Cambridge Tech Week 2026 launch event
Cambridge Tech Week 2026 officially launched this week at Mills & Reeve, bringing together founders, investors, researchers and industry leaders to explore how the UK can scale Deep Tech innovation.
Delivered in partnership with Innovate Cambridge, the launch event focused on a central question: what kind of ecosystem is required to power Deep Tech at global scale.
The panel discussion, chaired by Kathryn Chapman, Executive Director of Innovate Cambridge, featured Professor Sir John Aston, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Cambridge, Lucy Yu, CEO of the Centre for Net Zero (Octopus Energy Group), and Jo Slota-Newson, Managing Partner at Almanac Ventures.
Speakers highlighted that while Cambridge is widely recognised for its research excellence and concentration of talent, significant challenges remain in translating innovation into globally competitive businesses.
Access to capital across the full lifecycle was identified as a key issue, particularly at later stages of growth. As noted during the discussion, “there are gaps… particularly around growth capital,” with companies often required to seek funding overseas to scale effectively.
Infrastructure was also cited as a critical factor. Increasing demand for compute, energy and physical capacity is placing pressure on existing systems, with panellists noting that the ability to scale Deep Tech is now closely linked to the availability of supporting infrastructure.
The discussion also addressed the importance of strengthening pathways from research to commercialisation. The University of Cambridge’s mission to “impact society through education, teaching and research” was referenced as a guiding principle, with panellists emphasising the need for more effective routes to translate research into real-world applications.
Greater alignment across the ecosystem, including collaboration between universities, industry, investors and policymakers, was identified as essential to accelerating adoption and reducing barriers to scale.
The conversation reflected a broader shift in how Deep Tech is being positioned within the UK economy. Panellists highlighted that innovation is no longer viewed solely as a driver of growth, but as a critical component of economic competitiveness and national resilience.
This perspective was reinforced by the scale of recent government investment in areas such as AI, quantum and energy, and the increasing focus on ensuring that these technologies can be developed and deployed domestically.
Cambridge Tech Week 2026 will build on these themes, with a programme designed to connect research, investment, industry and policy, and to explore how Deep Tech can move from breakthrough to large-scale impact.
The event will take place in September, with tickets now available and opportunities open for sponsors, partners and exhibitors.
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