Winny: On founders, momentum and building world‑class companies
20th anniversary storyCambridge Enterprise will turn twenty at the end of the year – specifically the 1st of December. To celebrate two decades of continued impact and innovation, we spoke with eight members of staff representing different areas of the organisation – from business development, to investment management, event organisation or senior leadership.
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 this article, we spoke with Winny Sanchita, who works closely with entrepreneurs through the Founders at the University of Cambridge START programme. Winny shared her perspective on the founder community in Cambridge, how Cambridge Enterprise helps teams move from idea to momentum, and why building strong founder communities matters.
We began by asking Winny what surprised her most about the founder community at Cambridge.
“What stood out immediately was the depth of scientific and technical rigour coming out of Cambridge. Combined with the resilience and tenacity of the founders, this creates companies with real technical defensibility and genuinely world‑class innovation.”
We then asked Winny to share a founder story that shows how Cambridge Enterprise’s support helps teams take a leap. One powerful example stood out.
“Molyon entered START as a research project, not yet a company. Through the programme, the team took on the challenges of incorporating, tackling difficult co‑founder conversations and resolving fundamental structural issues early.
“That early acceleration proved critical. Molyon spun out successfully and raised $4.6M immediately after the programme. I do believe that support from the Founders at the University of Cambridge’s START programme, helped them move from research to company, helping them unlock the raise.”
“Cambridge Enterprise helps translate research into products or services by supporting founders at every stage, not just at the start line.”
We asked Winny to share a moment that made her think, “this is exactly why Cambridge Enterprise exists.” She pointed to the journey of Trismik.
“Trismik initially applied to the first Founders at the University of Cambridge START cohort as an academic‑led project. With a strong translational potential, the team continued its journey through Cambridge Enterprise – they were awarded a Technology Investment Fund and were then supported by the Ventures team until the right commercial co‑founder was in place.
“They later entered START 2.0, launched a product and have since raised $2.5M. For me, Trismik demonstrates how Cambridge Enterprise helps turn research into companies by backing exceptionally talented founders over time, not just at the starting line.”
Reflecting on her own role, Winny shared why she enjoys working at Cambridge Enterprise.
“The people are genuinely collaborative, helpful and ambitious. Everyone is at the top of their field and there’s a shared drive to make a real impact.”
“People are genuinely collaborative, helpful and ambitious at Cambridge Enterprise. Everyone is at the top of their field and there’s a shared drive to make a real impact.”
Working closely with founders is a particular motivator.
“I feel very strongly about this initiative, I feel we are filling an important gap. Being part of that journey and helping to shape something new is hugely rewarding.”
When asked why she would encourage others to work at Cambridge Enterprise, her answer was clear.
“Cambridge Enterprise offers a rare combination of collaboration, ambition and excellence, alongside the opportunity to make a meaningful difference.”
She also reflected on what has made her stay.
“The pace and momentum of the Founders team has been a big factor. I’ve loved seeing ideas move quickly into action, with real energy and progress along the way.”
Asked to describe the culture at Cambridge Enterprise, Winny summed it up succinctly.
“Collaborative and excellence‑driven.”
We asked Winny to finish these sentences:
- In the next decade, Cambridge Enterprise should double down on… “Student entrepreneurship. There is huge potential in empowering students to explore entrepreneurship earlier and the Cambridge ecosystem is uniquely placed to nurture that talent and ambition.”
- We knew we’d made a difference when… “We saw the feedback from START 2.0, where the Net Promote Score (NPS) score was 100 and every participant said they would recommend the programme to a fellow entrepreneur.“Equally powerful was hearing one of our companies say that the programme had completely changed the trajectory of their journey and that they couldn’t wait to become successful and give back to the next generation of founders.”
Reflecting on our people and our progress
Winny’s reflections highlight the power of combining world‑class research with founder resilience, community and momentum. Her perspective shows how Cambridge Enterprise supports teams from the earliest ideas through to real commercial outcomes, creating pathways that turn research into impactful companies.
Her 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.
