10 Cambridge AI spinouts
AI has the potential to solve some of the world's most pressing challenges.
But to make that happen, we need people who can turn that potential into a reality.
The University's innovation arm, Cambridge Enterprise, helps brilliant researchers start new ventures that take AI out of the lab and into the real world. Their aim is to address some of our most intractable problems, such as hard-to-treat diseases and the climate emergency.
Meet 10 of these spinouts, all hoping to harness the potential of AI for the good of the planet and its people.
Cambridge Vision Technology
Screening for Alzheimer's using AI and retinal imaging
"Carbon Vision Technology's success will transform how we detect and manage Alzheimer's.
"By enabling early diagnosis through a simple eye exam, we empower individuals to take control of their health, access timely interventions, and improve their quality of life.
"This technology has the potential to revolutionise healthcare systems worldwide, reducing the burden of Alzheimer's on individuals, families and society as a whole."
Dr Andrew Kadis, Co-founder, Cambridge Vision Technology
Department of Engineering
Carbon Re
AI-powered industrial decarbonisation
“Carbon Re is connecting the biggest challenge of our time, climate change, with the biggest opportunity, advances in AI.
"We have built a technology that directly reduces CO2 emissions today and is helping the industries that literally support our modern world - cement, steel, glass, transition to a net-zero future.
"Our mission is to have gigatonnes of impact, starting with kilotonnes of real-world reductions today. With each evolution of our product, we move closer to achieving that goal.”
Dr Daniel Summerbell, Co-founder and CSO, Carbon Re
Department of Engineering
CardiaTec Biosciences
Developing next-generation cardiovascular treatments with AI
"CardiaTec is redefining cardiovascular drug discovery by taking a radically different approach. Powered by our network of more than 65 hospitals across the US and the UK, we are building the largest proprietary human heart tissue multiomics dataset.
"By integrating insights across genetics, gene expression, epigenetics, and proteomics, we aim to construct a comprehensive understanding of disease mechanisms, paving the way for first-in-class therapeutics."
Thelma Zablocki, Co-founder and COO, CardiaTec
MPhil in Bioscience Enterprise
Other academic co-founders: Raphael Peralta, CEO
MPhil in Bioscience Enterprise,
Professor Namshik Han, CTO
Milner Therapeutics Institute
Concr
Transforming cancer care with astrophysics AI
“The uncertainty of knowing whether a treatment will be effective for a cancer patient is one of the cruellest and most damaging aspects of the disease.
Concr was founded to directly address that problem. Our cutting-edge technology integrates oncology research and clinical data to simulate cancer biology, enabling precise therapeutic predictions with minimal diagnostic input.
Our mission is to give more confidence to patients, clinicians, and drug developers in understanding whether and how their treatment will be effective to help each individual receive treatment that works best for them.”
Dr Matthew Griffiths, Co-founder and CTO, Concr
Department of Physics
Intellegens
AI-powered innovation for more efficient R&D
"Machine learning is transforming R&D by enabling faster, more efficient innovation. Traditional experimentation is slow and costly, often limited by the sheer complexity of materials, chemicals, and life sciences research.
"With advanced AI, we can extract deep insights from existing data, guiding researchers toward the best solutions with fewer experiments. This accelerates discovery, reduces costs, and allows for breakthroughs that would otherwise take years.
"Our roots in the University of Cambridge drive us to push the boundaries of AI in science and engineering, ensuring that machine learning becomes a fundamental tool for the next generation of researchers and innovators."
Dr Gareth Conduit, Co-founder and CTO, Intellegens
Department of Physics
Matnex
Discovering sustainable materials with AI and quantum mechanics
"The clock is ticking in the fight against climate change. At Matnex, we're united by a vision of green cities powered by clean energy, and we see novel sustainable materials as the most impactful way to get there.
"We're revolutionising materials discovery, replacing the expensive, decades-long, status quo with our AI- and quantum mechanics-powered approach to deliver rapid, cost-effective innovation, enabling the sustainable future that we urgently need, and may otherwise never see."
Dr Robert Forrest, Co-founder and CTO, Matnex
Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy
Academic co-founder and CEO:
Dr Jonathan Bean, Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy:
PharmEnable
At the frontier of small molecule medicines
“Small molecule therapeutics have been the front-runner in drug discovery for centuries. Today, however, there has been an explosion of new drug modalities and small molecules risk being overlooked.
"At PharmEnable, we want to make small molecules shine again by pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with a small-molecule medicine.
"We are using AI to discover and develop novel small molecules with new properties to provide patients with safer and more effective treatments that can be taken from the comfort of their homes.”
Dr Hannah Sore, Co-founder and CEO, PharmEnable
Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry
Prospectral
Extracting more data from light
“With the right datasets, vision algorithms have immense potential to unlock insights that the human eye, and conventional cameras, can’t detect.
"These include optimising agricultural yields or advancing environmental monitoring to enhancing healthcare diagnostics or ensuring product quality.
"Prospectral’s mission is to democratise the technology that collects and processes this data, with scalable, ultra-compact camera modules that interface with computer vision in a fundamentally more efficient way.”
Gwenhivir Wyatt-Moon, Co-founder and CEO, Prospectral
Department of Engineering
Other academic co-founders: Thomas Albrow-Owen, CTO, Dr Oliver Burton, CSO and Dr Peter Christopher, CIO, all Department of Engineering
RoboK
Making industrial workplaces safer with AI-driven vision technology
“At RoboK, we’re all about helping people on the ground work safely and with confidence. Our AI-powered computer vision technology transforms existing CCTV into a smart tool that supports workers, not watches them.
"By providing useful insights, we help teams stay aware of potential risks, prevent incidents, and create a safer, more efficient workplace. We believe technology should empower people, and we’re committed to using AI responsibly to support those who keep industries running.”
Hao Zheng, Co-founder and CEO, RoboK
Faculty of Economics
Other academic co-founders: Liangchuan Gu and Chao Gao, Department of Computer Science and Technology
xWatts
Optimising systems and operations through AI
“Now more than ever, commercial and industrial businesses need to focus on improving their energy management.
"Running their buildings accounts for 30% of global final energy consumption and 26% of global energy-related emissions.
"xWatts is uniquely positioned to help businesses significantly reduce carbon emissions whilst also making their operations more profitable.”
Alexander Allen, Co-founder, xWatts
Department of Engineering
Academic co-founder:
Yigit Akar, CEO
MBA, Cambridge Judge Business School
Published April 2025
The text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Founders and their Colleges
Dr Andrew Kadis: Clare Hall (2018)
Daniel Summerbell: Gonville & Caius (2006)
Thelma Zablocki: Selwyn College (2020)
Matthew Griffiths: Trinity College (2009)
Gareth Conduit: Selwyn College (2002)
Robert Forrest: Girton College (2018)
Hannah Sore: Gonville & Caius (2006)
Thomas Albrow-Owen: Queens (2014)
Oliver Burton: Fitzwilliam (2015)
Peter Christopher: Peterhouse (2016)
Hao Zheng: King's College (2016)
Yigit Akar: Hughes Hall (2018)
Images
Banner: Getty Images. Credit: dlewis33
Cambridge Vision Technology: Getty Images. Credit: Andriy Onufriyenko
Carbon Re: Getty Images. Credit: Wirestock
CardiaTec Biosciences: Getty Images. Credit: ArtemisDiana
Concr: credit: Concr
Intellegens: Getty Images. Credit: your_photo
Matnex: Credit: Matnex
PharmEnable: Credit: PharmEnable
Prospectral: Credit: Ryo Mizuta Graphics
RoboK: Getty images. Credit: Nitat Termmee
xWatts: Getty Images. Credit: Mint Images
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