Show Notes 170: Unpacking 2025 and looking ahead to what's next, with Innovate Cambridge

As the year winds down, the Cambridge Tech Podcast team – hosts Faye Holland and James Parton – begin to close 2025 out with a special episode packed with fresh insights for founders, investors, and anyone passionate about the UK innovation ecosystem.

Kicking off with the weekly news headlines and then diving deep with Innovate Cambridge’s executive director Kathryn Chapman and VC Michael Anstey (Cambridge Innovation Capital), this episode crackles with optimism, practical wisdom, and some big ambitions for 2026 and beyond.

Highlights from Cambridge’s Tech Headlines

The news roundup is rich with funding wins, strategic partnerships, and UK tech’s continuing global emergence. Among the biggest stories:

1. Luminance scales up in the US with a 2.5x revenue leap and Silicon Valley talent on board — a testament to Cambridge AI’s expanding international punch.

2. Kodiaq Technologies raises £850K towards pioneering organic electrolytes for long-duration energy storage, building on University of Cambridge research.

3. Nu Quantum blows past records with a $60 million Series A, signalling global confidence in the region’s quantum networking capabilities.

4. Cambridge Neuro Works launches the Blue Sky Fund, empowering early-stage neurotech projects (applications open till January 2026).

Deep Dive: Cambridge on the World Stage

The heart of the episode features a rapid-fire yet insightful interview with Kathryn Chapman and Mike Anstey.

2025 – A Year of Awesome Momentum

“It’s been a really good year for Cambridge... there’s a huge amount of momentum, inclusive innovation, and people really getting behind the agenda.”

Chapman describes how Innovate Cambridge unified the cluster:

• Set a clear, collective vision (“a single voice into government”)

• Attracted serious national investment — £400 million for ecosystem infrastructure

• Won industry buy-in at every level, from academia to VCs and founders

• Anstey adds nuance for founders: AI has soared, while early-stage life sciences have felt the squeeze — but Cambridge’s support ecosystem sets the city apart, even as cycles ebb and flow.

Scaling Ambition, Inclusive Growth, and National Partnerships - The duo stresses Cambridge’s edge lies not just in local density but in cross-city partnership (with Manchester and Oxford), and a laser focus on inclusivity:

“Where we differentiate ourselves is being, dare I say, the most inclusive innovation ecosystem... We could be a pioneer in that space.”

Key priorities for the year ahead include:

• Activating the Cambridge-Manchester partnership for shared talent and investment flows

• Working with schools and councils to ensure local talent can access innovation roles

• Attracting more global R&D giants to Cambridge

• Championing company-building ambition: “Forget unicorns — it’s time for decacorns.”

Quick Bullet Points: Your Cheat Sheet

• Cambridge now ranks 37th globally for tech cities (Savills)

• £60m raised for quantum networking — a new sector record

• Major focus on inclusive innovation and unlocking growth capital

• Calls for Cambridge to boost its global storytelling — the world should know names like TRIM (neurodegeneration) and Cusp AI

• “We need more company creations, more exits, more global syndicates” — Mike Anstey

Standout Quotes

“If you’re going to invest, Cambridge is still one of the safest places” – Kathryn Chapman

“Our ambition used to be selling for £50 million. Now it’s: how do we build the next decacorn?” – Mike Anstey

“We’d be mad not to back Cambridge.” – Lord Vallance (via summit anecdote)

Ready for the full picture, including tips, honest reflections, and a breathless optimism you’ll want to bottle? Tune into the episode now, subscribe, and follow Cambridge Tech Podcast for your front-row seat to the UK’s innovation revolution.

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