Cambridge’s newest insurance broker brings international capability for Cambridge tech and bio

Having spent the last five years focussed on the US startup scene, Mark Boon has turned his attention back to Cambridge, together with Co-Founder Luke Chesworth, identifying an unmet need for a deeper understanding by insurance advisers on the emerging risks in this hotbed of intellectual property, AI and compute power.  

The shift from software-driven technology to deep tech marks a definitive new chapter for the Cambridge ecosystem. As AI-driven medical innovation and quantum computing scale, the risks facing spinouts have become more physical, more global, and more complex. This move toward physics-based technology, involving more expensive research and development, fundamentally alters the UK’s economic and risk landscape, requiring a more sophisticated approach to insurance with a broker who understands the science as well as the risk.  

The UK is a driving force in the deeptech revolution, with 4 of the top 10 universities globally being here and Cambridge already established as a key player. At the launch event, Aguila invited theoretical physicist, Professor Ben Allanach from the University of Cambridge, to provide a short talk about his cutting-edge work on quantum collisions and his hypothesis for a new (quantum) force. 

“Cambridge provides the perfect ‘petri dish’ environment for this revolution”, says Boon, “But service providers need to catch up - and insurers need to be there to de-risk these ambitious young businesses as they expand.”  

The UK is also the cradle of insurance; but as the law and regulation scramble to keep up, forecasting, understanding and quantifying the emergent risk is not straightforward. 

“Underwriting risk with no precedent or data requires meaningful dialogue and trust – based on genuine understanding”, says Boon. “Even in a technological revolution, underwriters at Lloyd’s still physically look brokers in the eye and have to trust their money is in good hands.” 

The Aguila team is well placed to provide this bridge of expertise, with decades of experience supporting innovators in science and technology, and a deep understanding of their work.  

Alongside sector expertise, Aguila offers international capability, enabling founders to expand swiftly overseas:  

“The companies we see spinning out of the University are ambitious, and it’s not long before founders spot opportunities in the US and European markets,” says Boon, “Which is why it’s so important we have offices in London, New York and Brussels to help them make that transition safely.”  

“Navigating a safe passage through the UK/US corridor can be fraught with challenges and risk, so a strategic approach to structuring insurance is critical. Aguila is here to provide wraparound support for young companies taking the leap."