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Cambridge Tech Podcast latest episode is with Bill Yost talking cement, startups, and the differences in building businesses either side of the Atlantic. Cement is the second most used material on Earth with 4 billion tonnes produced annually, and conventional cement production accounts for 7% of global CO2 emissions. If the cement industry were a country, it would rank behind only the US and China in carbon output. That's the scale of the opportunity. Enter Reclinker, a Cambridge-based startup that converts reclaimed cement into clinker using electric arc furnaces already used in steel recycling. Rather than building expensive new infrastructure, they're partnering with existing steel manufacturers. Bill talks about the funding journey, how to demonstrate the process at industrial scale, and how they have secured important supply chain agreements. Whether you're fascinated by climate tech, curious about fundraising strategy, or interested in how to build in Cambridge's ecosystem, this episode delivers real insights from someone who's done it multiple times, on both continents. Tune in on your preferred podcast platform and subscribe to join the weekly conversation. Headline sponsor Holden Polestar #CamTechPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we meet Rob Walden, co-founder of Euthasafe, and discuss his journey from aerospace engineering to the life-saving technology his team is developing right now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest episode of the Cambridge Tech Podcast features Tim Ansor, leader of the Intelligent Services Business Unit at Cambridge Consultants, discussing the rapidly evolving world of physical AI and robotics. If you're building in this space or investing in it, this conversation is essential listening. What Is Physical AI, Anyway? Tim cuts through the hype to define physical AI simply: AI that understands the physical world and its properties. Unlike ChatGPT or Claude which are trained on text and images, physical AI systems grasp that objects exist even when hidden, that some things are squishy and others hard, and that gravity works. It's the missing piece that's making humanoid robots genuinely viable now, not just sci-fi fantasy. What This Means for Your Team - New skills are coming. Future managers won't just lead people, they'll manage AI agents and robotic collaborators too. Education needs to evolve from "learn to code" to "be fluent with AI tools." Listen now to learn more! Headline sponsor Holden Polestar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Meeks joins us the week to talk about competing with Microsoft, and why Open Source Wins. Some of the highlights of our conversation include: On organic growth: "Unlike many VC-backed companies, we're organic, we're profitable and we have a mission which is to drive open source."The business model is counterintuitive but brilliant. By giving away free software, Collabora builds massive brand recognition and deployment. Users try it at home, fall in love with it, and when they need enterprise support, they know exactly who to call.On digital sovereignty: In an increasingly geopolitical world, Michael argues open source is the only path to true sovereignty. "The only way to have true digital sovereignty...is to use open source because then it is for the world. It is both local and a collaboration internationally."One of the most interesting technical insights: Collabora keeps documents on the server rather than downloading them to clients. This enables server-side policy enforcement - no copy-paste, no printing, no downloads, plus watermarking for traceability. Michael's remote-first approach is worth noting: rather than have some staff in an office and others remote (which creates two-tier communication), Collabora went fully distributed globally. They do maintain a Cambridge base with internships at Hills Road sixth form college, giving back to the community that shaped him. Whether you're a founder wrestling with funding strategy, a VC evaluating open source investments, or simply curious about how to build a profitable, mission-driven company without VC pressure, this episode delivers real insights. Ready to dive deeper? Download Collabora Office from your app store and listen to the full conversation on the Cambridge Tech Podcast. You'll leave thinking differently about competition, sovereignty, and what sustainable growth actually looks like. Headline sponsor Holden Polestar #CamTechPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Cambridge Tech Week Kickstarter, the event that's putting Cambridge firmly on the global innovation map. This year's theme? How Deep Tech Changes the World. If you're a founder, investor, or tech enthusiast, tune in to find out more about the week, and to hear the panel discussion at the kickstarter event. The episode starts with updates from Kathryn Chapman (Innovate Cambridge), Rob Bridge (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority), Mike Short and Michaela Eschbach (Cambridge Wireless). We then cover the highlights of the panel discussion that asks “What Does a World-Class Deep Tech Ecosystem Actually Look Like?” Kathryn Chapman hosts, with panelists Professor Sir John Aston (University of Cambridge), Jo Slota-Newson (Almanac Ventures) and Lucy Yu (CEO, Centre for Net Zero, Octopus Energy Group). Cambridge isn't just another tech hub. It's a deliberate ecosystem where world-class research, creative thinking, and bold partnerships converge. The government is backing it. The talent is there. Will you be there to hear more during Cambridge Tech Week this September? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest Cambridge Tech Podcast episode packed a punch with exciting announcements from the Cambridge ecosystem, followed by an in-depth conversation with Jean Michel Van, founder of Ryse Flow, a company building the next generation of AI-powered sales automation. The real gem of this episode is Jean Michel's journey from corporate product management to founding Ryse Flow. His story is refreshingly honest about the fears and decision-making that come with entrepreneurship. Jean Michel's background is unconventional. Born in Paris to parents who fled the Cambodian genocide, he spent 15 years in pharma and tech before making the leap to entrepreneurship. His early career in pharmaceutical finance eventually led him into tech through a pivotal acquisition role, where he discovered his passion for product management. After 15 years climbing the corporate ladder, Jean Michel reached a turning point. Rather than waiting for the ‘perfect idea’. he decided to take the leap. Ryse Flow's premise is compelling: AI won't simply be bolted onto existing software, it will fundamentally reshape how sales automation works. "AI is going to disrupt most of the legacy players in the market in the same way cloud disrupted client-server implementations in the early 2000s." Jean Michel's strategy is pragmatic: ·       Currently leveraging 70% existing tools while building proprietary IP ·       Only pursuing paid pilots - ensuring customer commitment and real feedback ·       Maintaining a lean, self-funded team to preserve long-term decision-making autonomy ·       Already profitable despite being early-stage This episode captures the real tension between corporate comfort and entrepreneurial ambition. Jean Michel's willingness to discuss both his fears and his conviction offers genuine insight for founders considering the leap. Tune in on your preferred podcast platform, and subscribe to join the weekly conversation. Headline sponsor Holden Polestar #CamTechPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 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 portfolio 2.    Experiences - booking, blogging, contact management 3.    Commerce - built-in monetisation 4.    Community - owned audience management In 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 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.

Episode 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 companies Concr 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. 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 Real The 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 Specialisation Anne 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 Most Agnieszka 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 Children Maria 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.

The 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 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.

The latest Cambridge Tech Podcast episode is an absolute masterclass in startup strategy, investment psychology, and navigating the cutthroat world of AI talent. Host James Parton and Faye Holland sit down with Alexander Kardos-Nyheim, whose journey from teenage legal warrior to founding an AI company acquired by Thomson Reuters in just two years, is nothing short of remarkable. This episode cuts through the noise of startup hype and delivers genuine, battle-tested insights. Whether you're wrestling with talent acquisition, navigating investor conversations, or trying to build defensible technology in the AI space, Alex's story offers a masterclass in strategic thinking. Episode Highlights: 🎯 How to attract world-class talent to your startup 💰 Why US and UK investors think completely differently 🤖 The three categories of AI talent (and why two don't matter) 📚 Building proprietary technology in a big tech-dominated world 🏢 Maintaining startup culture post-acquisition Subscribe to the Cambridge Tech Podcast to hear the full conversation. 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.