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Cambridge Tech Podcast
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182. Cambridge's Next Generation of Deep Tech Innovators: Meet the #21toWatch Top21.2026
50:13||Season 4, Ep. 182Episode 182 features five of this year's #21toWatch winners - and if you're in the startup ecosystem, this one's unmissable.For those unfamiliar, for the last eight years #21toWatch has been high on the regions innovation showcase, and the numbers speak for themselves. Over eight cohorts, 168 companies have landed on the list and collectively raised a staggering £721 million. This year marks a particularly poignant milestone: its Faye's final year running the programme after creating it back in 2018. But we think you’ll agree, she's gone out with a bang.In this episode we talk to five of the winning companies:Cyclana Bio is tackling drug discovery from first principles, focusing on the extracellular matrix (the "biological dark matter" comprising 90% of your tissue). Lea Wenger explains how their multidisciplinary approach spanning Cambridge and Manchester is already attracting serious attention, with £5 million raised so far.Obasense is developing ultra-sensitive gas sensors for indoor air quality monitoring -particularly timely given the UK's new mould regulations. Founder, Osarenkhoe Ogbeide, is also building African mythology comics on the side!Myonerv is creating wearable neurostimulators for stroke rehabilitation. Sam Kourali's personal story - inspired by his cousin's stroke - drives a compelling business model targeting the US market's $60 billion opportunity.NANOPLUME just announced £2.2 million in funding for their bio-based aerogel thermal insulation. Three times more insulating than conventional materials, 60% lighter, and fully circular. Co-founder Tara Love says they're eyeing product launch within 18 months.Polytecks is mapping bioelectricity through flexible electrode arrays - starting with veterinary cardiology (dog heart disease affects over 80% of dogs) before moving to human diagnostics. Ruben Ruiz-Mateos Serrano tells us more.This episode captures something essential about where UK deep tech innovation is heading. These aren't incremental improvements - they're fundamental reimagining’s of how we solve problems in healthcare, climate tech, and industrial systems.Subscribe now and join the conversation. Because the next unicorn might just be one of these five.Headline sponsor Holden Polestar#CamTechPod
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181. Reimagining the Creator Economy with Nweike Onwuyali, founder of Ziphii
32:30||Season 4, Ep. 181In this week’s episode, Nweike Onwuyali founder of Ziphii, suggests that technology companies are "fundamentally flawed" in their approach. They build tools for customers and their employees but often exclude the actual end-users who need to interact with the solution. Nweike proposes that most players either have advertising-centric DNA or remain stuck in the "tool mindset."Nweike wants to do something different with Ziphii which launches this month. The product "Webb" offers a unified digital home for individuals, solopreneurs, and creators. It integrates four pillars:1. Presence - your digital identity and portfolio2. Experiences - booking, blogging, contact management3. Commerce - built-in monetisation4. Community - owned audience managementIn addition to introducing “Webb”, the real heart of this episode is Nweike's journey and his vision for Ziphii. His story is compelling: from building websites in Nigeria in 2000 to scaling a 60-person enterprise software company, Nweike brings genuine perspective on how technology evolves.Headline sponsor Holden Polestar#CamTechPod
180. NuQuantum - The Missing Piece in Quantum Computing's Networked Future
40:12||Season 4, Ep. 180This 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
179. How Concr is Revolutionising Cancer Treatment Prediction
31:34||Season 4, Ep. 179Episode 179 hosts Faye Holland and James Parton sit down with Irina Barbina (CEO) and Matthew Griffiths (CTO) to unpick how Concr is using predictive modelling and digital twins to transform cancer drug development.Cancer data is fragmented. Clinical trials, pre-clinical research, and real-world patient data exist in silos. There's no unified way to predict how individual patients will respond to specific therapies, until now.Concr's technology borrows from astrophysics, specifically, how scientists model dark matter using gravitational lensing. The parallel is striking: Astrophysicists can't directly observe dark matter, so they build complex simulations to infer its distribution. Concr can't directly know why a drug worked for a patient, so they build digital twin simulations to predict outcomes.Key innovations:· Bayesian inference at scale to handle messy, incomplete cancer data· Hierarchical modelling that learns from shared biology across cancer types· 94% prediction accuracy on retrospective clinical trial data· Prospective validation underway with NHS partners and pharma companiesConcr dramatically reduces the cost and complexity of clinical trials. This episode brilliantly illustrates why Cambridge is a global innovation hub. It's not just about brilliant science, it's about brilliant people from different disciplines colliding, recognising patterns, and building companies that matter.
178. Young People and the Future of Work in the Age of AI, with Form the Future
38:18||Season 4, Ep. 178The 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
177. Trinity Bradfield Prize 2026: How Cambridge's Best Young Founders Are Solving Climate and Quantum
33:30||Season 4, Ep. 177The Trinity Bradfield Prize is back, and this year's cohort of winners is nothing short of brilliant. If you're a founder, investor, or simply someone who gets excited about deep tech solving real problems, this episode is essential listening.We’ll hear from this year's winners: GreenMixes, Maricene and Phase Shift. And also, from Pinepeak – a returning winner who this year won the Angel Prize.This isn't a feel-good competition recap. It's a masterclass in how rigorous evaluation, technical depth, and genuine community support can nurture founders solving the world's hardest problems. You'll hear directly from founders grappling with real challenges - resource constraints, market uncertainty, and the pressure of scaling - with refreshing honesty.The Trinity Bradfield Prize represents what's possible when universities, investors, and mentors work together to support deep tech innovation.Headline sponsor Holden Polestar
176. Cambridge Science Park at 55 with Jane Hutchins
54:05||Season 4, Ep. 176When 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