Showcasing Life Sciences innovation in Oxford–Cambridge
Cambridge EnterpriseCambridge Enterprise, Oxford University Innovation and Cambridge University Health Partners brought together leading investors with innovators from the UK’s most dynamic ecosystems, Cambridge and Oxford, to showcase top-tier early-stage life sciences companies at an exclusive event held alongside the Jefferies Healthcare Conference and London Life Sciences Week on Tuesday this week.
At the event at the Royal Society of Arts, over 170 investors heard from 20 companies, covering a breadth of life sciences innovation including cancer immunology, antimicrobial resistance, vaccine delivery and gene and cell therapy.
The innovation offices of the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford respectively, Cambridge Enterprise and Oxford University Innovation, hosted the event along with Cambridge University Health Partners, which brings together the University of Cambridge, its NHS trusts, and industry to accelerate the translation of research into patient care and economic impact.
Dr Zubir Ahmed, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care, opened the event, speaking about the strength of innovation across the Oxford–Cambridge region.
Cav Elithorn, Director of the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor, highlighted the government’s investment in the Corridor and the future economic and societal benefits it aims to unlock.
The UK Government’s focus on the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor recognises the strength of these two innovation powerhouses and their value to the UK. Together, our ecosystems drive economic growth and societal impact. Through collaboration, visibility is increased, attracting inward investment and demonstrating the critical mass of innovation in life sciences across both regions.
At the event it was recognised that long term success must be supported by sustained investment in early-stage innovation, greater collaboration across both regions, strengthened pathways from research to real-world impact, improved connectivity and movement, and policy and advocacy support.
“Cambridge and Oxford are two leading ecosystems that bookmark a corridor rich in innovation, both home to world-leading science and capability.”
Dr Jim Glasheen continued:
“By working together, and with partners across the corridor, we can strengthen the pathways from lab to clinic, champion improved connectivity and demonstrate our contribution to national growth, global competitiveness and social benefit.”
Dr Mairi Gibbs, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford University Innovation, said:
“The showcase brought together world-leading life sciences spinouts from Oxford and Cambridge with leading international investors. It demonstrated how sustained investment and genuine partnership across the Growth Corridor – combined with world-leading knowledge and research, brilliant ecosystem partners, and a shared determination to tackle global health challenges – can deliver real impact.”
Companies showcased
Companies from Cambridge and Oxford presented ninety-second pitches to the assembled audience of investors:
- 52 North Health | Cambridge | Building innovative diagnostic and digital solutions to transform emergency care
- Alethio Therapeutics | Oxford | Pioneering first-in-class antibody-drug conjugates to transform the treatment of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms
- AlveoGene | Oxford | Transforming rare respiratory disease outcomes using inhaled gene therapy
- BaseRx | Cambridge | Accelerating oncology discovery
- Camoxis | Cambridge | Creating a patent-protected, first-in-class therapy to prevent reperfusion injury in stroke and enhance recovery without altering standard
- Caristo Diagnostics | Oxford | AI-powered cardiovascular imaging and risk prediction
- Cyclana Bio | Cambridge | Harnessing Tissue and Matrix biology to develop the treatments of tomorrow, starting with Endometriosis
- DaltonTx | Oxford | The intelligence backbone for modern drug discovery
- DIOSynVax | Cambridge | Creating next-generation vaccines against emerging and evolving infectious diseases
- Enhanced Genomics | Cambridge | Defining causal biology from disease-associated variants on a genome-wide scale
- Epitopea | Cambridge | Developing accessible OTS RNA-based immunotherapies
- Glox Therapeutics | Oxford | Pioneering the development of Precision Antibiotics to combat Antimicrobial Resistance
- Houdini Bio | Cambridge | Empowering DNA to unlock the true potential of advanced therapeutics
- MabGalaxy | Cambridge | Supercharging antibody development for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases
- ORFonyx | Oxford | Developing innovative genetic medicines that target protein upregulation through its proprietary APEX technology.
- OxfordStemtech | Oxford | Accelerating neuroscience innovation through scalable iPSCs, advanced human cell models, and precision assays
- Pictura Bio | Oxford | 1-minute pathogen detection
- Singula Bio | Oxford | Empowering the immune system to finish the fight
- SpyBiotech | Oxford | Novel vaccine platform technologies that target infectious diseases, cancer, and chronic diseases
- TRIMTECH Therapeutics | Cambridge | Advancing targeted protein degradation to unlock new treatments for neurodegenerative and inflammatory disorders
We are grateful to the sponsors and supporters for this event: Penningtons Manches Cooper, HGF, AstraZeneca, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge Innovation Capital, Wellcome Genome Campus, Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Image credits: David Johnson
