Disruptive Start ups Are Key For U.K. Growth

Less than 5 % of university graduates launch their own business after graduating from university, according to the latest data from HESA (the Higher Education Statistics Agency). This isn’t surprising given many graduates are keen to secure a stable income after their university years, rather than ‘go it alone’. But start ups have a vital part […]

University of Cambridge-Backed €175M Fund to Supercharge Local Life Sciences Ecosystem

The money will support the 25 companies in the fund’s portfolio, including the biotech Bicycle Therapeutics, whose peptide-toxin molecules are in clinical trials for the treatment of solid tumors. The money will also fund new enterprises in the Cambridge ecosystem. Further details about the funding were not disclosed. This is the third fundraising round by Cambridge […]

UK incubators nurturing the next biotech generation 

What type of environment is best to foster biotechnology startups through their first years? With more UK universities putting resources into supporting spinout companies, and dedicated life science incubators springing up at sites abandoned by large pharmaceutical firms (and elsewhere), the options for entrepreneurs are expanding in scope, style and availability. Keith Powell, a London-based […]

Co-creative university-industry innovation must be core mission of universities

European universities need to embrace change by continuing to forge alliances with innovative companies and independent research groups to use and develop their knowledge in cooperation with the outside world, experts agreed at the 8 March launch of the European University Association’s new report The Role of Universities in Regional Innovation Ecosystems. This analysed in-depth case […]

New university-business partnerships to boost jobs and local economies – GOV.UK

The rollout of new University Enterprise Zones will strengthen links between the research and expertise developed in universities, and ensure they further align with the needs of local businesses. UEZs are a form of ‘incubator’ that provide physical space and facilities for small businesses, where they access support, specialist facilities and knowledge. Helping universities to […]

New Provost-Led Innovation Competition Offers €10k Funding Prize

Students will be challenged to come up with solutions to a set of social problems chosen by the College community, with the chance of winning €10,000 in funding, as part of an innovation project led by Provost Patrick Prendergast. The competition, which is being run by Trinity’s entrepreneurship hub, Tangent, offers students the chance to […]

UK universities awarded £25.5m EU funds for innovative digital projects 

The European Innovation Council (EIC) has selected 38 innovative projects to develop new ideas towards radically new future technologies.  Nine out of the 38 projects involve UK universities. In total, the projects will receive £110m (€124m) under the future and emerging technologies (FET Open) strand of the EIC pilot, run under the EU’s research and […]

University of Glasgow startup attracts seed funding

A startup founded by a University of Glasgow graduate which enables businesses to gain insight from customer support conversation data has secured £115,000 in seed funding. Prodsight, set up by Tadas Labudis, will use the cash injection to hire key staff over the next 12 months to improve its product and grow the customer base. Lithuanian-born Tadas has been an entrepreneur […]

Cambridge Innovation Capital leads AudioTelligence’s seed funding

Cambridge Innovation Capital plc (CIC), a Cambridge-based builder of technology and healthcare companies, has led a £3.1 million seed funding round into AudioTelligence Limited, a company delivering real-time audio processing technology for the enhancement of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) systems. Cambridge Enterprise, the commercialisation arm of the University of Cambridge, and two Cambridge-based business angels […]

Cambridge faculty launch £100m science & technology fund with more cash to come

A $10 million investment in genetics business Cambridge Epigenetix has christened a sensational new $100m fund founded by an octet of Cambridge Dontrepreneurs – university scientists backing world-leading pioneers in technologies ranging from Artificial Intelligence to brain research and genetics. Cambridge Epigenetix was founded by Sir Shankar Balasubramanian, one of the new Ahren fund’s superstar […]