A new report by Dealroom shows that Cambridge is, for its size, the most innovative city in the UK.
Dealroom’s Global Tech Ecosystem Index analyses and compares startup ecosystems in 288 cities across 69 countries. Globally, Cambridge ranks fourth behind US innovation powerhouses San Francisco, Boston and New York.
To measure innovation intensity, it looks for ecosystems that are performing well relative to their population size. These hubs typically have high startup activity, research intensity and strong links with local universities.
Diarmuid O’Brien, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Innovation at the University of Cambridge, said,
“It’s great to see that, as a relatively small city, Cambridge continues to lead the UK in innovation intensity but it’s no accident that we punch above our weight. In recent years, the University and the wider ecosystem have put in place a range of initiatives to ensure that we realise our potential and are able to bring transformative science and technologies out of the lab and into the real world.”
Yoram Wijngaarde, founder of Dealroom, said:
“Cambridge continues to be a shining example in the European ecosystem, at the heart of New Palo Alto with its deep scientific and technological research heritage. Its success in producing global tech companies like Arm, Wayve and Quantinuum is inspiring the new cohort of founders. However, it cannot rest on its laurels. The Cambridge ecosystem needs to continue to grow and mature to improve the rate at which companies reach unicorn and exit stage so that it can remain globally competitive.”
Cambridge is proof of what happens when world-class research meets relentless ambition. While global venture capital funding in 2024 pulled back, Cambridge doubled investment - a powerful signal that deep tech innovation is increasingly leading the way in shaping our future economies.
What makes Cambridge unique is its cutting-edge science, an increasing flywheel of people who have successfully scaled ventures, and a culture built to turn groundbreaking ideas into transformative companies.
