No single day is the same and gives the opportunity to work with very smart, interesting but down to earth people. It has enabled me to understand complex technologies and businesses while also feeling safe to ask questions.”

We also asked him how he would describe the culture.

“The culture here is inclusive and engaging.”

When discussing moments that demonstrate Cambridge Enterprise Ventures’ ability to help teams bridge difficult gaps, Mahesh highlighted a recent example.

“At our core, we specialize in ‘venture building’, the delicate art of translating raw, complex research into a high-growth commercial reality. A standout moment this year involved Cambridge Multi-Physics.

“Professor Nikos Nikiforakis was doing groundbreaking work in plasma physics simulations, but the gap between academic consultancy and a scalable, venture-backed company is notoriously difficult to cross. Our team recognized that his deep technical expertise was a ‘sleeping giant’ in the market. We stepped in to architect the business proposition, craft the investment narrative, and open doors to the right corners of the Cambridge ecosystem. Today, they are raising a £5m funding round, a milestone that simply wouldn’t have been reachable without our team’s input.”

We then explored what founders say they need most in Cambridge. Introducing this, we asked Mahesh what he hears most often and how we are responding.

“I am always enormously impressed but how much time people are willing to give you in Cambridge. It is high IQ and EQ but low ego. Finding and connecting to the right people can be very difficult though due to the fragmented nature of the ecosystem and we can do a much better job of connecting the companies we support with the right people.

“To help with this we are developing a Cambridge Enterprise Ventures platform tool. This should allow our portfolio companies to access a startup tool kit which includes free cloud credits, discounts on things like insurance and banking but also it should enable them to more easily find mentorship and access talent.”

Reflecting on our people and our progress

Mahesh’s reflections highlight the ambitious, thoughtful and practical work taking place within Cambridge Enterprise Ventures. His perspective shows how Cambridge Enterprise supports researchers and founders as they move from early ideas to high‑growth opportunities, while contributing to the strength and connectivity of the wider Cambridge ecosystem.

His insights form part of a wider set of anniversary pieces that highlight different voices from across the organisation. Each one will share personal perspectives on how Cambridge Enterprise has evolved and what continues to drive our mission. Together, they will show how we are still learning, still growing and still committed to supporting innovation from the University of Cambridge.