We invest University of Cambridge capital into high-impact, high-growth Cambridge spinouts and startups.
We are Cambridge, investing in Cambridge, supporting future generations of early-stage companies.
This year, our Seed Funds team was renamed Ventures, reflecting the range of stages at which we invest and the support we provide Cambridge entrepreneurs. Our portfolio now includes 174 companies in a wide range of sectors and with a total value of £104 million. In 2023–24, we invested £6.5 million in 41 transactions and formed 25 new companies.
Cambridge Enterprise Ventures team
Our Funds
Since 1995, we have managed investments made by the University Venture Fund into new companies. As an evergreen impact investor, the fund uses ring-fenced University capital, with all returns supporting future Cambridge innovations. The fund holds several key investments, including companies in our sustainability portfolio.
A donated fund, the University Discovery Fund, was created in 2008. The original raise of £1.8 million has since returned £8.6 million to invest in the next generation of innovation. Most recently, it has supported our Social Ventures programme and the Founders at the University of Cambridge START 1.0 accelerator programme, whereby the fund invested £20k into each cohort company.
Managed by Parkwalk Advisors in collaboration with Cambridge Enterprise, the University of Cambridge Enterprise Fund (UCEF) can double the capital provided to investee companies by investing alongside the University. Launched in 2012, the first nine funds, UCEF I to UCEF IX, have raised £26.8 million to invest in Cambridge spinouts. UCEF portfolio companies have collectively raised over £550 million of syndicated capital and are valued at more than £1 billion. This year saw the launch of the tenth fund – UCEF X – which will enable continued investment in future Cambridge companies.
Portfolio companies driving impact
Barocal
Barocal is a spin-out of the University of Cambridge that is pioneering barocaloric technology to satisfy low-carbon heating and cooling requirements and provide a unique efficient solution without greenhouse gases.
Point of Contact: Chris Gibbs Academic founder: Xavier Moya
Cambridge Electric Cement
Cambridge Electric Cement has developed a low-carbon, recycled cement using electric arc furnaces. This innovative process reduces emissions by co-recycling steel and cement, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional cement production.
Point of Contact: Chris Gibbs Academic founders: Julian Allwood, Bill Yost, Poppy Brewer
Carbon Re
Carbon Re is an AI and climate tech software solution provider for glass, cement and other energy-intensive industries.
Point of Contact: Chris Gibbs Academic founders: Daniel Summerbell, Buffy Price, Aidan O'Sullivan, Sherif Elsayed-Ali
Colorifix
Colorifix is developing a revolutionary dyeing process to help the textile industry dramatically reduce its environmental impact.
Point of Contact: Chris Gibbs Academic founders: James Ajioka, David Nugent, Orr Yarkoni
DeepForm
DeepForm Limited offer novel press tool designs for automotive and other high volume customers, suited to a wide range of steel and aluminium panels.
Point of Contact: Chris Gibbs Academic founders: Christopher Cleaver, Julian Allwood, Adam Nagy-Sochacki
Echion Technologies
Echion Technologies is developing a portfolio of advanced battery active anode materials for Li-ion batteries.
Point of Contact: Chris Gibbs Academic founders: Jean de la Verpilliere, Michael De Volder, Adam Boies, Alexander Groombridge
Evoralis
Evoralis is a UK-based company specialising in enzyme-based recycling solutions, they develop enzymes that break down plastics for a circular economy, focusing on textiles. Their technology aims to make recycling more efficient and environmentally friendly.
Point of Contact: Amanda Wooding Academic founders: Mariana Pereira, Daniel Kauke, Josephine Holstein
illumion
illumion develops optical tools that use charge photometry to accelerate battery material development by visualising state-of-charge changes in active particles.
Point of Contact: Chris Gibbs Academic founders: Alice Merryweather, Christoph Schnedermann, Akshay Rao, Dame Clare Grey
Matnex
Matnex uses AI and quantum mechanics to accelerate the discovery and development of sustainable materials. Their platform aims to create high-performance, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly materials for various industries.
Point of Contact: Chris Gibbs Academic founders: Robert Forrest, Jonathan Bean
Nu Quantum
Nu Quantum is creating high-performance, quantum networking solutions that will predicate the future of quantum information processing.
Point of Contact: Christine Martin Academic founders: Carmen Palacios Berraquero, Sam Funnell
RegGenome
RegGenome provide machine-readable regulatory content that is dynamic, granular, and interoperable, all powered by AI-based textual information extraction techniques.
Point of Contact: Christine Martin Academic founders: Robert Wardrop, Shruti Kumar
Riverlane
Riverlane is a company focused on advancing quantum computing by developing the Quantum Error Correction Stack. Their mission is to make quantum computing useful much sooner than previously thought possible.
Point of Contact: Christine Martin Academic founders: Rebecca Simmons, Steve Brierley
T-Therapeutics
T-Therapeutics is a biotech company developing next-generation T cell receptor (TCR) therapeutics to target and destroy cancer cells, leveraging their proprietary OpTiMus® platform.
Point of Contact: Amanda Wooding Academic founder: Allan Bradley
TRIMTECH Therapeutics
TRIMTECH Therapeutics is developing targeted protein degradation therapies to treat neurodegenerative diseases by eliminating toxic protein aggregates while preserving healthy proteins.
Point of Contact: Amanda Wooding Academic founders: William McEwan, Leo James, Damian Crowther
Wave Photonics
Wave Photonics is using computational techniques to create tools and IP to enable and accelerate the development, mass production and adoption of these technologies.
Point of Contact: Christine Martin Academic founders: Matthew Anderson, James Lee
xWATTS
xWATTS provides intelligent energy management software that reduces costs and emissions in commercial buildings through automation and predictive control.
Point of Contact: Chris Gibbs Academic founders: Yigit Akar, Alexander AllenAcross a diverse array of sectors
Image credits: Unsplash, Adobe Stock
