Cambridge Tech Podcast

This week on Cambridge Tech Podcast, we sit down with Dan Thorp, CEO of Cambridge Ahead, to dig into the freshly published Cambridge Economic Overview (CamEO) Report - and the picture is more complicated than the headlines suggest.The positives are real: 281 equity deals between 2020–2024 (the highest of any UK location outside London), three of the five biggest UK biotech VC deals in Q1 2026 from Cambridge companies, and meaningful government commitments - the Development Corporation, and the AI Hardware plan featuring ARM and Common AI.But the data has a sting. New company formation has dropped nearly 50% - from an average of 1,129 companies a year (2013–2019) to just 620 in 2024–2025. Knowledge-intensive employment recorded its first annual decline since Cambridge Ahead began tracking in 2011. And businesses are increasingly citing access to scaling capital - not just talent, housing, and transport - as a real constraint.What makes the CamEO distinctive is its insistence that success shouldn't be measured in GDP alone. Housing access, employment pathways, and mental health support for young people matter too. Programmes like Form the Future and Included are doing important work - but need sustained, coordinated funding to deliver at scale.Dan's bottom line? "There is no other place quite like Cambridge to innovate and to scale tech companies." The fundamentals hold. 🎧 Listen now on all major platforms.Headline sponsor Holden Polestar Produced by Cambridge TV #CamTechPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode reveals why quantum computing's next big breakthrough might not be about building better qubits, it's about connecting them together. NuQuantum's journey is a masterclass in pivoting based on market reality. "Quantum computing is reassuringly hard," Ed explains. "Whatever technique you pursue, there are different limits of scale. But pretty much every modality hits a point where you can't physically assemble enough qubits in a monolithic machine to solve valuable problems."The solution? Apply classic computing. Just as data centres rely on networking to make distributed computing work, quantum computers need interconnection to scale beyond their physical limits."No one company, probably no one country is going to dominate this. This is going to be a collective endeavour, woven together to make highly valuable, highly resilient solutions."With Series A funding secured, NuQuantum is on an aggressive expansion trajectory.Ready to dive deeper? Listen to the full episode on the Cambridge Tech Podcast to hear Ed's insights on scaling quantum systems, building diverse teams, and why decent coffee matters more than you'd think.Headline sponsor Holden Polestar#CamTechPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest Cambridge Tech Podcast episode tackles one of the most pressing challenges facing the tech industry today: how do we prepare the next generation for a world fundamentally reshaped by artificial intelligence? The Problem Is RealThe statistics are sobering. The UK has 700,000 unemployed graduates struggling to gain a foothold in the labour market. Young people aren't just worried about AI - they're confused and increasingly anxious about their futures. What makes this episode essential listening is the nuanced, multi-stakeholder perspective it brings, including Liz Tolcher, Associate Partner, PA Consulting; Ayeisha Kone-Massouma, Degree Apprentice Project Manager, Bidwells; and those noted below. The podcast brings together educators, employers, policymakers, and AI experts to explore three critical themes:1. Self-Knowledge Over SpecialisationAnne Bailey, CEO & Co-Founder, Form the Future emphasises that young people's greatest asset is self-awareness:"Your uniqueness, your humanity, your curiosity, your interest, your values - these are the things that should be the driving factors in thinking about what work you want to do in the future."2. Foundational Skills Matter MostAgnieszka Iwasiewicz-Wabnig FRSA, Director, Maxwell Centre, University of Cambridge, argues that critical thinking, ethical discernment, and mental agility are non-negotiable:"Invest in foundational skills, invest in exercising your mental capabilities and you will be competitive against any AI."Aga also raises an important tension: over-optimisation for productivity might actually stifle innovation. Without room for experimentation, there's no space for human creativity to thrive.3. Responsible AI Development for ChildrenMaria Luciana Axente, Founder & CEO, Responsible Intelligence, highlights that most technology isn't built with young people in mind. The UK's "age-appropriate design" legislation represents a breakthrough, but urgent action is needed to prioritise children in AI policy and design.Tune in on your chosen podcast platform to subscribe and listen. Headline sponsor Holden Polestar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Trinity College decided to transform a former farm - complete with redundant railway sidings and stored US Army tanks - into the UK's first science park in 1970, they took a calculated risk that would reshape Cambridge's entire innovation ecosystem. Fast forward 55 years, and Cambridge Science Park remains a masterclass in how to build thriving communities for deep tech and life science companies.We caught up with Jane Hutchins, Director of Cambridge Science Park, on the Cambridge Tech Podcast for an illuminating conversation about what makes science parks tick, why green space matters more than ever, and where the sector is heading next.Whether you're a founder scouting locations, a VC understanding how ecosystems work, or simply curious about how institutions like Trinity College think long-term, this episode delivers genuine insights. Jane's 18-year journey from Southampton to Cambridge - plus her frank discussion of what actually makes companies succeed - is unmissable.Tune in on your chosen podcast platform to subscribe and listen. Headline sponsor Holden Polestar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 174 of the Cambridge Tech Podcast reveals an extraordinary approach to drug discovery that sounds like science fiction but is very much reality.If you've ever wondered how we might make pharmaceutical manufacturing greener without sacrificing innovation, this week's episode delivers some genuinely exciting answers.HotHouse Therapeutics, a Norwich-based biotech spinout, is harnessing AI and plant biosynthesis to develop the next generation of therapeutic compounds - and they're doing it in greenhouses, not laboratories.Dr Dave Sheppard and D. Phil Spence joined the show to discuss their genuinely innovative approach to drug discovery. "We use AI and plants to make small molecule therapeutics. Plants have evolved these tools over millions of years to make small molecules - we essentially hijack this system and combine tools from different species to make new molecules with therapeutic purposes."We find out about:Compounds that would take synthetic chemists years to produce individuallyUsing greenhouses and vertical farming rather than chemical labsDiscovery projects (finding new compounds) and production projects (scaling hard-to-access natural compounds)HotHouse Therapeutics are not just building a company; they're pioneering an entirely new approach to drug discoveryOpening a funding round this month (January 2026), aimed expansion into additional therapeutic areas (neurodegeneration, oncology), and a continued focus on proving that sustainable drug discovery isn't just better for the planet, it's better for patients too.The team emphasises Norwich's emerging biotech ecosystem, particularly the John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, and Anglia Innovation Partnership. With eight team members currently and plans to scale to 20 post-funding, they're committed to keeping operations rooted in Norwich.This is genuinely exciting stuff. If you're interested in deep-tech innovation, sustainable biotech, or just want to hear how AI is enabling entirely new approaches to one of humanity's oldest challenges, this episode is essential listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.