CTW25 Wed Start-to-scale.png

Innovation doesn’t just happen - it needs the right connections, capital, and expertise to thrive. Hosted at St Catharine's College, Start-up to Scale up Day at Cambridge Tech Week is where ambition meets action, bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, corporate leaders, and research pioneers to unlock the next phase of tech-driven growth. 

The UK continues to lag in translating innovation into commercial productivity, so today’s discussions focus on bridging the gap between global and local tech ecosystems. Expect insightful presentations from industry giants, alongside practical start-up workshops and an exciting scale up pitching event, where the brightest emerging ventures will showcase their potential. 

From securing strategic investment and navigating global expansion to leveraging deep tech, AI, and cutting-edge research, we’ll explore the challenges and opportunities that define success in today’s dynamic market.

And of course, the dynamic Innovation Alley Exhibition will continue into its second day, featuring some of the most exciting new start-ups, offering a first-hand look at the technologies shaping tomorrow. 

Whether you're an entrepreneur looking to scale, an investor seeking the next unicorn, or a corporate innovator scouting for disruptive technologies, this is where big ideas become industry-defining businesses. Join us and be part of the future of innovation. 

Discover the full Wednesday programme

 

09:00

  

Registration and Refreshments

 
 

10:00

 

Opening Welcome from MC Faye Holland, Creator of #21toWatch and Managing Partner, Cambridge Management Consulting

Faye Holland

Faye Holland

Founder & Director, cofinitive

 
 

10:05

 

Fireside Chat

Eben Upton

Eben Upton

CEO, Raspberry Pi Ltd

Michael Findlay

Michael Findlay

Chair, London Stock Exchange plc

 
 

10:25

 

Super-powering Start-ups: How to build the next generation of Unicorns
Transformative technology is reshaping the star-tup landscape; from how start-ups are set up and launched to the types of services and products being built. Our expert panel share their personal insights on the next wave of innovative start-ups.

Tom Nugent

Tom Nugent

Managing Editor, Sifted

Kosten Metreweli

Kosten Metreweli

Principal VC and Startups, AWS

Mark Slack

Mark Slack

Chief Medical Officer and Co-founder, CMR Surgical Ltd

Dr. Rebecca Simmons

Dr. Rebecca Simmons

Chief Operating Officer, 52North Health

 
 

11:15

 

Refreshment Break

 
 

11:45

 

Fireside Chat

Amelia Armour

Amelia Armour

Partner, Amadeus Capital Partners

Kristian Segerstrale

Kristian Segerstrale

Chair, Super Evil Megacorp

 
 

12:05

 

Scaling Without Borders: Lessons in Global Growth from Leading Scale ups
What does it take to succeed on the world stage? This session explores the strategies and real-world experiences behind scaling internationally, from the UK to the US, Asia, and beyond. We’ll hear from leaders who’ve helped startups navigate the complexities of cross-border growth and build resilient global operations. Gain insights from leaders who’ve navigated global expansion across sectors like Health Tech, AI, and Climate Tech. From adapting product-market fit across regions to building resilient international operations, discover what it really takes to go global.

Margaret Rice-Jones

Margaret Rice-Jones

Chair, ScaleUp Institute

Karen Yu

Karen Yu

President, ITIC, Industrial Technology Investment Corporation

Priscila Chaves

Priscila Chaves

AI Strategist & Innovation Leader , Cargill

Vanessa Colomar

Vanessa Colomar

Partner, Dalloway Partners

 
 

12:45

 

Lunch

 
 

13:50

 

Fireside chat with Sir Nick Clegg
The Geopolitics of AI’ and ‘regulatory approaches across democracies and regimes potentially touching on the challenges of scaling technology ethically across different political and cultural contexts’.

Sir Nick Clegg

Sir Nick Clegg

former UK Deputy Prime Minister and former President, Global Affairs at Meta

 
 

14:15

 

The University Challenge: Spinning Out Tomorrow's Game-Changers
A panel discussion focusing on the optimum conditions needed for the creation, development and release of innovations that change the world and help turn academics into business leaders.

Barnaby Perks

Barnaby Perks

CEO, St John's Innovation Centre

Professor Julian Blow FRSE FMedSci

Professor Julian Blow FRSE FMedSci

Pro Vice Chancellor in Research and Innovation, University of East Anglia

Professor Lou Cordwell, OBE

Professor Lou Cordwell, OBE

CEO, Unit M & Special Advisor to The Office of the President & Vice-Chancellor/Chair, University of Manchester/Greater Manchester Business Board

Dr Raoul Haschke

Dr Raoul Haschke

Head of hei_INNOVATION, Heidelberg University

Ilse Sienaert

Ilse Sienaert

Investment Manager Spin-off & Innovation, KU Leuven Research & Development (LRD)

Jim Glasheen

Jim Glasheen

CEO, Cambridge Enterprise

 
 

15:05

 

Innovation Alley Pitch Session

 
  15:50  

Refreshment Break

 
  16:20  

Innovation Alley Pitch Session Results

 
  16:30  

Building Successful Start Ups
Join AI expert and entrepreneur Daniel Hulme as he shares key lessons on scaling startups and unveils his latest venture, Conscium. From securing investment to leveraging AI for a competitive edge.

Daniel Hulme

Daniel Hulme

CEO at Conscium, Chief AI Officer at WPP, Conscium, WPP

 
  17:05   Wrap up/Closing remarks  
  17:15   Event close  

*draft agenda, subject to change

Innovation Alley

The dynamic Innovation Alley Exhibition will play home to fifty of the brightest early-stage companies, scale ups, and larger tech companies, all offering a dynamic and interactive showcase of their solutions. Explore the ongoing disruption of the technology sector and see the latest innovative ideas and solutions.

Innovation Alley Pitching Event

The Innovation Alley Pitch Event is back bigger than ever in 2025. As the only official pitch competition of the week, happening centre-stage during Wednesday’s Start-up to Scale up Day, this is one part of the programme you won’t want to miss.

Anyone interested in pitching should apply here.

For more details on the pitching event, head over to our dedicated page. 

The Innovation Alley Pitching Event is proudly sponsored by

BDO and Mishcon de Reya.

Tech Futures

Following its successful debut at Cambridge Tech Week 2024, the Tech Futures initiative is set to expand significantly in 2025. Aimed at students from sixth forms, skills bootcamps, colleges, and universities, the programme will offer opportunities facilitated by Form the Future to attend conference sessions, engage in hands-on tech activities, explore Innovation Alley, connect with exhibitors, network with industry delegates, and participate in a three-day hackathon, HackEd, delivered by TechEducators.

Find out more on the Tech Futures dedicated page.

Workshops and Roundtables

For details of Workshops and Roundtables running alongside the main programme please follow this link. All expressions of interest must be received by 31 August.

Wednesday 09:30-10:30 SME Growth Agenda: Scaling Resilient Enterprises with Agentic AI 

Hosted by Frazier & Deeter

Join James Douglas, Advisory Partner at Frazier & Deeter and Stuart Campbell, CEO of Aibly for a compelling discussion on how Agentic AI is reshaping the scaling journey for UK startups. This session draws on real-world CFO insights and explores how the emergence of Agentic AI can help companies and founders identify and overcome growth barriers, build resilience with more informed decision making and reshape their scaling journey. Discover the new CXO playbook for growth with AI, and how to align strategy, people, and technology for lasting impact. If you're a CXO looking to scale smarter and faster, this session is designed for you.

Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Scaling Deeptech: Unlocking Value Through Intellectual Property

Hosted by Venner Shipley

Intellectual property (IP) is often one of a start-up’s most powerful yet underutilised assets. In deeptech, where breakthrough innovation is central to success, understanding how to strategically protect, manage and leverage IP can make the difference between stalling and scaling. 

Join us for a high-impact workshop designed for founders, innovators, and investors.

In this interactive session, we will explore how a well-crafted IP strategy can unlock commercial value, attract investment and protect your competitive edge. Hear from founders who have done it, investors who look for it and experts who live and breathe it, as we dive into practical ways to build effective IP strategies that create long term business value.

Wednesday 14:00-16:00 Artificial Inclusion: A threat or an opportunity?

Hosted by Black Talent & Leadership in STEM

Technology continues to drive innovation-led growth in the UK’s science and technology sectors. However, every wave of advancement also brings new challenges—deepening inequalities, demanding new skillsets, and concentrating opportunities in specific regions and demographics.

Research from the Institute for the Future of Work (2025) and the Pissarides Review shows that unchecked automation is compounding existing disparities across age, geography, and income. This Roundtable will explore how we can bridge the gap between innovation and inclusion—ensuring that technological progress supports everyone, not just a select few and how organisations can create an environment that nurtures inclusive leaders.

Key Discussion Themes:

Workforce Disruption & Automation
Automation is disproportionately affecting low-paying roles such as admin, sales, and transportation—placing 7.4% of jobs at high risk (Shepheard, 2021). At the same time, over 21 million working-age adults in the UK lack basic digital skills.

Diversity Fuels Innovation—But Gaps Persist
While diversity of thought is widely acknowledged as a catalyst for innovation, only 24% of tech roles in the UK are held by women—despite women comprising 50% of the workforce (Beckett, 2024). Ethnic minorities and immigrant talent remain underrepresented in STEM (GOV.UK, 2023).

Inequitable Access to Training and Technology
Without inclusive upskilling policies, AI and automation risk worsening the digital divide. Barriers persist across socioeconomic status, geography, and age (IFOW, 2025).

The Rise of Skill Polarisation
The UK is experiencing growing skill polarisation, where demand is rising for high-skilled roles while mid- and low-skilled jobs—especially those involving routine physical or cognitive tasks—are increasingly at risk of automation. This shift is creating a widening skills gap and makes extensive retraining essential. Future employability will depend on developing creativity, adaptability, digital fluency, and core computer and AI skills (Sharps et al., 2024).

Shifting Workforce Demographics
Despite a strong labour market—with unemployment at 3.7% and over one million vacancies—the UK faces growing strain on workforce composition due to an ageing population, rising economic inactivity, and tighter migration policies. Employment rates are particularly low among older adults, people with disabilities, and those with lower skill levels, many of whom face barriers such as outdated qualifications, limited digital skills, and inflexible work arrangements. To meet future demand, the UK must invest in inclusive reskilling initiatives, promote flexible work models, and remove systemic barriers that prevent underutilised groups from fully participating in the workforce (Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, 2023).

Urgent Need for Future Skills
Technology continues to drive innovation-led growth across the UK’s science and tech sectors, but each wave of advancement brings new demands for skills. To remain competitive, businesses must invest in continuous upskilling—particularly in digital, STEM, and “T-shaped” skills that blend technical knowledge with creativity, communication, and adaptability.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report, analytical thinking, self-management, and computer literacy will be core competencies by 2025. However, significant gaps remain: Government data reveals that 23% of 18–24-year-olds cannot complete basic digital tasks (Pennycook & Phillipson, 2024), and 40% of IT employers identify general digital literacy and AI/ML as the most in-demand skills (Beckett, 2024).

In this context, the UK’s Industrial Strategy—aimed at boosting economic growth and job creation—must be supported by coordinated efforts across education, industry, and policy to equip the workforce with future-ready skills and ensure inclusive, sustainable progress.

Why This Roundtable Matters

As the UK government’s Industrial Strategy prioritises economic growth, technological advancement, and job creation, this Roundtable presents a timely opportunity to align these goals with broader societal needs. By bringing together leaders from industry, policy, and academia, the discussion will explore how innovation can be leveraged not just for productivity and competitiveness, but also for inclusive growth and equitable access to opportunity, by adapting and putting in place strategies that nurture and grow inclusive leadership.

Harnessing technology with intentionality, blended with inclusive leadership can enable both the public and private sector to unlock new talent pools, strengthen workplace diversity, and address regional and social disparities—ultimately driving long-term value for both society and the economy.

This Roundtable is by invite only.

Featured Fringe events

Part of the success of Cambridge Tech Week is the involvement from the broader community who run complimentary Fringe events throughout the week.

Here we highlight some of the key Fringe events for you to consider, running on the Wednesday: