Cambridge Tech Podcast

James Parton & Faye Holland

Your weekly tech news download from in and around Cambridge, plus in-depth conversations with the founders, innovators, and enablers within the Cambridge tech ecosystem. Published every week and hosted by James Parton and Faye Holland. Get in touch with the show via info@cambridgetechpodcast.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. −3 d

    David Cleevely - Part 1

    Noone can ever tire of hearing David Cleevely speak, so this week we revisit our recording with David from November 2024. The Cambridge Ecosystem Advantage: “Cambridge is the fastest-growing city the UK has ever seen,” Cleevely states. He highlights Cambridge’s unique position as a centre for innovation, drawing on an ecosystem rich in tech, life sciences, and academic ties. Infrastructure & Growth Challenges: Cambridge’s rapid growth has outpaced its infrastructure. David warns, “Cambridge cannot grow unless you sort out the infrastructure first.” Key areas like education, transport, and water supply need to be addressed to sustain Cambridge’s expansion. The Power of Serendipity in Business: David describes how luck, timing, and chance encounters have been pivotal throughout his career. Cambridge Angels, for example, was born from a casual neighbourhood chat with co-founder Robert Sansom. Building Networks and Legacy: Cleevely co-founded Cambridge Angels, a network dedicated to supporting startups. This group has played a pivotal role in Cambridge’s tech ecosystem by connecting startups with seasoned investors. Career Reflections and Advice: From his experiences with companies like Abcam and Analysis, David notes the importance of resilience, vision, and having the right people onboard. His advice for startup founders seeking a board chair is to find someone who is “an extraordinarily good listener” and can balance strategic guidance with a supportive role. Headline sponsor Holden Polestar Produced by Cambridge TV #CamTechPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    David Cleevely - Part 1

  2. −6 d

    Weekly News Drop – 31 July 2026

    Weekly News Drop – 31 July Welcome to our weekly news segment available on both our audio feed and a video version on our YouTube channel. Here are your headlines: British pharma giant GSK is moving to Cambridge in a £400 million investment. Qureight announced a $20 million Series B, led by Molten Ventures. Arm has smashed its Q1 profit records with total revenue up 22%yoy to £1.29 billion. Cambridge Tech Week announces Innovation Alley Pitching Competition finalists - HotHouse Therapeutics, HutanBio, Lambda Energy, Myonerv, Xplore Intelligence.  Tune in on Tuesday when we’ll be revisiting our previous episodes with David Cleevely. Produced by Cambridge TV #CamTechWeek Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Weekly News Drop – 31 July 2026

  3. 28 juli

    What if we got AI right? With Dr Eleanor Drage

    When Dr. Eleanor Drage walks into a room, you know you're about to have a conversation that challenges everything you think you know about AI. And that's exactly what happened when we sat down with one of the world's leading AI ethicists on the Cambridge Tech Podcast this week. Here's something that should worry every founder: the people building your AI systems and the people talking about AI ethics are speaking completely different languages. Dr. Drage spent two years interviewing AI engineers about bias. Their answer? "It's the intercept between the x and y axis." Technically correct. Meaningless to the conversation happening in the media and boardrooms. "These conversations we're having in the media about bias and debiasing are completely meaningless to the actual people making these technologies." So what does good practice actually look like? Dr. Drage and her team created HEAT - a framework that distils the EU AI Act into something founders can actually use. Key principles: Human-centred design (talk to your users, not just your engineers)Ethical development at every stageAccountable processesTransparency throughoutIt's not linear. Ethics isn't a box to tick at the start - it's cyclical and constant. Whether you're a founder, investor, or engineer, this episode challenges you to think harder about what "doing AI right" actually means. It's not about grand gestures or impressive statements. It's about having difficult conversations, listening to your engineers, and building systems that reflect real human values. Dr. Drage's new book, What if We Got AI Right?, explores these ideas in depth with practical examples from around the world - from pollution monitoring in the Niger Delta to sustainable cloud computing in Latin America. Ready to challenge your assumptions? Hit subscribe and tune in.   Headline sponsor Holden Polestar Produced by Cambridge TV #CamTechPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    What if we got AI right? With Dr Eleanor Drage

  4. 24 juli

    Weekly News Drop – 24 July 2026

    Welcome to our weekly news segment available on both our audio feed and a video version on our YouTube channel. The big news this week is from Cusp AI who announced a $450 million Series B fundraise which values the company at $2.6 billion. The raise has been led by Kleiner Perkins and New Enterprise Associates (NEA), with significant participation from Jeff Bezos’ Bezos Expeditions. Listen back to episode 191 to learn all about Cusp AI. Cambridge companies Quantinuum and Riverlane have joined forces with Rolls-Royce and EPCC (which is the UK National Supercomputing Centre based at The University of Edinburgh), to explore the quantum computing capabilities required in future industrial workflows, such as gas turbine design. If you’re in Manchester or Cambridge - ideally both - The Cambridge x Manchester Partnership is building a showcase of startups and scaleups, and will be selecting six for inclusion at their presence at Cambridge Tech Week. You can find out more via the links on The Cambridge x Manchester Partnership LinkedIn page. Tune in on Tuesday when we’ll be talking to Dr Eleanor Drage, about her thought provoking new book - What If We Got AI Right? Produced by Cambridge TV #CamTechWeek Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Weekly News Drop – 24 July 2026

  5. 21 juli

    Breaking Into Asia: How UK Life Sciences Companies Are Finding Their Next Growth Market

    The latest episode of the Cambridge Tech Podcast features a fascinating panel discussion on international trade recorded live at this year’s Cambridge Wide Open Week. Steven Lynch, Director of International Trade at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), opens with a sobering statistic: whilst only 10% of British businesses export, the BCC's network achieves a remarkable 45%. This disparity represents a significant untapped opportunity. As Lynch points out, "If we increased UK exports by 2%, we could improve UK GDP by 0.6%." The problem isn't a lack of innovation or ambition; it's a delivery gap. UK founders and scientists often lack the business expertise and market clarity needed to confidently enter international markets. This is where the new trade accelerator comes in. Rather than offering generic webinars about exporting, the BCC has created something fundamentally different: an end-to-end, process-driven accelerator specifically targeting life sciences companies interested in Singapore. Singapore might not be the obvious first choice for UK startups - the US typically dominates - but it's positioned as a strategic gateway to Southeast Asia. With a population of 6 million, Singapore punches well above its weight as a hub for healthcare innovation and life sciences. Jay Sadanandan, a Singapore life sciences expert, highlights the market's unique advantages: The Health Sciences Authority recently launched a close collaboration with the UK's MHRA, enabling regulatory expediency for innovative technologiesAccess to world-class clinical research infrastructure and patient populationsSingapore's ambitious government vision to solve prevention through treatment across healthcare The 10 selected companies span pre-seed to Series C stages and focus on areas where UK strength aligns with Singapore opportunity: genomics, molecular diagnostics, advanced therapeutics, and enabling technologies like biologic stabilisation. Importantly, companies aren't required to relocate or abandon UK operations. Instead, they use Singapore as a commercial testbed, a lower-risk environment to validate their business model before scaling across Asia Pacific, the US, or beyond. What's Next? The pilot launches in September 2026, but the ambitions extend far beyond Singapore. Lynch reveals plans to scale to Hong Kong, the Gulf, and other strategic markets. The ultimate goal? Moving from 15 businesses entering one market annually to 15 businesses entering different markets each month. For UK startup founders and investors watching the export opportunity, this episode offers genuine insight into how the next generation of British life sciences companies might achieve global scale, and why Singapore might be the launchpad you haven't considered yet. Listen to the full episode on the Cambridge Tech Podcast to hear the complete discussion, including audience Q&A and practical advice for companies considering international expansion. Headline sponsor Holden Polestar Produced by Cambridge TV #CamTechPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Breaking Into Asia: How UK Life Sciences Companies Are Finding Their Next Growth Market

  6. 17 juli

    Weekly News Drop – 17 July 2026

    Welcome to our new weekly news segment available on both our audio feed and a video version on our YouTube channel. Regular updates included Tech.uk and Cambridge Wireless, David Roach at Allia, the Internet Watch Foundation, and Unit M, Innovate Cambridge and podcast friend, Simon Thorpe. Headlines from this week’s news include: Erin Meryl McGurk and co-founder David Khachaturov, two founders from the University of Cambridge who are being backed by Y Combinator in Silicon Valley to build Egoist Machines. Cambridge video games company Infinity Fiction are raising cash and broadening their UK team from a local base under the guidance of a brother-founder team of Alex and Alastair Chamorro. Companies with locations in Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Stevenage are among the beneficiaries of the UK's escalating defence programme, backed by European allies. Cambridge Aerospace, Frankenburg Technologies and Greenjets have been awarded £3 million by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to develop low‑cost interceptors designed to shoot down drones. ZeroAvia, a transatlantic leader in hydrogen-electric aviation, and Cambridge-based engineering company Marshall Aerospace are collaborating to develop hydrogen-electric capability for defence platforms. The Kings Award for Enterprise application window is now open until 8 September, and you can put in for one of four categories - international trade, innovation, sustainable development, or promoting opportunity through social mobility. There is also a fifth category of you’re an 18-25 year old entrepreneur. Tune in on Tuesday as normal for our next interview – this time recorded during Cambridge Wide Open Week with the British Chambers of Commerce as they shared details of a trade mission to Singapore. Produced by Cambridge TV #CamTechPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Weekly News Drop – 17 July 2026

  7. 14 juli

    Pragmatic Semiconductor's Vision in Britain's Tech Future

    Cambridge Tech Podcast hits a significant milestone this week with its 200th episode, and they marked the occasion by revisiting Pragmatic Semiconductor, the company that featured in their very first show. This time, co-founder and CTO Richard Price joined hosts Faye Holland and James Parton to discuss how the company has evolved from a scrappy six-person startup in a Cambridge shoebox office to a 300-strong powerhouse reshaping the semiconductor industry. Richard Price's journey is a masterclass in deep tech entrepreneurship. Starting with a chemistry kit that "ruined a number of carpets" as a child, he progressed through organic light-emitting diode research before co-founding Pragmatic in 2011 with Scott White and four other talented founders. Richard shared with us details of some of their key innovations: Thin-film semiconductor layers on flexible substrates (not silicon-based)Manufacturing cycle times measured in days, not monthsLower temperatures, less water, fewer chemicals = genuine sustainability benefitsCurrent applications in RFID smart labels for anti-counterfeiting and EU digital product passport compliance The roadmap is ambitious. Generation 3 chips launch this year, followed by a CMOS platform at the end of next year, the first complementary metal oxide semiconductor offering from the company. Beyond that lies the "fab as a service" model, potentially deploying manufacturing facilities globally to compress supply chains and boost resilience. For founders and VCs, Pragmatic's story offers valuable lessons: the importance of finding the right co-founder (Richard and Scott have been together 15 years), the critical role of ecosystem and location, and the patience required to build deep tech companies. Headline sponsor Holden Polestar Produced by Cambridge TV #CamTechPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Pragmatic Semiconductor's Vision in Britain's Tech Future

  8. 7 juli

    How Google supports the Cambridge Tech Ecosystem

    The latest episode of the Cambridge Tech Podcast reveals a fascinating trend in the tech ecosystem: some of the most impactful people supporting startups today are themselves former founders who've made the leap into major tech companies. In this week's episode, hosts James Parton and Faye Holland speak with Alexandre Béliard and Kimoon Kim from Google who are transforming how early-stage companies access world-class technical and financial support. Whether you're bootstrapping or scaling with serious funding, this conversation will show you exactly where to find the support you need. Listen to the full episode on the Cambridge Tech Podcast and find Alex and Kim on LinkedIn to explore how Google can support your startup's growth. And for aspiring Googlers, the pair offered refreshingly honest insights into the notoriously competitive interview process. Headline sponsor Holden Polestar Produced by Cambridge TV #CamTechPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    How Google supports the Cambridge Tech Ecosystem
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Your weekly tech news download from in and around Cambridge, plus in-depth conversations with the founders, innovators, and enablers within the Cambridge tech ecosystem. Published every week and hosted by James Parton and Faye Holland. Get in touch with the show via info@cambridgetechpodcast.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Skapad av
    James Parton & Faye Holland
  • Aktiva år
    2020 - 2026
  • Avsnitt
    206
  • Åldersgräns
    Barnvänligt
  • Copyright
    © 476568
  • Programmets webbplats
    Cambridge Tech Podcast

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