Hosted by Cambridge Innovation Capital and Cambridge Enterprise
Join us for talks, case studies and advice to inspire academics and researchers in their journey to create commercial impact from research through the formation of spin-out companies.
Highlights of the event include:
Headline speaker: Nobel Laureate Sir Greg Winter
Sir Greg Winter is a Nobel Prize-winning English molecular biologist best known for his work on the therapeutic use of monoclonal antibodies, credited with having invented techniques to both humanise (1986) and, later, to fully humanise using phage display, antibodies for therapeutic uses. Sir Greg has established hugely successful spin out companies including Cambridge Antibody Technology (acquired by AstraZeneca), Domantis (acquired by GlaxoSmithKline) and Bicycle Therapeutics.
Founder stories from award winning spin-out companies, including:
- Dr Hannah Sore, CEO and Co-Founder of PharmEnable. A medicinal chemist by training, Hannah is recognised for championing innovative methods for discovering much needed new drugs. She brings over 20 years of research expertise within the life sciences and drug discovery sector at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Astex Therapeutics and at the University of Cambridge, including 10 years consulting and business experience across healthcare sectors at Frost & Sullivan and HFS Scientific Ltd. She completed her PhD at the University of Cambridge in Organic Chemistry and has authored over 40 peer-reviewed journal articles and is an inventor on 13 patents.
- Professor Florin Udrea is a professor in semiconductor engineering and head of the High Voltage Microelectronics and Sensors Laboratory at University of Cambridge. He has founded five companies including Cambridge Semiconductor, Cambridge CMOS Sensors, Cambridge Microelectronics, Flusso and Cambridge GaN Devices (CGD). CGD is a fabless semiconductor company that develops energy-efficient GaN-based power devices to make greener electronics possible. It completed its $9.5M Series A fundraising in March 2021. In autumn 2021, the company was named Tech Scaleup of the Year by Business Weekly in the category of green electronics and was awarded the UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA) DeepTech Investment of the Year.
- Professor Fiona Karet is a Clinical Academic in the University of Cambridge. She combines lab research into ‘housekeeping’ disorders of the kidney with running a clinic at Addenbrooke’s for these and other patients with inherited or stone-forming disorders. Kalium Health Ltd is her first foray into the commercial world. It was formed in 2018 and is currently in its ‘seed-plus’ phase. Kalium’s first product will be the world’s first hand-held fingerstick monitor for blood potassium, which will benefit the tens millions of patients with kidney and/or heart disease who have potassium problems but have no means of contributing to their own healthcare.
Agenda
| 15.00 | Arrival and refreshments |
| 15.30 | Introduction – Anne Ferguson-Smith, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and the Arthur Balfour Professor of Genetics at the University of Cambridge |
| 15.40 | Fireside chat with Sir Greg Winter |
| 16.10 | What makes a good spin-out Diarmuid O’Brien, CEO of Cambridge Enterprise Andrew Williamson, Managing Partner of Cambridge Innovation Capital |
| 16.20 | Founder stories Hannah Sore, CEO, Co-founder & Board of Directors of PharmEnable Florin Udrea, Founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Cambridge GaN Devices Fiona Karet, Professor of Nephrology, University of Cambridge and Founding Director, Kalium Health Ltd |
| 17.00 | Q&A panel |
| 17.30 – 18.30 | Networking drinks |