Managed and delivered by Cambridgeshire PR company, Cofinitive, the #21TOWATCH Awards shine a light on innovations, companies and entrepreneurs across the East of England. The shortlist is decided by Cofinitive and the award sponsors and partners.
Among the people on the shortlist, Alicia Showering, CEO of BugBiome, is currently an inventor contributing to the Cambridge Judge Entrepreneurship Centre’s EnterpriseTECH programme. Mark Golab, co-founder of Cambridge Surgical Models (CSM), was a delegate on our biotech-themed Venture Creation course, sponsored by AstraZeneca, in Oct 2023, and is currently an inventor on EnterpriseTECH.
Recognised on the companies list is the anti-aging startup, ClockBio. Co-founders of ClockBio, Dr Koby Baranes and Dr Joana Tavares are alumni of our EnterpriseTECH programme and current postdoctoral fellows at the University of Cambridge. Opto Biosystems, an advanced diagnostics and therapeutics company, has also made the list. Its co-founder and CEO, Dr Ben Woodington, is an alumnus of EnterpriseTECH Star. In addition, Elise Jenkins, co-founder of Opto Biosystems, was crowned Woman Entrepreneur of the Year at the annual Business Weekly Awards in 2023, a category sponsored by Cambridge Judge Entrepreneurship Centre. Vector Bioscience, currently participating in Accelerate Cambridge Plus, has been recognised for its platform technology to develop tailored drug delivery and enhanced treatments for cancer.
Included as one of the influential innovations or ‘things’ is Supersense Technologies, a startup which is currently being supported by Accelerate Cambridge. Supersense has developed a remote monitoring system to allow people living with dementia stay living at home.
We would like to offer our congratulations to all of our students, alumni and startups on being recognised for the way they and their innovations are influencing not only the region but also the sectors in which they work. It is very rewarding to see entrepreneurs, researchers and scientists supported by Cambridge Judge Entrepreneurship Centre making such an impact, and further enhancing the role of our Centre in the Cambridge ecosystem.
#21TOWATCH 2024 shortlist associated with Cambridge Judge Business Entrepreneurship Centre
1
People
- Alicia Showering, CEO of BugBiome, a startup dedicated to developing natural and durable microbiome-based insect repellents.
- Mark Golab, co-founder of Cambridge Surgical Models (CSM), a startup focusing on manufacturing a new generation of artificial anatomical models for surgical training.
2
Companies
- clock.bio aims to extend and improve quality of life by reversing the harmful effects of time in our cells, harnessing the regenerative capabilities of human pluripotent stem cells.
- Opto Biosystems is developing wireless, minimally-invasive, biological interfaces which communicate electrical information from the body, creating opportunities in advanced diagnostics and therapeutics, with primary focuses in oncology and neurology
- Vector Bioscience’s platform technology tailors nanomaterials for drug delivery applications. These nanomaterials are MOFs (Metal Organic Frameworks) can store 10x more molecules than other encapsulation methods and are designed and tailored for effective and targeted delivery.
3
Things
- Supersense Technologies offers a remote monitoring product which empowers families and carers with insights, alerts, and support to maximise the quality of life for their loved ones and enable respite for carers.
All the top 40 listed will be assessed according to 5 strict criteria:
- innovation
- the ability to address a real challenge
- influence
- viability
- and memorability.
The final 21 of 2024 will be announced at a ceremony on Thursday 7 March 2024 at The Bradfield Centre in Cambridge.