Your investment options
We have made over 100 investments across a wide range of sectors. We invest up to £1 million in each University spin-out from investment funds we manage on the University’s behalf.
Our portfolio companies have gone on to raise over £1.7bn in further investment and grant funding. The evergreen nature of our fund allows us to take a long-term view. All income realised from investments is then returned to the fund to support the development of future companies.
When you come to us with an idea, we can help you find the most suitable investment option and guide you through the process of growing your business.
Investment options
Pathfinder
Pathfinder funding of up to £20k to help carry out market and IP assessments and to build business strategies.
Software Pathfinder
Software Pathfinder funding of up to £20k to carry out Minimal Viable Product development, including prototype development, field testing and a customer pilot.
Social Pathfinder
Social Pathfinder of up to £20k for social enterprises emerging from the University of Cambridge, in partnership with the Social Venture Incubator at Cambridge Social Ventures.
Fast 75
Fast 75 funding of up to £75k to gather additional data and initial customer feedback as preparation for a first funding round.
Seed investment
Seed investment of up to £500k to provide the first stages of company funding to advance technology development and management.
Follow-on investment
We maintain excellent links with angel groups and venture capital firms, including our sister fund Cambridge Innovation Capital (CIC), allowing our companies to build relationships with high quality follow-on investors. CIC may also invest at the seed stage as a precursor to further investment.
We can also introduce you to Cambridge Enterprise Venture Partners, a membership-only forum for investors who have an interest in early opportunities originating from the University of Cambridge.
Investment process
1) Develop and test your business plan
We work alongside you, helping you to make your business plan stronger; providing funding for consultants and proof of market studies; and connecting you with the best industry experts, mentors and managers.
2) Apply for initial investment
We have a range of investment options available to you depending on where you are in your business planning. We can help you develop your plans with an initial Pathfinder investment, and then support you all the way through to seed investment.
If we don’t think you are ready for seed investment, then we can introduce you to a suitable accelerator for consideration.
For larger investment, you will need to present your business plan to our Ventures team, who will then assess it to decide if to progress your application to our Investment Committee.
3) Apply for larger investment
If your application is successful, our Ventures team will support you in presenting your idea to our Investment Committee.
Once you have Investment Committee approval, we will put in place the necessary legal agreements to complete the investment.
Our support doesn’t stop there; we will continue to work with you to help develop and grow your business.
Would you like some initial guidance for your business idea?
Our slide deck will help you make an initial assessment of your idea and prepare you for a future investment pitch.
Have a business idea and ready to take the next step?
Complete our confidential idea disclosure form and we’ll contact you for an initial discussion. We will then work with you to develop your business plan and guide you through the investment process.
