If you’re a postdoc interested in learning more about commercialisation of University research, come along to our event on 19 November, 6–8pm at the Postdoc Centre, where Cambridge Enterprise's Investment Manager Bradley Hardiman will be speaking about getting your ideas into the marketplace.

Bradley has 13 years’ experience commercialising university research from institutions as diverse as the University of Cambridge, The Royal Veterinary College, Imperial College and The Royal College of Art. This has given him a wide appreciation of different technologies, industry sectors and methods of commercialisation. By helping create and investing in University spin-outs such as Definigen, Inotec and Fluidic Analytics among others, he has helped many transform their University research into companies. During this talk, Bradley will provide insight into some of the most important details regarding commercialisation of University research, including raising investment, and explaining the financial support and mentoring that Cambridge Enterprise (CE) can provide.

We’re holding this talk in collaboration with the Entrepreneurial Postdocs of Cambridge (EPOC), a group founded by postdoctoral researchers at the University of Cambridge. With support from the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, the Judge Business School and Cambridge Enterprise, the club aims to create awareness of entrepreneurial opportunities, support members in their pursuit of entrepreneurial careers, and foster a multidisciplinary network of entrepreneurial postdocs within the University. Cambridge Enterprise has also collaborated with EPOC to run the Postdoc Business Plan Competition, the first competition of its kind specifically for Cambridge postdocs. The finale takes place on 3 December at Peterhouse College, where the finalists will pitch their ideas to the judges and the two winners of the funding prizes will be announced.

Want to know more about CE? We help Cambridge researchers at any stage of their academic career. Many researchers started companies with CE while they were still postdocs or even students. Enval, which has patented a unique method of recycling plastic laminate packaging and recovering aluminium in the process, was formed when their CEO, Dr Carlos Ludlow-Palafox, was still a postdoc at the Department of Engineering. Ed Rex came to Cambridge Enterprise for help commercialising his music-generating software, starting Jukedeck while he was still an undergraduate at the Faculty of Music. And Dr Jing Zhang, co-founder of Aqdot, co-invented the core technology, an innovative, simple method for manufacturing structures in the millimetre and nanometre range for encapsulating actives, when she was still working on her PhD at the Department of Chemistry.

This talk is one of many events that CE provides for researchers and postdocs at the University. To see our current offering, visit our events page.

Author
Kasia Ladds