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KEYS TO SUCCESS
Meet the Cambridge companies leading the clean tech revolution
The innovative local piano makers hitting all the right notes
INVESTMENT
Your guide to investing in the Cambridge ecosystem
THE BIG 3
Entrepreneurs on the professionals who helped them succeed
O N T HE P UL S E O F T HE C I T Y ’ S B U S INE S S C O MM UNI T Y
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CONTENTS
04 NEWS & EVENTS
News and events including details on the Future 20 winners.
08 INVEST IN THE ECOSYSTEM In the weeks since our last issue hit the stands, the UK government has declared a climate emergency, calling for drastically invigorated action to tackle global warming. With this in mind, Issue 2 sees us look to the Cambridge innovators poised and ready to bear the torch in the clean tech revolution. From Pavegen, a company quite literally paving the way to a more sustainable future by harvesting energy generated by footsteps, to Azuri Technologies, a firm making waves globally with its payas-you-go solar power technology, meet the local companies rising to humanity’s biggest challenge on page 22. The city’s booming economy is in the spotlight in Invest in the Cambridge Ecosystem, the first in a series of articles which explores opportunities for personal investment in the Cambridge Cluster. Find out why our local economy is worth backing and how to get a piece of the action on page 8. We also meet Jason Mellad, CEO of life science start-up accelerator Start Codon, in The Big 3 (page 12), where he shares his remarkable entrepreneurial journey so far and highlights three individuals who’ve helped him on his way. From quantum-age security solutions with Cambridge Space Technologies (Pitch Perfect, page 15) to sensational selfplaying pianos (The Keys to Success, page 16), there’s plenty more on the pages ahead – enjoy the issue and look out for number 3, released in September.
In the first of a new series, Anna Lawlor looks at ways to profit from the local economy.
12 THE BIG 3
Start Codon CEO Jason Mellad on the three professionals integral to his success.
15 PITCH PERFECT
Local start-ups give us their pitch. Up this month: Cambridge Space Technologies.
16 THE KEYS TO SUCCESS
Catalyst meets Edelweiss: Fulbourn-based makers of spectacular self-playing pianos.
22 SUSTAINABILITY SPECIAL
Cambridge's clean tech innovators tell us about their out-of-the-box ideas.
32 DOING GOOD & DOING WELL
The Cambridge social ventures making an impact.
37 MIND THE GAP
Local community finance experts look at ways for SMEs to access finance.
38 DOPPLE ACT
Alfy Fowler, founder of DoppleGanger, shares the story so far of his cult vegan restaurant.
42 TECH BYTES
NICOLA FOLEY EDITOR IN CHIEF
The latest news from the fizzing Cambridge Cluster.
46 GAME THEORY
The founder of FXP Festival chats engaging young people with the gaming industry.
EDITORIAL
EDITOR IN CHIEF Nicola Foley 01223 499459 nicolafoley@bright-publishing.com CHIEF SUB EDITOR Beth Fletcher SENIOR SUB EDITOR Siobhan Godwood SUB EDITOR Felicity Evans JUNIOR SUB EDITOR Elisha Young
ADVERTISING
SENIOR SALES EXECUTIVE Lee Fifield 01223 492240 leefifield@bright-publishing.com MANAGING DIRECTORS Andy Brogden & Matt Pluck
CONTRIBUTORS Alison Taylor, Anna Lawlor, Charlotte Griffiths, Jason Mellad, Matthew Gooding cambridgecatalyst.co.uk @cambscatalyst
DESIGN & PRODUCTION
DESIGN DIRECTOR Andy Jennings EDITORIAL DESIGN Alan Gray AD PRODUCTION Man-Wai Wong catalystads@bright-publishing.com
01223 499450
CAMBRIDGE CATALYST IS A MAGAZINE BY BRIGHT PUBLISHING, MAKERS OF CAMBRIDGE EDITION CAMBRIDGE CATALYST Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridgeshire CB22 3HJ, 01223 499450 cambridgecatalyst.co.uk All rights reserved. Material contained in this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior permission of the publishers. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of CAMBRIDGE CATALYST or Bright Publishing Ltd, which do not accept any liability for loss or damage. Every effort has been made to ensure all information is correct. CAMBRIDGE CATALYST is a free publication that is distributed in Cambridge and the surrounding area.
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48 SPACE EXPLORATION
We explore business spaces in the area, from co-working hubs to conference venues.
55 OUT & ABOUT
Genome Lates, Movies on the Meadows, Summer at the Museums and more.
56 OUT OF OFFICE
Short-hop breaks to make the most of your annual leave.
WANT TO RECEIVE COPIES OF CAMBRIDGE CATALYST? Visit cambridgecatalyst.co.uk and sign up to be added to the distribution list.
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The latest developments in the world of Cambridge business, innovation, start-ups and networking
RASPBERRY PI 4 LAUNCHES Cambridge company Raspberry Pi is celebrating the release of its fourthgeneration model, promising the ‘world’s most affordable multimedia PC’. Representing a significant stepup in terms of speed and capability, Raspberry Pi 4 is a complete desktop computer with ambitions of competing in the global PC market – and it costs less than £30. The latest edition of this popular single-board computer can drive two independent 4K screens simultaneously and has three times the processing power and four times the multimedia performance of its predecessor, allowing users to surf, stream, edit images and even create their own apps in ultra HD for the fraction of the cost of a traditional PC. Customers can add in an optional desktop kit, which comes fully equipped with a Pi 4, mouse, keyboard, SD card, power supply, cables and case – all you need for a fully-
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functioning PC is a monitor. As with all Pis, the product comes with a range of programming languages, from Scratch to Python and C++, giving users the tools they need to become developers. “The vision behind Raspberry Pi 4 is to make a rich multimedia PC experience accessible to everyone. By offering a ‘just right’ level of performance for most users, we’ve been able to do this at roughly a tenth the cost of a traditional desktop PC,” said co-founder Eben Upton. “This is a significant development for the PC market as a whole. Raspberry Pi is already the bestselling British computer of all time. In 2018 Q4, Raspberry Pi 3+ and earlier models accounted for 2.5% of the global PC market. The improved capabilities of Raspberry Pi 4 should allow us to address a much larger fraction of that market.”
The vision behind Raspberry Pi 4 is to make a rich multimedia PC experience accessible to everyone"
raspberrypi.org
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NEWS
Social Venture Weekend If you’re looking to set up or grow a business that makes a positive impact – be it on an environmental or social level – check out Judge Business School’s Social Venture Weekend from 19 to 21 July. An inspiring introduction to the sector which offers a chance to zone in on your business in a supportive and friendly environment, attendees will have the opportunity to share and test ideas and learn from the experience of successful social entrepreneurs. For those at the start of their business, it’s a chance to refine ideas and pick up valuable insight
from others who’ve been through the process, while more established ventures can refine business plans and cement understanding of business fundamentals. Over the course of the weekend, faculty from the Judge Business School, along with other world-class experts in social enterprise, will cover business planning, market research, legal structures, finance and pitching, culminating on Sunday afternoon with an informal pitch and a discussion about your next steps. It’s priced at £75 for the weekend. jbs.cam.ac.uk
5G IN THE
SPOTLIGHT
WIBN JULY The Women in Business Network hosts its latest gathering on 30 July at the Quy Mill hotel, offering an opportunity for business owners and women in strategic positions to meet and establish connections. The Cambridge chapter of a network which spans the UK and Ireland, WIBN acts as a forum for business women to network and meet likeminded individuals, improving opportunities across a wide range of sectors. Including lunch and refreshments, the event is priced at £30, with tickets available via Eventbrite. eventbrite.co.uk
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5G is fast becoming a reality – but are you prepared for the brave new world of mobile technology? If the answer to that is ‘no’, book your spot now for Cambridge Wireless’ Advanced Introduction to 5G Technology course: a daylong session designed to provide a high-level technical overview of 5G tech, covering requirements, end-to-end architecture and applications, and aligning the different pieces of the puzzle to create a complete picture. Taking place on 30 September, it’s geared towards those in senior management roles, plus salespeople, marketers, coders, testers and technicians. The course is run by Zahid Ghadialy, the founder and principle consultant at 3G4G, who has experience spanning innovative start-ups and industry leaders, from chipset and handset manufacturers to network equipment vendors, small cells and Wi-Fi companies, and analyst and consulting firms. By the end of the course, attendees should have a solid understanding of the motivation for moving beyond 4G and be familiar with the architecture and technical options. It’s priced at £150 for members or £200 for non-members. cambridgewireless.co.uk
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NEWS
THE FUTURE 20 Allia Future Business Centre has officially launched its Future 20 Incubator programme, set to support 20 inspiring businesses that tackle global and local challenges in an innovative way. The goal of the programme is to give a legup to start-ups working to address UN Sustainable Development Goals, from clean energy to gender equality, helping them to develop and scale up to create maximum impact. Among the successful candidates were Phycofeeds, which generates
solar bio oil and feedstocks from waste; Greater Change, which provides opportunities for homeless people through empathetic crowdfunding, and Wearth, an online shopping platform for all things eco and sustainable. These ventures will receive a bespoke package of strategic support and practical business advice, plus mentorship, introductions to funders, free workspace and prototyping facilities and more. Caroline Hyde, CEO of Allia Future Business Centres, said: “We were
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July sees the unveiling of Acropolis: a major new event space at Gonville & Caius college. Available for hire across a fifteen-month period, the venue is a modern, sophisticated 2150 square foot marquee structure with solid sides that’s suitable for conferences, weddings or social gatherings. Its name is a reference to its architectural shape and multiple glass sides around its linked hexagonal structures,
delighted to finally meet our Future 20! This new incubator isn’t about creating a structured programme, but fully understanding what each venture needs to move forward individually. We will work with our network of partners to access and leverage these requirements, building a bespoke package of support for each company. We are truly excited to see what we can achieve collaboratively over the next year.” futurebusinesscentre.co.uk
providing outdoor views into the gardens and mirroring the open aspect of the ancient citadel. Rather than overlooking Athens, though, guests will be treated to views of the pretty gardens of Harvey Court at Caius, tucked away in the very heart of the city centre. Capacity is 100 cabaret style or 180 theatre style, with AV equipment included. cai.cam.ac.uk
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Anna Lawlor, co-founder of Luminescence Communications, on why the city's booming economy is worth backing – and how to get your share
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he fastest-growing city in the UK, home to some of the UK’s largest companies, and a world leading university renowned for launching innovative spin-off companies means Cambridge's economy is booming. While many of us are immersed in the region’s economy as homeowners, business owners, employees or consumers, we might not have considered how we could benefit from this prosperity through our own personal investments. This is the first in a series of articles exploring how you can invest directly and indirectly in the Cambridge Phenomenon through different investment vehicles, from ISAs and pensions to crowd-funding and more. In this article, we look to the region’s largest companies, those listed on a public stock market – meaning anyone can become a shareholder and buy a slice of the profits. Cambridge’s listed companies The turnover of Cambridgeshire’s 100 largest companies leapt 10% last year to £10.7bn, according to a report by Grant Thornton. The figure excludes AstraZeneca, whose global headquarters are in Cambridge, because of the firm’s large global footprint. Other multinationals are also excluded – such as Apple and Microsoft – that have offices in Cambridge. Even larger than this strong 10% sales growth in 2018 was a mighty 17% rise in profits, hitting £780m. Out of the largest 100 companies in the region in 2018, 17 were listed on the UK
The turnover of Cambridgeshire’ s largest companies leapt 10% last year to £10.7bn, according to a report" stock market. This brings added skills, experience and kudos to the region, commentators believe. Peter Hewkin, chief executive of the Centre for Business Innovation, a think tank that helps businesses collaborate on technology and business process projects, says: “I’m a big fan of large enterprises being based here, because it shows the region on the big boys’ landscape.” He continues: “Also, it brings large company skills to the region. We are overweight in innovation and entrepreneurship in Cambridgeshire but underweight in running really big companies, so it helps us to have the skills in the region that will enable our companies to grow that bit larger.” Claire Ruskin, chief executive of Cambridge Network Ltd, says it is “excellent” to have listed companies in Cambridge, because their experience in areas such as exporting and international supply chains, as well as their scale, “sets an example and aspiration to some of our growing businesses”. “We also see useful and generous support coming from some of the bigger companies to help fund and resource
COMPANY / TICKER
INDEX
AstraZeneca (AZN)
FTSE 100
80.07bn
FTSE 250
779.3
Hilton Food Group (HFG)
MARKET CAPITALISATION (£M)
Abcam (ABC)
FTSE AIM UK 50
3.01
Xaar (XAR)
FTSE SmallCap
60.7
Quixant (QXT)
FTSE AIM 100
152.7
Amino Technologies (AMO)
FTSE AIM All-Share
75.4
Science Group (SAG)
FTSE AIM All-Share
81.8
FTSE AIM 100
221.1
Horizon Discovery (HZD) Creightons (CRL)
FTSE AllSmall
18.9
FTSE AIM UK 50
412.2
Elektron Technology (EKT)
FTSE AIM All-Share
81.8
IQGEO Group (formerly Ubisense) (IQG)
FTSE AIM All-Share
34.1
Quartix Holdings (QTX)
FTSE AIM All-Share
120.3
Brady (BRY)
FTSE AIM All-Share
47.7
Avingtrans (AVG)
FTSE AIM All-Share
67.4
Frontier Developments (FDEV)
Source: Grant Thornton / company accounts
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INVESTMENT
activities, for example, to bring young people from a much wider region into STEM subjects and host events from which everyone can learn,” she says.
Irwin Mitchell’s UK Powerhouse report, which analyses the economic performance of 44 cities, showed Cambridge’s year-onyear growth in the final quarter of 2018 was 2.7%" 10
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How to buy your share To buy shares in listed companies, investors need to have either a stocks and shares ISA or a personal pension, such as a SIPP (Self Invested Personal Pension). Companies including Hargreaves Lansdown, AJ Bell, James Hay and Bestinvest offer such products for varying fees. Once you have a financial product that can ‘hold’ shares (also known as listed equity), you can either transfer an existing pension into it or fund it with cash from another source. Once funds are in place, you will then be able to add your chosen shares into that financial product (ISA, SIPP etc). Shares can be searched for by company name (such as AstraZeneca) or stock market ticker (eg AZN). To make financial gains on shares, investors can benefit from capital appreciation – the price of the shares rising above the price they were bought for – and dividends, if the company they are invested in pays out regular cash to shareholders. If, however, you
do not want to receive dividend income straight away, most SIPP providers offer a dividend reinvestment service, which reinvests this income into more shares of the company paying them. It is worth remembering that automatic enrolment is now compulsory, meaning all employees are paying into a workplace pension unless they opt out. Check what your workplace pension is invested in to ensure diversification across your investments. There are different tax treatments and access rules for different financial products that hold shares, so it’s advisable to do your due diligence or get financial/tax advice before making an investment. Investment considerations The UK’s index of leading shares (largest companies), the FTSE 100, secures more than 70% of its revenues from overseas, showing the international nature of the UK stock market. This will also be reflected in Cambridgebased listed companies buying and selling nationally or internationally, and influenced by sectoral and other forces beyond the region’s boundaries, which could impact performance. Of the 17 Cambridgeshire-based listed cambridgecatalyst.co.uk
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companies in 2018, two were bought by private companies, meaning shares in the firms no longer trade on the stock market. These companies were drug development company Abzena and Produce Investments, one of Britain’s largest fresh produce companies. Furthermore, part of Ubisense was acquired by Bahrainian private equity firm InvestCorp Bank and renamed IQGeo Group but remained listed. Acquisitions can be an important component of a listed company’s returns. The £24.3bn purchase of Arm Holdings in 2016 by Japanese conglomerate SoftBank is a case in point. Arm’s share price rose by 41% on news, which is a financial windfall for its shareholders. Arm is now owned by SoftBank’s Vision Fund, which is not accessible to retail investors. UK investors could buy shares in SoftBank, which is listed in Japan, but that company’s performance is not intrinsically linked to the performance of Arm. Future gazing With so many cutting-edge private companies in Cambridge, the likelihood of more company flotations (listings) cambridgecatalyst.co.uk
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on the stock market is high. In Grant Thornton’s Cambridgeshire Ltd report, more than a fifth of the companies (22) are technology firms. This includes five of the top ten fastest-growing companies out of the 100-strong field, led by DB Broadcast Holdings and Darktrace respectively. With the technology sector globally in rude health, there is a potential some of Cambridgeshire’s tech firms could be stock market darlings of the future. Companies looking to list on the stock market must go through a detailed IPO (initial public offering) process. This includes announcing on the stock exchange an intention to ‘float’ and then attracting investors. Private investors will usually be able to invest in IPOs through their SIPP or ISA provider, or through a stockbroker. For those looking to stay ahead of the pack, investment-related magazines or services such as Beauhurst may be able to help you predict the next companies due to list. Indeed, Beauhurst identified 30 companies it expected could float in the next few years based on various criteria, which included Cambridge Broadband Networks, one of the region’s largest 100 companies.
Growing dominance Cambridge – its already vibrant economy buoyed by the CambridgeMilton Keynes-Oxford Arc and the UK Innovation Corridor between London and Cambridge – is forecast to dominate as the UK’s fastest-growing city between 2016 and 2026 , according to the City Tracker report by Cebr and Irwin Mitchell. Irwin Mitchell’s UK Powerhouse report, which analyses the economic performance of 44 cities, showed Cambridge’s year-on-year growth in the final quarter of 2018 was 2.7%. Dame Kate Barker, one of the country’s foremost economists and chair of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Independent Economic Review, wrote in her 2018 report that the region’s 1.37% contribution to nationwide Gross Value Added “understates its importance” and that to double the area’s GVA by 2040 would be “realistic”. This suggests it might be worth considering backing Cambridgeshire’s economy, rather than simply watching it roar away. Anna Lawlor is co-founder of Luminescence Communications: weareluminescence.com
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ENTREPRENEUR STORIES
Jason Mellad, founder of Start Codon, tells Catalyst about the three professionals who were integral to his business success completed my PhD in Medicine at the University of Cambridge, but quickly realised that I was an entrepreneur at heart. During my postdoc at King’s College London, together with friends, I started a company called B-stable, which developed a novel, hands-free balance and mobility aid aimed at reducing falls in the elderly. With our business idea, we won the Lion’s Den business plan competition, which offers start-up capital to entrepreneurs. It was here I learned the fundamentals of starting up a company. In 2011, I joined Cambridge Enterprise and worked in tech transfer, helping patent and foster new university innovations and spin-out companies. I then transitioned to Cambridge Epigenetix, where I spent six years, two as CEO, re-focusing the company from selling research reagents into a leading liquid biopsy diagnostic test developer. I led two successful funding rounds, raising a total of $49m investment. When Cambridge Innovation Capital, the Milner Therapeutics Institute and Genentech approached me regarding a new strategic initiative to establish a leading healthcare accelerator in Cambridge, I leapt at the
opportunity. Start Codon now gives me the opportunity to pay forward everything I’ve learned over the years to help the next generation of life science entrepreneurs succeed. Throughout my career, I’ve learned that to succeed, it’s important to build a strong network of local partners to support you early on. On 13 May, I invited three colleagues, George Neville-Jones, Lorna Cuddon and Roop Chandwani, to join me as guest speakers at ideaSpace’s event, Basics of Building a Business. George, Lorna and Roop represent three important aspects in an entrepreneur’s journey, from concept to commercialisation – finance, PR and marketing, and team. From working with them at various companies, I’ve witnessed the importance of the strategy behind raising investment, clearly communicating with different audiences, and building a team.
With our business idea, we won the Lion’s Den business plan competition, which offers start-up capital to entrepreneurs" 12
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GEORGE NEVILLE-JONES, METROBANK George Neville-Jones is the local director of Metrobank in Cambridge, and support for local start-ups is a key part of his strategic mission. Raising start-up capital is an important part of developing your own business as an entrepreneur, and we are working
together to support the Cambridge ecosystem in doing so. At the B3 event, he focused on access to funding for early stage companies and strategies for growth, as well as Metrobank’s unique business model and solutions for start-ups.
LORNA CUDDON, ZYME COMMUNICATIONS Lorna Cuddon founded Zyme Communications in 2010, when she saw a gap in the market for a Cambridge-based communications agency focused on supporting early stage life science companies. Almost a decade later, with offices now in Cambridge and Manchester, Zyme provides strategic and specialist PR and marketing advice to more than 50 life science organisations across Europe and the US, ranging from start-ups though to industry-leading global businesses. Lorna and her team have been my marketing partners for years and were instrumental in the pivot of Cambridge Epigenetix. Zyme’s help with developing new company messaging to support the transition into a clinically-focussed company was
invaluable, and I am grateful that the team is now supporting us to build the Start Codon brand. Lorna’s approach emphasises the importance in aligning your communications plan with your corporate objectives. Whether your focus is raising investment or generating commercial leads and revenues, establishing partnerships or raising the company profile to support a recruitment drive, communications should link directly to your corporate strategy and target audiences. Branding, website, social media, press releases, articles and interviews are key to helping you engage with your audience, but it’s important to know who that audience is, the challenges they face, where they are based and where they source their information.
ROOP CHANDWANI, AGGIOSERGEANT As managing director at AggioSergeant, Roop Chandwani’s focus is building highperforming life science and healthcare teams globally that continually deliver superior return on investment. Roop helped me recruit senior experts to my management team at Cambridge Epigenetix and has taught me that strong teams are essential for the success of high potential companies.
Roop understands that as a company grows, the culture and people will change, and many companies simply do not invest sufficient time in planning how they will build a great team around this transition. A core component is understanding your company culture from the beginning, and how it will change, then aligning that with the vision and strategy for the business.
IDEASPACE B3 This article is the first in a regular series inspired by ideaSpace’s B3 events, at which you can hear from a successful entrepreneur and the three professionals who were instrumental in helping their business to flourish. The events also include networking, with pizza and beer to finish. The next B3 takes place in September and will feature Pint Shop nonexecutive director and co-founder of 10to8 Matthew Cleevely. Keep an eye on ideaspace.cam.ac.uk for updates.
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PITCH PERFECT
Owen Thompson, director of Cambridge Space Technologies, gives us his business pitch What’s your pitch? We are aiming to provide direct access, for government and commercial users, to a new level of quantum-age security. We’ll do this through quantum keys, which will be distributed via small satellites in low earth orbit. We are commercially orientated, acting as a prime contractor to utilise currently available infrastructure, launch systems and cutting-edge quantum entanglement technologies in order to deliver commercially advantageous quantum-safe communications. We are launching first in environments that demand rapid and highly secure communications, aiming to establish a ubiquitous service for users globally. How old is the company and how did it start? We have been forming the idea for many months now; it was primarily drawn from the known deficiencies in our current security systems, combined with a passion for space and new technology! What’s your role and background? I’ve just finished a stint of more than 13 years as a commissioned officer and fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force
and I’m now studying part time at the Cambridge Judge Business School. I wanted to take my passion for the aerospace industry and translate that through to a wider project that would still keep me interested while benefitting society as a whole. What makes the company unique? Primarily our team: we have a plethora of experience, including experts in defence acquisition management, and an experienced director who has run multiple technology companies. Biggest achievement so far? Pitching at Canary Wharf, at short notice, was a great opportunity for us, but also very amusing! Our pitch deck wasn’t due to be ready for another week or so and I was overseas with my day job. Our other director was away with his family. We spent every spare hour available trying to construct and polish the pitch together from over 3,800 miles apart! It came together with minutes to go, edits were still taking place on the underground as we neared the venue.
particular, have quite high barriers to entry for start-ups. We will be spending a large portion of our time fundraising on our first round, to enable our first satellite launch to take place with the appropriate technology on board. Which individuals or companies are your biggest inspirations? Of course we love the story of companies like SpaceX and those with incredible histories like Nasa, but we’re at the forefront of a new industry. We’re also excited by places closer to home with a deep history, such as the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics in Cambridge where even Stephen Hawking had an office! Where do you want the business to be in five years? In five years, we’ll be well on our way to launching a full constellation of satellites, and able to profitably service a number of commercial customers. Find out more at cambridgespacetechnologies.com
Biggest challenges? The technology industry as a whole, and the aerospace industry in
We are aiming to provide direct access, for government and commercial users, to a new level of quantum-age security"
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MOVERS & SHAKERS
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MOVERS & SHAKERS
WORDS NICOLA FOLEY
Catalyst meets the Cambridgeshire-based company shaking up the industry with its fully customisable, self-playing range of designer pianos here’s a 24-carat gold piano in at the moment. We’ve handpainted marble pianos, we can do acrylic, we’ve got a piano covered in half a million Swarovski crystals. We can do literally anything...” grins Ross Norman, gesturing around a huge, airy workshop. This 10,000 square foot production space, in which around fifteen highly skilled technicians, craftspeople and artisans go about their work, is Edelweiss Pianos’ Fulbourn base: the heart of what’s swiftly becoming a truly international operation. “Most of the
These pianos have a game-changing USP in the shape of a sensational self-play function, which replicates the magic of a live performance at the touch of a button" cambridgecatalyst.co.uk
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pianos we’re working on will be delivered abroad”, says Ross. “We’re finding it a very exciting time. Brexit obviously has its uncertainties, but we haven’t noticed any slowdown whatsoever. In fact, we’re on our busiest year ever – about 50% ahead of last year at the moment, which we’re very, very thankful for.” Anyone with a passing interest in the piano trade will sit up and take notice at that comment, given that industrywide, sales have been nosediving for decades – around a 60% decline since 2004 to be exact. But Edelweiss, with its eye-popping customisation options and dazzling array of colours and finishes, is bucking the trend in style. Resembling works of art isn’t the only thing that makes the Edelweiss range stand out from the crowd – these pianos have a game-changing USP under their bonnets in the shape of a sensational self-play function, which replicates the magic of a live performance at the touch of a button, leaving you free to sit back and enjoy the show. Controlled using a dedicated iPod or iPad, the technology uses
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I think Harrods decided to run with Edelweiss because we’re different. We appeal to the millennial generation, piano players and interior designers. We are flexible and our pianos can be adapted to any specification, or any interior" electromagnetic solenoids to convert electrical signals into a mechanical action; moving the keys as though they were being struck by a human hand. Songs are recorded by a live pianist, with an infrared rail tracking how fast the keys move, how far down they’re pushed and how many times they’re played, recording every touchpoint and datapoint so it can be fed through Edelweiss’ software and processed into a MIDI track. Each solenoid has around 1800 gradations of touch, meaning the pianos can recreate the nuances of a song perfectly, each and every time. A sort of high-tech successor to the pneumatic pianolas popular in the
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early 20th century, these self-playing pianos come preloaded with thousands of songs to choose from. “Beethoven, James Blunt, Led Zeppelin and whatever’s in between”, says Ross. “There’s a speaker concealed, and we can also merge in an MP3 track, so you can have vocals and the full band playing along through the speakers if you want.” Edelweiss was, Ross says, a product designed to act as a ‘recession beater’; borne out of an eagerness to keep business buoyant in an increasingly tough market – but the history of the company goes back much further. It’s an offshoot of 1066, a revered Cambridge firm specialising in designing, creating and restoring custom pianos, which was founded by Ross’ grandfather, John ‘Roy’ Norman. A Cambridge University research physicist graduate and talented pianist, John took up tuning pianos in the 1970s to earn some extra money on the side. “He soon realised the pianos he was tuning were poor in terms of their maintenance and how they played; like a car with a badly tuned engine. So, using his skillset as a physicist, he was able to analyse how he could make them better,”
explains Ross. “He quit his job, bought a piano and redid it from his lounge, selling it on to somebody. Then, with the profit he made from that, he was able to buy two more and keep a bit back for himself, he then bought four more, and so on – and that’s how he started.” “I think we're unique,” he adds. “We’ve been founded on the highly unusual combination of a research physicist who also has the artistic ability. Those two skill sets don’t usually come together.” As the business grew, Roy ran out of space in his home for the many pianos passing through, and set up shop on Cherry Hinton high street, gradually building an international reputation for his work on piano restorations. The move to the current Fulbourn site came in 1989, where the business remains very much a family one to this day. Roy’s son Mark is head of production and design, while Chris, another son, looks after restoration and aftercare. “Between the two of them, there’s not any piano they don’t know,” says Ross with admiration. “The knowledge we have in-house is amazing.” Building on the heritage of the company while adding a decidedly cambridgecatalyst.co.uk
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MOVERS & SHAKERS
modern spin, the new generation of the Norman family is pushing the business to new heights. Today, as well as ordering online, customers can browse the range at Harrods, making Edelweiss the first pianos this prestigious department store has stocked since closing its piano department in 2013. “I think Harrods decided to run with Edelweiss because we’re different”, muses Ross. “We appeal to the millennial generation, piano players and interior designers. We are flexible and our pianos can be adapted to any specification, or any interior in the world. They told us, ‘You clearly are the pianos of the future’ – they don’t want anything that’s stuck in the now, they want companies that are looking ahead and moving with trends. We’re absolutely at the front of the curve.” The Harrods buyers aren’t the only ones impressed by Edelweiss’ musicmaking objets d’art. In fact, the brand is something of a favourite with celebrities, too, Ross tells me, citing Lady Gaga, Sia and Claudia Schiffer as recent happy customers. “But whoever it is, it doesn’t really matter to us,” he’s quick to add. “We treat everybody exactly the same.” cambridgecatalyst.co.uk
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The 2019 collection offers ten new colours, including the Pantone Colour of the Year, Living Coral. But the showstealer is, without a doubt, the Elmer. Named in honour of the colourful patchwork elephant, it’s unapologetically bold, bright and mould-breaking – much like Edelweiss as a company. While we chat, Ross likens the company to a brand like Aston Martin in the car world, in the sense that they’re “continually stepping it up to the next level, constantly getting better and getting sleeker, but never losing the core appeal of being a top quality product”. But as I explore the workshop and get a live demo of a self-playing piano, transparent and illuminated from within by colour-changing LEDS, I can’t help but think the brand shares more in common with Tesla, given their zeal for innovation – something that shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. “The future is exciting. Very, very exciting,” enthuses Ross. “I’m not allowed to discuss them yet, but the new innovations we will be launching early next year are going to transform the market again…”
However dazzling the technology or fantastical the designs, for Ross, it comes down to the simple pleasure of owning an instrument and bringing joy into people’s homes. “We believe pianos are about more than just music – they’re about the lifestyle surrounding them and the enjoyment. It’s about bringing happiness into an interior, and wherever you are in the world, whatever your interior looks like, we will be there with a piano completely unique to you, which you’ve designed yourself: your piano.”
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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
New technologies for the genomics toolbox of the future or almost a decade, CRISPR has dominated discussion within scientific communities. Once a theme reserved for science fiction, it’s becoming a reality as a viable biotech solution to many genetic challenges facing the future of healthcare. Black holes and revelations Thanks to large-scale genome sequencing, we now have deep catalogues of natural and diseaserelated human genetic variation. However, a lack of understanding around the function of a vast majority of the detected variants is delaying the progress to enable us to answer longstanding (sometimes urgent) important questions about human health.
IMAGES The CRISPR conference is a chance to network with top scientists and health professionals
CRISPR opportunities: the key to unlocking greater understanding Significant advances in CRISPR technologies now make it possible to integrate such gene editing power with single-cell sequencing methods. A formidable combination between
data visualisation and analysis that sets a new precedent for studying and interpreting thousands of cells at once to draw detailed conclusions. Thanks to this, we are now closer than ever to laying the foundations for precision medicine, with many opportunities for organisations working in genome targeting and novel drug development. “It is an incredibly exciting time to work in biomedical science. We can now systematically knock out every gene in the genome or mutate every DNA base in disease-causing genes, and couple this with novel rich readouts from cells and organisms to understand how changes in DNA lead to disease,” explains Dr Leopold Parts, group leader, Wellcome Sanger Institute. “Our conference will cover the technologies that enable these approaches, and showcase their applications in basic research, medicine and drug development.” These pioneering technologies are a core topic for the forthcoming CRISPR and Beyond: Perturbations
MULTIDISCIPLINARY The Advanced Courses and Scientific Conferences programme brings together scientific communities from a variety of research and clinical backgrounds, including healthcare professionals working in genomics. NETWORKING Meet and mingle with field experts,
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HIGHLIGHT SPEAKERS Britt Adamson University of Princeton, US Interrogating gene function with high-resolution functional genomics. Fritz Roth University of Toronto, Canada Prospects for testing all possible human missense variants in every disease gene. Maya Ghoussaini OpenTargets, UK Using genetics and genomics to prioritise drug targets.
professional colleagues, decision makers, and high-profile speakers and thought leaders. ACCESS To target rich environments containing established researchers and clinicians, as well as rising members of diverse genomics and biomedical communities. Interact in the comfort zone of many
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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
at Scale to Understand Genomes conference, being held in September at the Wellcome Genome Campus Conference Centre. This new meeting, funded and organised as part of the Advanced Courses and Scientific Conferences programme, focuses on the latest biotech insights, presenting wideranging opportunities for both organisations and academic institutes focused on the science and innovation of gene editing. At the cutting-edge of genome engineering, new technologies will underpin the central theme of the meeting including: gene and drug function in diseases, and interactions with genes, drugs and environment.
The conference is bringing together biomedical researchers working on high throughput screening, genome engineering and variant effect interpretation. They are being joined by delegates working in R&D biotech, pharma and academia to take part in an engaging and exciting few days of knowledge exchange. Discussion and networking will play a pivotal role in bringing diverse communities together to share perspectives, identify shared opportunities and build new understanding and collaboration. The possibilities are endless‌ Registration for this conference closes 30 July. For details, visit bit.ly/CRISPR19 _ CambsCat.
influential decision makers, making it easier to approach, connect and start conversations that are aligned to your business goals and objectives to ensure that you receive the very best value proposition and exposure in exchange for your support.
scientific hot topics and research before anyone else.
CUTTING-EDGE Be associated with the latest
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CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY The events programme is designed around research directly linked to the impact on global human health. By supporting one of the conferences, you are also supporting wider global initiatives.
WHY PARTNER YOUR BUSINESS WITH A SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE? Reaching busy scientists and healthcare professionals to form engaging partnerships is almost impossible, unless you are directly involved in the collaborations taking place. Partnering with a scientific conferences programme offers a unique opportunity to place your business at the heart of these interactions within active research communities. The Wellcome Genome Campus Advanced Courses and Scientific Conferences (ACSC) programme boasts over 60 events annually, specialising in a range of genomics-led topics, such as CRISPR, health data science, personal genomes and applied bioinformatics. Joining forces with the ACSC agenda to provide valuable conference support will position your business in front of influential decision makers. You can participate in hot topic discussions, engage in networking opportunities and increase your brand visibility, as well as share knowledge on the latest trends in a specific biomedical sphere. ACSC is interested in developing partnerships with businesses to invest in shared goals and challenges, and offer our communities the best networking and interactions. ACSC believes in defining custom opportunities, as well as offering traditional packages, pre-event digital and social branding, and on-site exhibitions. It's also open to discussing experiential propositions that help its partners achieve success. ACSC welcomes partnerships from all areas of science, commercialisation and tech transfer. For more details, email Catherine Holmes, ACSC marketing and communications manager, at catherine.holmes@ wellcomegenomecampus.org or visit bit.ly/Partner_ACSC
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SUSTAINABILITY
Matt Gooding meets five pioneering Cambridge clean tech companies offering innovative solutions for a more sustainable future hough the president of the United States may beg to differ, most would agree that climate change is the biggest challenge facing humanity. Global warming and the associated problems have the potential to impact every aspect of our lives, and the widespread demonstrations in London and other cities – including Cambridge – by climate change activists Extinction Rebellion show there is an appetite for change. Clean technology will play a key role in driving this change, and also represents a growing business opportunity. According to research carried out by pressure group the Carbon Disclosure Project, 225 of the world’s 500 biggest companies reported climate-related opportunities that represented potential financial impacts totalling over $2.1 trillion dollars, as demand grows for lowemissions technology and consumers'
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preferences shift towards lowcarbon products. Cambridge is home to a strong clean technology community, supported by Cambridge Cleantech, the membership organisation for the sector. As well as offering networking and support, it helps broker partnerships and financing for businesses working to build products and services in response to global sustainability challenges, and runs a programme of events including the annual summer Cleantech Futures conference and its popular Cleantech Venture Day, which sees the most promising companies from the sector travelling to London to pitch their ideas to an audience of potential investors. Here we take a look at five companies from the region that are excelling in the clean tech space. Find out more about the work of Cambridge Cleantech at cambridgecleantech.org.uk
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AZURI TECHNOLOGIES Electricity is something most of us take for granted, but a billion people across the globe still live off-grid. Approximately 600m of these people are in sub-Saharan Africa, which is where Azuri Technologies is making waves. The company offers pay-asyou-go solar power technology in 12 different countries, and has already sold more than 150,000 of these systems, impacting 750,000 lives. The systems can power anything from lighting to satellite TV, and the pay-as-you-go model, which utilises mobile payment technology, makes it more affordable than many alternatives.
Households often rely on technologies such as candles and kerosene lamps that would not have looked out of place centuries ago" cambridgecatalyst.co.uk
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Founder and CEO Simon BransfieldGarth, an experienced tech entrepreneur, told Catalyst: “I founded Azuri because I saw an opportunity to solve one of the biggest challenges on the planet with low-carbon and sustainable technology. “Households often rely on technologies such as candles and kerosene lamps that would not have looked out of place centuries ago. Despite this, most have access to a mobile phone. Our innovation was combining mobile and solar technology, allowing individuals to pay for solar power as they use it, at a cost cheaper than kerosene or candles,” he explains. “Just as the mobile phone leapfrogged the landline, so sustainable technologies can find segments where they can replace existing solutions, particularly those relying heavily on fossil fuels,” points out Simon. “In recent years, sub-Saharan Africa has suffered from a widening gap to western nations – the so-called ‘digital divide’. The provision of power is the first step towards widespread access to communications, media and information via devices such as TV, tablets and smartphones. This
IMAGES Azuri Technologies is attempting to close the digital divide by providing pay-as-you-go solar power in subSaharan Africa
allows individuals to join the knowledge economy and to start to level the playing field with more developed nations.” Based in Milton, Azuri recently secured a $26m investment to help it roll out its technology to new markets. “We are a young but stable, well-established company,” Simon says. “We are progressing to the next stage of PayGo solar in Africa with a coherent vision of the future that will transform lives and help develop African economies.” azuri-technologies.com
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BIO-BEAN We now drink over 95m cups of coffee a day in the UK. As well as creating a whole mound of discarded disposable cups, our collective caffeine habit throws up another problem: used coffee grounds. Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of grounds are produced by the coffee shops that pepper high streets up and down the country, and 95% of these end up in landfill, where they produce the highly toxic greenhouse gas methane, which is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide. As well as harming the environment, this practice hits businesses in the pocket via the government’s landfill tax. Fortunately, a company from just outside Cambridge has brewed up a solution. Bio-bean is the first business in the world to industrialise the conversion of used grounds into biofuel and other bio products. Collecting waste grounds from coffee shops, office blocks and transport, its novel process is able to recycle the grounds into ‘coffee logs’ and other types of fuel, as well as biochemicals. Bio-bean has gone from strength to strength since it was founded in 2013, opening its purpose-
IMAGES Coffee grounds produce methane in a landfill, but Bio-bean converts the waste product into biofuel and other bio products
built factory at Alconbury Weald and launching its first product, the eco briquette, in 2016. Coffee grounds processed by the firm have been used to power London’s red buses through a partnership with Shell, and recently it secured a £4m equity investment that will allow it to scale internationally and launch three new product lines. Chris Harrison, CEO of Bio-bean, says: “This investment is a hugely
exciting development for Bio-bean. It will enable us to push for even greater innovation in extracting commercial value from used coffee grounds – which are otherwise considered a waste – helping to further strengthen Bio-bean’s position at the forefront of the circular economy and increase the use of sustainable, second-generation resources.” bio-bean.com
Collecting waste coffee, Bio-bean's novel process is able to recycle the grounds into 'coffee logs' and other types of fuel, as well as biochemicals"
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CORROSIONRADAR CorrosionRADAR is on a mission to solve a £3.5bn conundrum. The company has developed a technology to deal with corrosion in large pieces of infrastructure, such as pipelines. “Corrosion costs the oil and gas industry alone £3.5bn a year,” explains CEO Chiraz Ennaceur. “It’s the biggest cause of mechanical failure in the world, and we’re using technology to transform the way people manage the problem.” The company’s approach involves deploying a network of distributed sensors that can detect corrosion and moisture on any type of asset and
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transmit this information wirelessly back to the owner using industrial Internet-of-Things technology. The system also includes a machine learning element, which analyses data from the sensors to predict when maintenance might be needed. Chiraz explains the firm is initially focusing its technology on hidden corrosion, such as corrosion under insulation (CUI). CorrosionRADAR’s mission is to support industry that’s moving from reactive to predictive corrosion management, using its cutting-edge systems. “The current method for detecting this kind of corrosion is a visual inspection,” she says. “The issue is that it’s hard to pinpoint where the corrosion is – a lot of these assets are difficult to access, so it’s a hidden problem. “The inspections only take place once every few years and they are very labour-intensive and often very risky for the people carrying them out, because they are having to go into hazardous environments. It’s inefficient from any angle, and our system lowers
ABOVE CorrosionRADAR tackles hidden corrosion of infrastructure with a network of sensors, replacing labour-intensive and risky inspections
cost and lowers risk for everyone involved,” Chiraz explains. CorrosionRADAR’s technology was developed by chief technology officer, Dr Prafull Sharma at Cranfield University, and it now has offices at Cranfield and in Cambridge. Chiraz co-founded the business in 2017 with Dr Sharma and another Cranfield graduate, chief operating officer, Dr Mehrdad Silatani, who worked for TWI at Granta Park, developing different types of technology for inspecting large pieces of infrastructure. “From my background in industry, I know what a massive problem CUI is. Companies are always looking for new ways to deal with it,” Chiraz says. “We have already established a healthy pipeline of potential customers who want to use this new technology for corrosion monitoring. We think the offshore wind industry will be our second target market. Any area where corrosion exists but is difficult to access is where we’re looking to make a difference.” corrosionradar.com
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PAVEGEN
Pavegen takes the idea of power walking to another level by harvesting energy generated by footsteps. Not only can the company’s clever floor tiles be used to generate off-grid power, but customers can also extract data insights about footfall patterns, as well as using them as part of reward schemes. No wonder, then, that the technology has proved popular with backers on the crowdfunding site Crowdcube. Pavegen closed its finance round at the end of June
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having secured £2.4m, almost treble its initial target. Notable backers include Tamar Capital and the Hinduja Group, the investment vehicle of the Hinduja brothers, who topped the latest Sunday Times Rich List. Pavegen is the brainchild of CEO Laurence Kemball-Cook, an industrial design graduate who came up with the idea for harvesting energy from footsteps while on a work placement with energy giant E.ON. Founded in 2009, the technology went through over 120 prototypes before hitting upon what appears to be a winning formula. A decade on, Pavegen is operating in 36 countries around the world, mainly in smart city developments, and generated revenue of £1.8m last year. The crowdfunding cash will add further weight to its global expansion plans. The firm has also signed a memorandum of understanding with global engineering and technology giant Siemens to develop smart city projects together. This has seen Siemens connect Pavegen walkways to its cloud-based operating system, allowing control and monitoring of its sites from any connected device. Laurence explains his company, which has its R&D centre at the Future Business Centre on Kings Hedges Road, has since developed a digital ecosystem that connects to people’s
Not only can the comapny's clever floor tiles be used to generate off-grid power, but customers can also extract data insights about footfall patterns, as well as using them as part of a reward scheme" smartphones, rewarding them for steps on Pavegen walkways. Its first shopping centre deployment at The Mercury Mall in East London has apparently raised engagement with the site by 15%. “We believe in placing people at the heart of the smart city,” Laurence says. “That’s why crowdfunding works so well for us, and it’s been great to welcome so many investors into our community. With the support of Hinduja Group, Siemens and Tamar Capital, our plan of making our technology ubiquitous for all cities becomes achievable.” pavegen.com
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Geo engages consumers so they can control their energy usage and, in this way, bring about a real, tangible change in energy usage" GEO (GREEN ENERGY OPTIONS)
With more than five million installations of its technology in households across the UK and beyond, smart-home specialist Geo might be Cambridge’s most successful clean tech business. Co-founders, CEO Patrick CaigerSmith and Simon Anderson – now a non-executive director in the company – set up Geo in 2006, intent on revolutionising the smart home interface in a bid to encourage consumer engagement and a greener way of home living. Thirteen years later and Geo now offers a comprehensive suite of
products to help consumers measure and control their energy usage and carbon footprint without even having to think about it – perfect for those of us who are very keen on saving the planet but also a bit lazy. Based just outside Cambridge, the company supplies many UK energy providers and has a presence in international markets. Patrick says: “It has always been our belief that our smart energy technology solutions are a means to a very important end – engaging consumers so they can control their energy usage and, in this way, bring
IMAGES Geo’s products include an in-home display that monitors electricity and water usage
about a real, tangible change in energy usage that has a positive long-term impact on climate change”. Geo’s products range from inhome displays that monitor energy usage, to Core, its ‘hybrid home’ energy management system. A hybrid home is one that uses a mixture of grid and self-generated (usually through solar panels) power, and Core brings these different sources together to make smart decisions on energy requirements, raising or reducing supply as required. This sort of system could prove particularly useful as home energy usage becomes increasingly complex, with the growing popularity of things such as electric vehicles. Now employing over 100 staff, Geo’s success was recognised earlier this year when the London Stock Exchange included it in the list of 1000 companies to inspire Britain. Businesses selected for the list had to demonstrate positive revenue growth over the last three years and outperform their sector peers. “This achievement recognised both our business success and commitment to innovation and market development,” Patrick concludes. geotogether.com
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SUSTAINABILITY
As part of our sustainability special, we learn how Cambridge Cookery has become the city’s first zero-waste cafe ow more than ever, the scale of our problem with food waste looms large in the media and public consciousness. Estimates suggest more than a million tonnes of food are thrown away by hospitality and food businesses annually in the UK alone – a statistic thrown into even sharper relief when you consider around 8.4 million people in the country are struggling to afford to eat. Determined to lead by example and make a stand for sustainability, Cambridge Cookery has adopted a radical approach to combating its own food waste. The popular eatery, found on Purbeck Road, joined the Taste Not Waste campaign run by the Cambridge Sustainable Food network to demonstrate its commitment to sustainability and as a result, towards the end of last year, became the city’s first zero-waste cafe. “We started as a cookery school and have so much skill from our team of professional chefs and love for good produce, we have always been very frugal with our ingredients,” explains owner Tine Roche on what prompted the move. “As the owner, I have
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committed to the One Planet Living concept, so this was one step towards becoming completely sustainable.” A practical, straightforward framework for ‘living happily within the Earth’s resources’, One Planet Living sets out ten principles that cover all aspects of social, environmental and economic sustainability. It is, according to Tine, an ‘ingenious’ movement, and her number-one recommendation for anyone looking to adopt a waste-free approach to food in their own lives. Once the decision had been made to go waste free, the first step was to choose ingredients wisely and ensure they were being fully utilised. “As an example, our Norwegian apple and yoghurt pot has a rye crumb on it, using the edges we cut off our handmade Scandinavian rye loaves,” she says. The next step involved CC becoming a hub for locally grown, organic produce that was about to become waste or pig feed. By taking in tens of kilos of (great-quality and organic, but no longer absolutely fresh) produce and adding it to CC’s existing waste, it allowed her chefs to create 30 cooked meals each week for Jimmy’s homeless shelter. And progress continues: “Our most recent step has been to join the green coffee scheme, which means we don’t throw away our used coffee sump, but send it to be converted to green biofuel. Of course, we ceased to stock plastic straws or bottled water a long time ago.” The part most challenging part of going waste free? “It is the one bit we can’t fully control and that is food left on the plate by our guests,” says Tine. “There isn’t a lot of it, but it pains us when sometimes customers leave all
© DAISY DICKINSON
the gorgeous food on the plate and we have to scrape it into the bin…” Overall though, the effects on the business have been fantastically positive and far-reaching, concludes Tine. “Both my wonderful front-of-house team and the chefs derive a real sense of pride in our stance on sustainability – and our guests have reacted positively to this, giving us heaps of praise.” You can find out more about Cambridge Cookery at cambridgecookery.com
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SOCIAL VENTURES
WORDS MATTHEW GOODING IMAGES JULIAN CLAXTON PHOTOGRAPHY
When is a medical treatment not a medical treatment? When you turn it into a game, of course. Will Jackson explains how his company, Playphysio, based at Allia Future Business Centre, uses gamification to change the lives of children with cystic fibrosis In partnership with
rguing with your kids is an unavoidable part of parenthood, but throwing a chronic disease into the mix takes domestic squabbles to another level, as Will Jackson knows all too well. Will is founder of Playphysio, a start-up gamifying medical treatments for children. His daughter, Isabella, suffers from cystic fibrosis (CF), a condition that causes a thick buildup of sticky mucus in the lungs and other parts of the body, and leaves
patients susceptible to a wide range of damaging infections. Treatment of CF involves a twice-daily 90-minute exercise routine to build up lung function, something that, unsurprisingly, soon becomes a slog for all involved. “We spent nine years playing the game of chronic disease, and it got us to a state of dysfunction as a family,” Will recalls. “Arguing for an hour and a half at a time wasn’t unusual for us. Every family experiences this on a lower level with things like brush your teeth, clean your room and do your homework, but when it’s something that directly impacts the health of your child on a long-term basis, the effect on the parent is one of significant guilt. You really feel the burden of care, because you’re hardwired to want to keep your child healthy. “The therapy for the lungs is basically a routine of blowing into a device, while lying in various different positions. It’s almost Victorian in nature, and it’s been prescribed for CF patients for more than 40 years. It generates 250 million ‘blows’ a year and almost a million hours of stress and arguing for families, and a lot of the time it’s not even working, because it isn’t being done properly.”
It was after one particularly arduous morning that Will had an epiphany. “I dropped Isabella off at school, having just about made it in on time,” he says. “I was walking home breathing a big sigh of relief because that part of the day was over, but thinking it was going to happen again in the evening. That was when it dawned on me that our routine was causing us big problems as a family; no one else was coming to save us, but I had the skills and experience as a parent to do something about it. “To get kids to do stuff, you’ve got to make it fun, make them want to do it. And if it’s fun and engaging, then maybe they’ll do it better. That idea was enough to make me jump onto eBay and buy a few bits of kit.” With a background in product development and web design, Will soon concocted a system that connects to the therapy device, turning it into an input for games, which can be played on the patient’s mobile phone. Players can only progress in their game if they are carrying out the exercises correctly, and their progress is logged so it can be monitored by doctors. Playphysio’s system has already been enthusiastically received by the CF community in the UK, which numbers
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around 10,000 patients. Trials are currently underway at Addenbrooke’s Hospital to prove its efficacy. “Some patients who have completed the trial have asked if they can continue to use our system, and that feedback is really invaluable while we wait for the full results,” Will says. “The parents I’ve spoken to are delighted because we’ve made their lives easier, and the kids are happy because they’re playing games. We have high score charts and they all love trying to top the chart and beat each other’s scores.
“Once we’ve got data to show that there are significant cost savings to be made, we can take it to healthcare providers. Recent research suggests up to £20m a year could be saved from the cost of drugs and antibiotics through monitored physiotherapy, which is basically what we’re doing.” What began as a side project has now blossomed into a full-time occupation for Will, who is based at Allia’s Future Business Centre in Cambridge. He has just received a two-year scholarship from the Packard
Parents are delighted because we've made their lives easier, and the kids are happy because they love trying to top the chart" Foundation, which supports ventures aiming to improve the lives of children. “Allia have been super helpful to me, and the support I get from them and the Cambridge Social Venture programme is really important,” he says. “I’m incredibly lucky, because I’m in a position where I’ve been able to quit my job and chase this mad idea. I’ve got skin in this game on three fronts; my daughter, my need to earn a living and because I want to help other families. “That’s why I started this, and if you can earn a living by helping other people and changing their lives for the better, why wouldn’t you do that? It ticks all the boxes.” Find out more at play.physio
Allia Future Business Centre offers flexible workspace, business support and a vibrant community for those creating change. Its four centres, spread between Cambridge, London and Peterborough, are dedicated to supporting businesses that have a positive impact on people and the planet, and is a place to start, develop and scale. Visit futurebusinesscentre.co.uk
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FUNDING
Local community finance experts explain why the region’s smaller enterprises need more support accessing finance – and how you can help overnment-led banking innovations supporting SMEs have been hitting the headlines. In April, the British Business Bank announced a £300m funding pot to support high-growth firms. In May, the Banking Competition Remedies Fund announced £425m in grants to help challenger banks and FinTech companies establish banking services for SMEs. Just two examples. Good news, right? Not exactly, according to community finance experts Dr Belinda Bell and Katy Ford. “Of the region’s 264,000 enterprises, 99.6% are SMEs and 98.1% are micro and small businesses. They are the lifeblood of our local economy and it’s vital that even the smallest can access funding if they need to,” explains Dr Belinda Bell, programme director for Cambridge Social Ventures, part of Cambridge Judge Business School. “Recent funding initiatives are welcome. Their focus, though, is on high growth, high turnover SMEs. When you consider that 90.6% of East of England businesses turn over less than £1m annually, it’s clear there is still a massive funding gap. Expecting existing or challenger banks to service this market is unrealistic.” Belinda has worked tirelessly on addressing this gap since 2004, when she played a key role in setting up Foundation East. Back then, Foundation East was categorised as a Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI), now more commonly known as Responsible Finance Providers (RFPs). Back then Foundation East was financed by central, regional, local and EU investment. These days it’s increasingly financed by local people and companies with a sense of social justice – and cash
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to spare – investing in its Community Investment Tax relief (CITR) shares. The purpose of Responsible Finance Providers is clear: to support job creation and job sustainability, and to strengthen communities by providing loans and associated services. However they’re financed, their economic impact is clear: in the case of Foundation East, £15 of local economic value is created with every £1 spent supporting enterprises that banks won’t. Social impacts include: improved business and personal finance skills; fulfilment of personal ambition; and less reliance on state benefits and inappropriate, unethical credit methods. Katy Ford, who has worked for Foundation East from day one and as chief executive since 2009, echoes Belinda’s point. “In many ways, our region is privileged. Home to the tech corridor, we are not without private investors. Perhaps because of this, the wider region, largely rural, has missed out on largescale public funds enjoyed by SMEs in the North, Midlands and South West. We do our best to help enterprises with viable business plans that cannot find funding. So far, we’ve lent £10m to over 600 small businesses, creating or saving 1250 jobs. However, without further funding, meeting demand will be tough.” Cambridgeshire companies that have relied on Foundation East include social enterprises Arjun Technologies, BeeBee Wraps, Cambridge Community Arts, Harry Specters, PlayPhysio, Repositive and Sunflowers Care, and micro-businesses Ginibee and Barefoot Pools. “In the case of BeeBee Wraps, the loan enabled a kitchen table start-up to expand production of its plastic-free food wraps, creating one full-time and seven part-time jobs. In the case of Ginibee, an online job-
Of the region’s 264,000 enterprises, 99.6% are SMEs and 98.1% are micro and small businesses. They are the lifeblood of our local economy and it’s vital that even the smallest can access funding if they need to” sharing network, the loan provided working capital to support its founder through the initial trading period, creating a job and saving a job,” Belinda explains. “In spite of diminishing funds, we’re doing all we can to support local SMEs,” concludes Katy. “Local bank branches continue to refer those businesses that they can’t help, usually due to lack of collateral, to us. Also, more and more businesses and individuals who recognise the positive social impact of enabling micro, small and social enterprises to set up and grow in the Eastern region are stepping up to help by investing in our CITR shares. Investors can claim 25% tax relief on their CITR investment over five years. While not risk free, it is less risky than alternative SME lending options, including SEIS, EIS and SITR. It also ensures that the social impact they enable is on the doorstep.” To read Foundation East’s investment prospectus or apply for a loan, visit foundationeast.org
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MOVERS & SHAKERS
WORDS CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS
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Alfy Fowler tells Catalyst how he went from graphic designer to running Cambridge’s muchhyped vegan burger restaurant, DoppleGanger o matter how driven you are, going from working on your own to running a team of people is a challenge: but it’s one that’s relished by young entrepreneur Alfy Fowler, the brains behind Cambridge-based vegan burger restaurant, DoppleGanger. Having started as a pop-up on the roof of the Hills Road office where he’d been working as a full-time graphic designer, Alfy then took his concept forward as a residency at underground bar 2648 – before finding investment and opening a permanent site in January this year, on Regent Street in the heart of Cambridge. DoppleGanger now serves up a menu of plant-based creations seven days a week that use the best of what’s available: as its website proudly proclaims, it’s ‘not junk, just plants’. Diners can choose from classic menu items like air-fried fries or the BBK: a burger packed with miso, lime, Korean barbecue sauce, cucumber and pear – or seasonal specials that come and go as they’re developed by Alfy’s team of chefs. Before opening DoppleGanger, Alfy did his homework, joining Deliveroo as a rider to ‘suss out’ what the service was about, and restaurant owners around the city offered advice to the budding restaurateur. “One bloke said I’d need six months’ cash just to stay alive,” he recalls, “but when I opened at
2648 last year, I paid my personal rent a month ahead from my last pay cheque as a designer, I had £400 cash in my account and my parents got me a fryer for Christmas. That’s what those text messages on the wall of the restaurant are about.” (If you visit DoppleGanger, you’ll see a mural of a conversation on the side of the kitchen.) “I’d better go sell some burgers, otherwise I’m screwed...” he laughs. “Cashflow’s always the killer: but it’s never huge amounts for us. We’ve never not been profitable.” Starting any business is scary, and though the audience was proven thanks to his sell-out pop-ups, it was the strength of the reception to DoppleGanger’s permanent site that took Alfy by surprise. “I’d built up the business in the basement at 2648, tucked away. In those first couple of weeks, on a Monday I was already doing what I’d take in a week in the basement. It was manic. Now it’s levelled out nicely.” Along with investment, Alfy’s benefactors introduced him to a business coach, who’s been slowly adding to the young entrepreneur’s skill set. “They said to me: ‘If you look at share prices every day, it won’t make sense. That’s not the game: the game is to see a trend.’ The staff perceive quietness differently – they’ll go, ‘Oh, it’s been dead today’ – but then you look at the end of
IMAGES DoppleGanger's 'not junk, just plants' approach has proved popular in Cambridge, offering options like the Crunch burger
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You've got to disconnect yourself from the thing you're working on. A lot of your heart goes into cooking, but if you take all the critiques personally, you're not going to be very good at your job. You need to look at the thing as a product of what you made, and take critique on it" the week, and it’s been a good week,” Alfy explains. He’s quick to correct anyone who thinks that opting for vegetables instead of animal proteins has a positive effect on the business’s bottom line. “That’s a misconception,” he jumps in. “Some people assume my costs are really low, but the chefs I’ve got in now – in a normal kitchen they could get in at 9am and prep for lunch, but our staff costs are higher, because you have to do a lot more to a vegetable to get it to taste decent. Time is the cost. Say that mushroom – say that was a bit of lamb: you’d just have to bone it out and it’s a bit of lamb. With the mushroom, you
have to peel ten cloves of garlic, make a paste, chop and roast them for an hour – it’s a lot more labour intensive. Some people go, ‘Oh, £10’s a lot for a vegan burger’, and I’m like: ‘I’m not laughing to the bank here: I wish I were!’ I pay all my staff the living wage and above – I’ll show them the numbers!” And it’s not just healthy food that DoppleGanger’s serving up: Alfy’s aim is for the business environment to be as clean-living as the dishes it serves. “Having a business coach sounds all waffy and American, but it’s about healthy organisations,” he explains. “In your office, there might be a guy sat next to you who you just hate – hate’s a bit strong, but you know what I mean,” he laughs, “and the business coach’s idea is that if you bring all this stuff out into the open, just say it and deal with it, you create an environment where people want to be. Vulnerability’s at the heart of it. When we started out, we did this exercise where we said, as a kid, what our most harrowing experience was. It opens everyone up and it levels the playing field. If you’re all vulnerable, everyone can mess up, everyone can make mistakes – there’s no longer this thing of having to be good. I’ve managed to create quite a calm working environment, and I think the customers
pick up on that – a few of the reviews have mentioned that it’s calm and we look like we know what we’re doing. Whether we actually know what we’re doing, of course...” he smiles. Alfy’s approach to management seems to be working, with the vast majority of the (mainly vegan) staff sticking around and relishing the challenge of opening diners’ eyes. “I tell the chefs: your cooking now is your chance to impress someone with a plant-based diet. The diner could think, ‘Oh, this is bad, and so this whole diet is bad’, but my chefs care so much that they don’t mess it up. A lot of my team are very hardcore – some of them would only date other vegans. A cult, not a business – ‘cult classic, not bestseller’,” he laughs, then explains The Streets lyric that went sailing over my head. “Did you get that reference? It was in the early business plan as well. I don’t think they got it, either…” It seems as though Alfy’s always had an entrepreneurial streak: at university he sold lamps he’d designed himself, and began a breakfast subscription business. However, it’s only with starting this latest business that home truths have come to light. “My lamps were fairly average,” he admits, “but with DoppleGanger, the product’s really good – people come for
IMAGES DoppleGanger serves tasty vegan food, such as the cherry bakewell ch*esecake and the Beet It burger
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it, they want it and that’s it. You can write as many spreadsheets as you want, but at the end of the day, it’s got to be a good product.” When mistakes are made, Alfy’s design background gives him a philosophical stance on improvement. “At college, we were taught you’ve got to disconnect yourself from the thing you’re working on. A lot of your heart goes into design – and the same with cooking as well – but if you take all the critiques personally, you’re not going to be very good at your job. You need to look at the thing as a product of what you made, and take critique on it. If it’s not good, you’ve got to say there and then: it’s not right. Ultimately, we’re putting a burger on a plate. If it’s not good, we’ll redo it.” While working as a designer, Alfy specialised in UX (user experience), which has left him with a unique skill set for creating a restaurant brand. “Design, marketing, any of the dark arts: people only notice they’re bad when they’re bad,” he laughs. “It’s never commented on when it just works. And the idea of scaleability, especially with software, is a massive thing. You can make something here, but then roll it out in every country – and that’s what I used to do, so that’s what I’ve done. What we do in a night now is what we were doing in a week: I look at the tracking app and think, cambridgecatalyst.co.uk
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ABOVE From a rooftop pop-up, to a basement bar, to a busy burger restaurant – Alfy Fowler's hard work has paid off
‘OK, if that was five restaurants, that’d be five times as much. And then ten restaurants… that’d be a lot.” But it’s not all about the bottom line. Like many entrepreneurs, Alfy’s not entirely driven by profit. “I don’t do it because of money: it’s a feeling of accomplishment. There are some people who go to work, get their pay cheque, look forward to the weekend, that’s what they do. Whereas, I think people who do their own thing don’t get the same satisfaction from going into work to get a pay cheque. The money’s a nice part of it, but it’s the entrepreneurial bit of it – it’s not identifiable as ‘I want to be wealthy’.”
Alongside Alfy’s matter-of-fact approach to management, he’s also sincere about the possibility that his restaurant can make an actual difference to individuals – and to the planet. “There’s no rosy nonsense about it,” he says. “If someone eats 12 burgers a year, but they have three of ours, then I’ve actually made a difference. That’s what annoys me about design: we can make better equipment for disabled people, but it’s completely inaccessible because it costs tens of thousands of pounds. But we can make a burger, and if Mr Meat chooses to come to us, then we’ve actually... done something.”
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WORDS MATTHEW GOODING
TECH BYTES
The latest news and updates from the Cambridge Cluster
GRAPHCORE EXPANDS INTO CAMBRIDGE Britain’s newest $1bn tech unicorn is to create 500 new jobs in Cambridge, as chipmaker Graphcore expands into the city as part of its ambition to build a global technology company supporting innovation in machine intelligence. It is currently weighing up several options for the location of its new Cambridge centre, but has already started hiring across a range of positions. Nigel Toon, CEO and co-founder of Graphcore, said, “Cambridge is world-leading when it comes to machine intelligence innovation and silicon and software engineering, so it’s only natural that we expand to the city as we seek to grow and hire the best talent. Our ambition is for the IPU to become the worldwide standard for AI compute. We’re building an exceptional team to help us do that, and we’re excited to unlock more potential in Cambridge.”
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Founded in 2016, Graphcore has developed a new type of processor specifically designed for machine learning and artificial intelligence applications. It has already proved popular with customers, and highvolume production is ramping up to meet customer demand for its IPU PCIe processor cards. The company hit unicorn status in December when it raised over $300m from backers including BMW, Microsoft, Bosch, Dell and Samsung Electronics. The funding round valued the company at $1.7bn. Other investors include some familiar names from the Cambridge Cluster, such as Demis Hassabis, who co-founded DeepMind, now owned by Google, and Zoubin Ghahramani, a Cambridge University academic and chief scientist at Uber. Hermann Hauser’s Amadeus Capital Partners also have a stake in the company.
Nigel Toon and Simon Knowles, co-founders of Britain's newest tech unicorn Graphcore, which is poised to expand into Cambridge. cambridgecatalyst.co.uk
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TECH BYTES
AI HEALTHCARE FROM BIOS
Graphcore has developed a new type of processor specifically designed for machine learning and artificial intelligence applications. It has already proved popular with customers and high-volume production is ramping up" cambridgecatalyst.co.uk
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Artificial Intelligence-based treatments could offer a credible alternative to pills when it comes to dealing with chronic conditions such as heart disease. That’s the claim from Cambridge startup Bios, after it completed a study using AI to detect neural signals that regulate physical biomarkers in the body. Bios, a specialist in neural engineering (or plugging computers into brains) believes the results could open the door for a new generation of AI-based healthcare treatments known as neuroceuticals. By adapting signals from the brain directly, neuroceuticals offer the ability to potentially create targeted and more effective treatments than conventional medicine. Development has been hindered by the speed and accuracy at which scientists could discover and recreate the exact neural signal patterns, or
biomarkers, capable of affecting our health. The data is extremely complex, and you need a lot of it to accurately pick out the relevant biomarkers. To speed up this process, Bios created a neural data biomarker discovery platform, which can connect directly into the brain via a neural interface. The system also features a deep learning-based AI system able to identify important biomarkers from the data it receives. In the pre-clinical study, the Bios team recorded the neural data alongside physiological signals generated through more traditional methods such as heart rate and blood pressure. This allowed the firm to secure and synchronise months of continuous neural and physiological data – enough for its AI engine to observe and identify persistent neural biomarkers and their relation to changes in organ function. Oliver Armitage, chief scientific officer at Bios, co-founded the business with fellow Cambridge graduate Emil Hewage. Armitage says, “This is the first time we’ve been able to understand the ‘language’ of the nerves as the basis for delivering treatment. We knew we could stimulate a nerve to treat an organ in a similar fashion to conventional medicine, but this gives us the capability to understand and communicate with the nerves and organs directly, so treatments can be made to respond to them in real time.” See bios.health for more information.
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TECH BYTES
ARCUS ACCELERATES GROWTH PLANS Anyone who has worked in the public sector will testify that the IT equipment available isn’t always cutting edge, so it’s no surprise that Cambridge company Arcus Global has found a lucrative market helping local authorities to upgrade. Arcus, which specialises in GovTech or digital transformation in the public sector, has raised an additional £2.5m in Series A funding to help accelerate its growth plans. The cash, which takes
Outdated legacy systems are holding back the organisations in the public sector. Arcus Global is making great steps to help drive true digital transformation"
Science Group has pulled the plug on a potential takeover of Cambridge firm Frontier Smart Technologies. The two companies had been in talks over a deal, which would have seen Science Group pay 30p per share for a controlling interest in Frontier, a pioneer in technologies for digital radio and the Internet of Things. But in a statement, Science Group – which owns Cambridge product development business Sagentia – said a lack of progress in discussions meant the deal was now off.
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the total raised in the round to £5.5m, will be used to accelerate the growth of the business and continue investment in its transformative product portfolio, including further development of Arcus’ local government software platform and recently launched AI-powered voice solution, Arcus Answer. Existing investors, led by YFM Equity Partners, provided the majority of the funding. Eamon Nolan, partner at YFM Equity Partner, said: “Outdated legacy systems are holding back the organisations in the public sector. Arcus Global is making great steps to help drive true digital transformation with leading local authorities, universities and the NHS across the UK, and we are excited about the positive impact this has and what Arcus is set up to achieve over the next few years.” The last financial year saw Arcus deliver revenue of £13m, representing
Investors have put an additional $24m into Prowler.io, a Cambridge company behind a novel AI decision-making engine. The cash takes the company’s valuation to $100m, and backers include Chinese tech giant Tencent. Prowler’s Vuku system is already being applied to managing logistics decisions, allocating resources and assisting financial decisions in asset management. It could have a host of other applications including smart city and autonomous vehicle management. Vishal Chatrath, CEO of Prowler.io, said: “This investment is a huge sign of confidence in our efforts to be at the forefront of how enterprises use machines.”
34% year-on-year growth. Denis Kaminskiy, CEO and co-founder of Arcus Global, added, “This new investment from existing shareholders is a huge sign of confidence in the execution of our strategy to deliver innovative cloud solutions to enable the digital transformation of the public sector. “Their continued support is an endorsement of the rapid progress we’re making in disrupting the GovTech software market.”
Owlstone Medical is working with Actelion, part of the Jansson pharmaceutical group, on a breath test for lung condition pulmonary hypertension. The two firms will use Owlstone’s ReCIVA device to collect samples from 1000 people and try to identify Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) on the breath of patients, which indicate the disease. ReCIVA was developed by Cambridgebased Owlstone to detect VOCs that indicate cancer, and the novel device is now being applied to several other diseases.
Leading lights from the green technology sector will descend on Cambridge on 10 July for Cambridge Cleantech’s annual conference. The event at the Trinity Centre focuses on the role of clean growth, innovation and sustainability. Thought leaders from government, industry and academia will discuss the future of cleantech and its pivotal role in clean growth, industrial strategy, innovation and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. See cambridgecleantech.org.uk to book a place.
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EDUCATION
Alison Taylor, founder of FXP Festival and managing director of Conscious Communications, discusses educating and engaging young people in the video games industry right here in Cambridge n 2018, Cambridge topped the Centre for Cities league table as Britain’s least equal city: Cambridge has the sixth highest average weekly earnings of any city in the UK, while within a 45-mile radius of the same city, one in ten households earns less than £16,518 per year. On top of this, Cambridge has the fifth lowest score in the Social Mobility Index of all authorities nationally, based on outcomes for young people in terms of educational attainment, employment and the housing market. Less than a third of pupils who receive free school meals will achieve five or more GCSEs at grades 4-9 (A*-C). Inequality in our city is an extremely complex issue, but one of the ways we can help to drive social mobility in Cambridge is through education – educating young people about the industry and opportunities around them, and teaching them the ways in which they can, one day, be part of it. In 2016, Conscious Communications partnered with North Cambridge Academy, Cambridge Regional College and Jagex to establish FXP Festival – a free educational initiative designed to encourage young people to engage with their Computer Science lessons
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by challenging them to programme or design a video game, working in teams, over the period of a weekend. In our first year we had around 100 students attend in teams of five, from a number of schools and colleges across East Anglia, and this number has increased year on year. We quickly discovered that FXP was about more than just computer science and games: participating students develop valuable teamwork and communication skills; have the opportunity to demonstrate outstanding creativity; and, importantly, are enabled to develop important connections with exciting local businesses. Over the years we have secured support and funding from a host of local organisations, including Jagex, ARM, YoYo Games, Hacklab, Microsoft, Anglia Ruskin University and Cambridge University Press, many of which have also supported the initiative with the provision of industry mentors throughout the festival weekend. As well as learning about games development, students participating in FXP Festival have the opportunity to quiz industry professionals about their jobs, and are able to discover the variety of career paths available in their surrounding city.
“Supporting FXP is enormously important for us at Jagex as part of our community work, but also from a recruitment perspective. Every year I love spending the weekend at FXP, mentoring the students, discovering their fantastic ideas and seeing these ideas come to life when we finally judge the games. Following the festival, we are always more than happy to welcome the winning teams for an afternoon at Jagex. It is fantastic to be able to inspire creative minds as young as 13 or 14 years old, and to give them an insight into careers in the games development industry.” Mark Ogilvie, Design director at Jagex
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EDUCATION
FXP is an exciting weekend for all of us at CRC. My colleagues and I love the buzz as students get their heads down in our games development studio. It’s a lot of running around for us, as teams need help with programming issues or are unsure how to do something – but the students are learning constantly: learning new software, learning what makes a good game, and learning what they’re capable of.” Chris Baker, course lead – Level 3 Games Development, Cambridge Regional College
Each year, Jagex offers a prize to our winning teams in each category (Games Development FE, Games Development Year 8 to Year 11, Games Concept FE, Games Concept Year 8 to Year 11) where teams are invited to visit Jagex for an afternoon to see first-hand how the games development studio operates. Jagex as a company, and Mark Ogilvie, Jagex’s Design Director, have been fundamental in FXP’s success with the provision of knowledge, insights and experiences such as this. Arm has also been a big supporter of FXP Festival since the beginning, and the company’s involvement has had a real impact on participating students. For example, in 2016, Chloe L. (Year 9) was studying Computer Science at North Cambridge Academy (NCA). She enjoyed the subject and was entered by her teacher as part of a school team. For Chloe, the last day of FXP was the best, when participants met industry mentors. She said the experience with FXP was ‘truly inspiring’ as it gave her a good idea of the direction she wanted to take in her career. She knew she didn’t want to make computer games for a living, but enjoyed programming and was interested in figuring out how to make things work. Following her experiences cambridgecatalyst.co.uk
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and connections made at FXP, Chloe secured a one-week work experience placement at Arm, during which she met many different people from a variety of business units, finding out what their roles entail, learning about their individual career paths and watching them at work. This helped Chloe to understand the different options that might be available to her in the future. Chloe is a shining example of how FXP can help young people, and girls in particular, to understand and realise their career aspirations in areas of technology. More recently, following FXP 2018, we invited participating Year 9 students to enter into a special Arm Extended Challenge, which ran from January to March 2019. During this time students were challenged to work individually to come up with an innovative app idea to solve a specific Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). A host of clever entries were received, and three students – one from NCA and two from Chesterton Community College – who really stood out have been offered a coveted place on Arm’s work experience programme this July. As well as the technical skills developed at FXP, it's inspiring to see the incredible creative thinking and artwork that
the young people produce over the weekend. FXP was originally formed with two categories: Games Development, where students are tasked with building an original game; and Games Concept, where students are asked to map out and design the concept of an original game. Those entering the Concept category must present their game idea as clearly and creatively as possible on a storyboard, often drawing scenes and characters. FXP is just one small example of how industry and education can work together to broaden the horizons of young people in our community, while enabling them to develop important skills for the future. We have a long way to go before Cambridge’s equality gap can begin to close, but with more companies realising that communityand education-focused CSR initiatives are about more than just ticking boxes, the train has certainly left the station. FXP 2019, 6-8 July at the Rizing Games studios at Cambridge Regional College. Open to schools, colleges, home school groups and out-of-school clubs across East Anglia. For more information, email joanna.colley@ consciouscomms.com
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SPACE EXPLORATION
We explore Cambridgeshire’s top business spaces, from co-working hubs and start-up incubators to conference venues and meeting rooms
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SPACE EXPLORATION
WHAT’S IT GOT? A cutting-edge, unique and exciting office space in close proximity to the Cambridge science and technology cluster and an existing thriving business community IS IT FOR ME? Looking to scale up in great company? This brand-new space is ideal HOW MUCH? £25-27.50 per square foot, with common breakout space and amenities included
THE WORKS AT UNITY CAMPUS Regenerating a dilapidated former industrial site, Unity Campus is Howard Group's impressive new 260,000-sqft business park, geared towards meeting the needs of the thriving south Cambridge tech cluster. Located just outside the village of Sawston, the campus aims to "connect people, businesses, ideas and places through intelligent master-planning, strategic building design and through the provision of common amenity and shared public realm." It's off to a flying start, having so far attracted growth businesses including GetBusy, Telensa, Iontas, Biocair and Aqdot.
The space has been designed with connection and collaboration at its core, providing flexible office and meeting space, plus inspiring breakout areas and amenities" cambridgecatalyst.co.uk
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The first phase to be released is The Works, which boasts striking architecture, grade A infrastructure and 63,000 square feet of flexible, modern space. Created by worldrenowned architects NBBJ, the space has been designed with connection and collaboration at its core, providing flexible office and meeting space, plus inspiring breakout areas and other amenities. The glazed, double-height central ‘street’ runs through the building, providing a natural light-filled space to meet, share ideas and relax with likeminded people and businesses. Another big draw is the chance to escape the increasingly clogged up Cambridge traffic – surrounding road networks offer easy access to the M11, A11 and A14, plus there’s a multistorey car park with 700 spaces. For those looking to commute by bike, the development offers access all the way to central Cambridge using off-road cycle paths, and 670 dedicated cycle parking spaces to choose from once you get there. The campus is just a few minutes away from Whittlesford Parkway train station, too, which is well-served by regular trains running to Cambridge and London. unitycampus.co.uk
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SPACE EXPLORATION
INCUBYTE Based at Cambridge Innovation Park, Incubyte is a co-working hub and business incubator for tech-based companies and entrepreneurs. With private offices, hot-desking options and co-working packages available, this 20,000-sq-ft space is ideal for start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs who have the potential to grow rapidly. But the space is much more than an empty shell: it’s designed to be a lively, creative environment for companies that value a social and collaborative approach, offering access to mentors, workshops and talks with business leaders. Incubyte’s mission is all about nurturing a close network of innovative entrepreneurs working across a range of tech sectors, supporting their development to help them flourish into successful businesses. It seems to be succeeding so far, recently getting a nod in the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed (IPSE) Freelancer Awards in London, at which Incubyte was selected as runner-up for the Co-Working Space of the Year award. "We love what we do, making a better working lifestyle for freelancers and small and early stage companies,", enthused Incubyte founder Rob Precious. "Its great to receive recognition from such an amazing
organisation that represents those that would be our members!” The community so far includes Tactful.ai, a virtual shopping assistance platform that uses artificial intelligence to help merchants expand sales and boost conversion across digital channels, plus Seso Global, which uses blockchain technology to solve the inability of secured lending and land ownership in emerging economies. Members receive a personalised programme of mentoring and professional expertise designed to give them a competitive edge, as well as the tools to thrive. The facilities and amenities are top-notch, from a new on-site gym and coffee shop to expansive landscaped gardens and lawns, which are perfect for a bit of blue-sky thinking. Nursery childcare facilities are in the works for later this year, too, making it ideal for those with families. Location-wise, the Waterbeach site is well-positioned for travel by road, with the Park's northern campus (West and South are launching soon) providing easy access on to the A10 and A14. There’s ample free parking on site, and you'll be safely out of the way of the daily gridlock of Cambridge's congested roads. It’s also reachable by rail, too, through Waterbeach’s own train station, with direct routes to Stansted Airport and London King’s Cross, as well as being 3.5 miles from Cambridge Science Park and St John’s Innovation Centre.
WHAT’S IT GOT? Flexible office lets, modern meeting rooms with sit-stand desks and a variety of co-working packages to suit your budget. Amenities include on-site gym and cafe IS IT FOR ME? Perfect for freelancers, start-ups or growing businesses with a need for deskspace with budgetfriendly, flexible terms HOW MUCH? Hotdesk packages available from £125pcm and flexible office space starts at £500pcm
A lively, creative environment for companies that value a social and collaborative approach"
incubyte.biz
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SPACE EXPLORATION
WHAT’S IT GOT? Meeting rooms, office lets and flexible co-working options, plus regular networking meet-ups IS IT FOR ME? If you want a great location and the chance to become part of CB1’s impressive roster of businesses, check it out HOW MUCH? A desk for the day can be yours for as little as £10
CB1 BUSINESS CENTRE Part of the gleaming new gateway to Cambridge, Brookgate’s CB1 development is the epicentre of the regeneration of the station area. Bolstering the city’s status as a thriving tech and professional services hub, it has attracted global corporations such as Amazon, Samsung, Microsoft and Deloitte, and will eventually provide 650,000-sq-ft of new office space. At 20 Station Road is the CB1 Business Centre, which offers serviced offices, co-working, virtual office services and meeting rooms for hire. Just a few steps away from the train station – London King’s Cross is a 45-minute ride – the centre is operated by Mantle, which also runs the Officers’ Mess in Duxford. Location is a big draw, as is the high-spec, modern office fit-out inside, and proximity to plenty of good eateries outside. The office space is fully serviced
and ready to go, with desks and tech part of the package, or you can cowork for as little as £10 a day. Virtual services, meanwhile, including call answering and a business address, can be yours for £45 per month, keeping your business running smoothly and looking professional from afar. There’s also a range of meeting rooms for hire with all the mod cons: ideal if you need a centrally located spot for interviews, meetings, receptions or conferences. Part of Mantle’s mission is
contributing to the fizzing local ecosystem through encouraging tenants to network and collaborate both with each other and with other businesses in the city. To this end, the team hosts regular meet-ups at the centres, providing valuable opportunities to make connections, hear speakers from a variety of sectors and enjoy a great breakfast. The next events for your diary take place on 30 July at the Officers’ Mess and 20 September at CB1 Business Centre.
mantlebusinesscentres.co.uk
Location is a big draw, as is the high-spec, modern office fit-out inside, and proximity to plenty of good eateries outside" cambridgecatalyst.co.uk
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LITTLE LUXURIES
What’s hot and happening in the local events calendar
SUMMER AT THE MUSEUMS There’s plenty for inquisitive minds to learn and discover during Summer at the Museums, running 25 July to 3 September. Organised by University of Cambridge Museums, it features more than 140 family-friendly activities in total, ranging from trails to storytelling and performances, plus interactive workshops. Explore the world of dinosaurs at Ely Museum, learn more about climate change at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, or visit the Centre for Computing History – with its treasure trove of retro tech – which is hosting various fun coding workshops. Visit the website for the full programme.
MOVIES ON THE MEADOWS Cambridge’s original cinema experience, Movies on the Meadows, returns to its usual idyllic spot in Grantchester this August bank holiday. A prelude to Cambridge Film Festival, the events take place over the course of four nights, screening a total of 12 films, which range from current blockbusters to classic family films. Beamed out across the meadows on giant inflatable screens, over 3000 film-lovers enjoy the screenings each year, making it the largest outdoor cinema event in the country – and 2019 is set to be the biggest and best yet. Catch Mary Poppins Returns, Bohemian Rhapsody, Dr Strangelove, Avengers: Endgame and more between 23 and 26 August, plus tuck into street food under the stars. Adult tickets £16, available now.
museums.cam.ac.uk
cambridgefilmfestival.org.uk
A BIT OF THE BARD The lawns of Cambridge become a stage this month when the annual Shakespeare Festival returns from 8 July to 24 August. Taking place in some of Cambridge University’s most beautiful college gardens, the festival has been enthralling audiences with timeless tales of romance and tragedy for over 30 years. The programme sees four plays running 8 to 27 July, before switching to the second leg with four new offerings in late July and August. Act one sees Cambridge Shakespeare Festival favourite, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, bring fairies, forests, magic and mysticism to St cambridgecatalyst.co.uk
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GENOME LATES John’s College, while A Winter’s Tale serves a cold slice of suspicion and obsession (and a bear) to Downing College. We meet up with Falstaff and the rest of the gang in Henry IV Part 1 at Robinson College, while Hamlet’s spiral of self-torment and madness will play out against the really rather lovely backdrop of King’s College’s gardens. Up for Act two will be The Tempest (Trinity College), Much Ado About Nothing (St John’s), Henry IV Part 2 (Robinson College), and As You Like It (King’s College). Adult tickets are £17 cambridgeshakespeare.com
Home to some of the most innovative genomics and biodata companies in the world, Wellcome Genome Campus is opening its doors for a special series of after-hours events over the coming months. Taking place on 2 August and 6 September, Genome Lates are your chance to explore the campus, drink in hand, hearing about the latest discoveries in genomics and chatting to scientists about their work. There’s also an exhibition to see, plus a puzzlesolving challenge to get stuck into. Entry is free but booking is required. wellcomegenomecampus.org
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TRAVEL
Charlotte Griffiths finds stunning sights and fab food less than four hours from Stansted
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orocco’s second city is the absolute perfect location for anyone in need of a total break from Cambridge: Marrakech is geographically close (the flight from Stansted Airport only takes three and a half hours) but culturally, it’s entire worlds away. Time your flights right and you could start your day with a coffee in Cambridge’s Market Square and finish it drinking spiced tea in the Djemaa El Fna, Marrakech’s central gathering space that’s seen storytellers, tradespeople and food-sellers ply their wares every evening since 1070 AD – just under 200 years before the founding of the University of Cambridge. Now that’s a commute worth boasting about. One of the other joys of a journey to Marrakech is the variety of accommodation on offer. To the north of the city lies the Palmeraie, where the big all-inclusive hotels can be found: if you’re wrung out and urgently need to recharge your batteries, or are travelling with small children and nervous about the manic energy of the Medina (Marrakech’s medieval centre) there are always mega-cheap deals at these hotels that provide easy, no-fuss breaks in the sun and regular shuttles to the heart of the city – don’t turn your nose up at them. If you’re ready to live more like a local (in some cases, a local king or cambridgecatalyst.co.uk
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queen), then a riad – the Arabic word for a house with rooms around a courtyard – is a fantastic way to engage more with the culture. Riads are available to suit all budgets: you can save your pennies with private rooms costing just £20 per night, or splurge at the luxury end of the scale in boutique riads, such as the exquisite El Fenn, owned by Vanessa Branson (Richard Branson's sister). Find a good riad and you’re set for life: their staff can recommend activities, arrange adventures, rescue you from the Medina if you get lost and serve you
© CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS
© CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS
refreshing mint tea in the afternoon. Riad 72 is recommended: two impeccably decorated courtyards (soon to be expanded to a third, with a pool) and just 12 air-conditioned rooms, plus the highest roof terrace in town – it’s ideally located for quick dives into the centre, combined with lazy rooftop lounging. Once settled in your room, it’s time to head into the city. No matter how hot it might be, covering your shoulders and legs is not only respectful of the local Muslim culture, but will make you look like a chic expat: sporting a loose shirt
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and trousers or sleeved maxi dress will allow you to move through the souks – the central marketplaces – without too much hassle from stallholders. If you’re heading to Marrakech for a long weekend, there are a few cultural sights you must throw into the mix: Le Jardin Majorelle was the home of Yves Saint Laurent, and is now open to the public. Head there to enjoy the botanical collection, blue-painted walls and newly opened museum dedicated to the designer’s work. A trip to the south of the city continues the fashion theme at the stunning El Badi Palace, a ruined complex of royal buildings that hosted Dior’s latest show. If you have a thing for zellige – traditional Moroccan mosaic tiles – don’t miss the Bahia Palace’s exquisite interiors. Round off your adventure at Le Jardin Secret, a recently restored garden that’s an excellent retreat from the hubbub of the Medina. Handily, directly opposite the entrance to Le Jardin Secret is Cafe Arabe, one of the only bars in the centre of the city. Make your way up to the roof terrace and order a bottle of the super-cheap Moroccan house wine, accompanied by the world’s finest breadsticks: spindly, salty and irresistible. Stay in your seat to hear the sunset Maghrib call to prayer from Marrakech’s many mosques, and watch clouds of swifts race across the rose-pink sky. Hungry? Braving the evening food sellers found in the Djemaa El Fna is a rite of passage, but the food can be all mouth and no trousers: you’re better off seeking out some of the superb eateries dotted around the Medina, or taking up
© CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS
Head to the Souk Kafe for tangy, sour and butter-rich preserved lemon and chicken tagine, served with the fluffiest couscous" your riad’s offer to serve you a homemade feast. Head to the Souk Kafe for tangy, sour and butter-rich preserved lemon and chicken tagine, served with the fluffiest couscous; reserve a table at Terrasse des Epices for refined wickercovered lamp-lit feasting, or head to its stylish sister restaurant Nomad for a more contemporary take on Moroccan cuisine. In the daytime, tiptoe around tortoises while tucking into falafel on the
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LEFT Make sure you leave room in your suitcase for all the unique finds from the souks
rooftop terrace of the Henna Cafe, or enjoy delicious slow-roasted lamb on Mechoui Alley, near the olive souk: be brave, order enough for two and smother it with the provided heap of cumin salt. If your budget can stretch to a hammam – either within your riad, or at one of the stand-alone spas around the city – this is the perfect way to deepclean away the stresses of everyday life. You’ll be led into a darkened room where you’ll be ritually steamed, slathered in mud, rinsed, scrubbed vigorously from head to toe (keep an eye out for the horrifying grey dirt lifted off your skin), then oiled to emerge blinking and cleaner than you’ve ever been in your life. Whatever’s left in your wallet after eating, drinking and scrubbing can easily be spent in the souks: you’ll wind up laden with butter-soft leather slippers, embroidered rugs, unique antique jewellery, cheerful ceramics of all shapes and sizes, and at least one battered silver teapot. Haggling is expected: keep the exchange rate in mind as prices are batted back and forth. Nose through the almost-hidden door of Mustapha Blaoui (near Riad 72) to marvel at this multi-storeyed, chandeliered cathedral of Moroccan interiors, recently recommended by Gwyneth Paltrow (and priced accordingly). Marrakech’s year-round warmth, super-cheap flights, staggering shopping, evocative dining experiences and indulgent spa treatments – all wrapped up in a city that’s changed little since it was first founded – make it an irresistible destination for a quick break from dayto-day life in grey Britain. cambridgecatalyst.co.uk
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