Show Notes 162: Cambridge Tech Week - Amelia Armour & Kristian Segerstrale

The latest episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to understand or shape the future of tech innovation in the UK and beyond. With a vibrant mix of news and a deep-dive interview with serial entrepreneur Kristian Segerstrale, this episode delivers essential insights—whether you’re building a deeptech startup or spotting your next investment.

Cambridge Tech Headlines

• HutanBio has appointed Brittany Hook as Chief Commercial Officer, signalling a serious move to accelerate “net negative” biofuel deployment. As they prep for Series A funding and the 2026 launch of their HBX energy platform, HutanBio aims to break into a $200 billion market.

• ARM & Meta announce a multi-year partnership to enhance global AI experiences, focusing on efficient compute and infrastructure. ARM’s CEO stresses, “AI’s next era will be defined by delivering efficiency at scale.”

• Cognidox, a Cambridge-based eQMS provider for life sciences, is acquired by US group Recur, promising expansion in product engineering and AI—while retaining their full global team.

• Warning Bells for AI Funding: Local tech stalwart Steve Young calls out “bubble territory” in AI, cautioning: “Many investors are piling in…without understanding what they’re investing in. Expect a correction, just like the dot-com crash.”

Interview

We have been given permission by The Cambridge Tech Week team to share content from the conference over the coming weeks and months. Today we begin with one of our favourite sessions from startup to scaleup day, where Amelia Armour of Amadeus Capital Partners interviewed Kristian Segestrale from Super Evil Mega Corp who is currently navigating the Cambridge ecosystem on a quest to understand how to better enable the scaleup potential of the city.

Key Takeaways:

• “Momentum is currency.” In the US, rapid scaling matters more than capital itself. Christian urges UK founders to foster impatience for growth and not fear fast failure.

• “Everyone celebrates either a quick victory or a quick blowout. What people fear most are ‘zombie companies’ that just linger.”

• Talent is the differentiator: “Don’t settle for the top 10%. Get the top 0.1%. Two best hires can be worth more than £100m in funding.”

• Focus, focus, focus: “Find your win condition and do nothing else. Avoid shiny distractions—if you win, it’s because you doubled down.”

• The UK has caught up: “You don’t have to move to the US anymore. Capital, talent, and mindset exist here if you assemble the right team.”

• Integrating atoms and bits: “The next 5-10 years belong to startups that bridge digital and physical worlds—think robotics, batteries, sensors, and AI—something Cambridge excels at.”

• Learn by doing: “There are no books. You only learn by scaling, making mistakes, and then helping the next wave go bigger.”

Why Listen & Subscribe?

If you’re ready to scale, aiming to invest, or simply want to ride the next wave of UK tech, this episode is essential listening. The panel’s unfiltered honesty, actionable advice, and palpable enthusiasm will leave you itching to join the movement—and, crucially, to raise your own ambition.

To listen and subscribe, search for ‘Cambridge Tech Podcast’ on your favourite podcasting platform or visit cambridgetechpodcast.com.