The 24-strong cohort has been revealed for the first-ever startup incubator programme from the University of Cambridge’s King’s College.
Launched by King’s Entrepreneurship Lab and Founders at the University of Cambridge, the SPARK incubator aims to provide mentorship, practical training, venture-building and networking support to companies born from Cambridge research.
Among the two-dozen startups set to participate in the first iteration of SPARK are Zenithon AI, which is supporting the advancement of nuclear fusion, Med Arcade, an AI copilot for GPs and GreenHarvest, a data-driven agtech firm using satellites and climate data to predict crop yields.
“Cambridge has been responsible for many world-changing discoveries, but entrepreneurship isn’t the first thought of most people studying here,” said Kamiar Mohaddes, co-founder and director of King’s Entrepreneurship Lab.
“Driving economic growth requires inspiring the next generation to think boldly about how their ideas can shape industries and society.”
The four-week programme will launch from the end of August, with each participant receiving specialised support from mentors and the opportunity to pitch for a £20,000 investment at a demo day.
“Cambridge is aiming to double its tech and science output in the next decade – matching what it achieved in the past 20 years,” said Gerard Grech, managing director at Founders at the University of Cambridge.
“That ambition starts at the grassroots. The energy from the students, postgraduates and alumni is clear, and with tech contributing £159bn to the UK economy and three million jobs, building transformative businesses is one of the most powerful ways to make an impact.”