A high-end, glossy magazine published bi-monthly, Cambridge Catalyst features profiles on high-flying local start-ups and entrepreneurs, opinion pieces, interviews and news from the fizzing Cambridge tech cluster, plus premium lifestyle content including motoring, fashion and travel.
ON T H E P U L S E O F T H E C I T Y ’ S BU S I NE S S C OMMUN I T Y
The rise and rise of Raspberry Pi
ISSUE 01 FREE
CONTENTS
04 NEWS & EVENTS
News and events including a look at the top local networking meetups.
08 THE LIFE OF PI
Catalyst meets the man behind the game- changing Raspberry Pi.
Home to Europe’s largest technology cluster, our diminutive city has become a world leader in the fields of science and high technology; a hotbed of ideas, innovation, enterprise and entrepreneurial spirit recognised on a global scale. Cambridge Catalyst aims to chronicle that – from the fizzing start-up scene and the social enterprises making an impact to the small, independent businesses that bring character to the city’s high street. In this, our launch issue, we meet Eben Upton, founder of Raspberry Pi – the Cambridge-born microcomputer that sparked a revolution in computer programming and a success story which perfectly captures the unique dynamism of the Cambridge Cluster. Launched in 2008, this little wonder has now sold more than 25 million units worldwide, with the company recently opening the doors to its first bricks and mortar shop right here in Cambridge. We learn more about the remarkable life of Pi so far and find out what the future holds over on page 8. Elsewhere in the issue, we hear about some of the inventive approaches companies in our area are taking to team-building exercises, discover how Dyslexia Box is creating life-changing technology from its hub at Allia Future Business Centre, and get Sano Genetics to give us their business pitch. Enjoy the magazine and keep an eye out for issue two, which will be hitting stands at the start of July.
13 CRACK THE CODE
Fire Tech on creating a diverse future generation of digital creators.
14 SPACE EXPLORATION
We explore business spaces in the area, from co-working hubs to conference venues.
19 PITCH PERFECT
Local start-ups give us their pitch. Up first: Sano Genetics
21 THE NEW AGE OF NETWORKING Joe Glover on hosting and attending networking events successfully. 22 THE SPIRIT OF CAMBRIDGE A chat with the founders of local ginmakers, Cambridge Distillery 26 GOING GOOD & DOING WELL
The Cambridge social ventures making an impact.
30 TECH BYTES
The latest news from the fizzing Cambridge Cluster.
35 TALENT SHOW
Busy Bee Recruitment on getting the best talent for your business.
36 SMELLS LIKE TEAM SPIRIT
We take a look at how local companies are taking a creative approach to team building.
NICOLA FOLEY EDITOR IN CHIEF
45 BRAVE NEW WORLD
Autonomous cars are coming. What’s it like being in the ‘driving seat’ while the car does it all for you?
48 GOING PRIVATE
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 Sammi Bull 01223 499460 sammibull@bright-publishing.com
CONTRIBUTORS Douglas Ross, Charlotte Griffiths, Charlotte Phillips, Joe Glover, Kayleigh Bysouth, Matthew Gooding, Sue Baker
All us to introduce you to the city's top private dining experiences.
55 OUT & ABOUT
@cambscatalyst cambridgecatalyst.co.uk
A history festival, a day at the races and more in store.
DESIGN & PRODUCTION DESIGN DIRECTOR Andy Jennings EDITORIAL DESIGN Alan Gray AD PRODUCTION Man-Wai Wong catalystads@bright-publishing.com
56 OUT OF OFFICE
Weekends away that will make the most of your annual leave.
MANAGING DIRECTORS Andy Brogden & Matt Pluck 01223 499450
58 CAMBRIDGE STYLE
Contactless shirts, plus the local cyclewear brand that will make you the envy of the peloton.
CAMBRIDGE CATALYST IS A MAGAZINE BY BRIGHT PUBLISHING, MAKERS OF CAMBRIDGE EDITION
WANT TO RECEIVE COPIES OF CAMBRIDGE CATALYST? Get in touch with the team!
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 CATALYSTor 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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The latest developments in the world of Cambridge business, innovation, start-ups and networking
Cryptocurrencies, exotic financial instruments and the future of banking will be up for discussion at Cambridge Enterprise and Technology Club’s (CTEC) Financial Technology event on 23 May. A number of speakers will be discussing developments in the world of FinTech, including Hamish Anderson (CEO of Money Mover), CETC FINTECH EVENT Benjamin Dives (CEO London Block Exchange) and Louise Eggett (Head of the Fintech Hub, Bank of England). This will be followed by a panel Q&A and refreshments. The event takes place at Metro Bank on Christ’s Lane and runs from 4pm to 6.30pm, priced at £15 or free to CETC members. cetc.info
Cambridge Network Recruitment Fair
Taking place on 3 May, the Cambridge Network Jobs Fair promises a varied showcase of job opportunities from a range of sectors, plus an afternoon of networking and workshops. Taking place at the Postdoc Centre at Eddington, exhibitors include tech consultancy Plextek – which is currently recruiting across many levels, as well as hiring for summer placements – as well as Bridge Fibre, TTP, Archipelago Technology,
Linx Printing Technologies and Hamillroad Software.
Guests can also explore roles within commercial, marketing, sales, admin, HR, technical, scientific, IT and finance at all levels, as well as pay a visit to the Career Zone for careers advice and CV tips. The Fair is free to attend and begins at 12pm. You can register online at Eventbrite. cambridgenetwork.co.uk
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NEWS
IDEASPACE B 3
A community of founders, innovators, advisers and investors, ideaSpace welcomes back its popular B3 series on 13 May. An opportunity to hear from a successful entrepreneur and the three professionals who were integral in helping them grow their business, the events also include networking, with pizza and beer to finish. This month’s guest, who will speak on The Basics of Building a Business, is Jason Mellad of Start Codon. Geared towards leveraging the unique resources of the Cambridge Cluster to identify, seed-fund and drive the success of truly disruptive healthcare start-ups, Start Codon offers investment, coaching and access to state-of-the-art labs and office space. The event is free to attend, and you can register your interest via Eventbrite or by emailing team@ideaspace.cam.ac.uk. ideaspace.cam.ac.uk
Smart marketing for your start-up
Join Emma Stevens from Cambridge Startup Help for a free, informative session on marketing your start-up. Helping you understand methods for reaching your ideal customer in the right place at the right time, the workshop covers strategic versus tactical marketing, the customer journey, creating on-brand marketing content, and different channels available to business owners. You’ll be in safe hands with Emma, who has a wealth of experience working with start-up businesses and SMEs, assisting growth through integrated marketing. The session takes place on 7 May at 6.15pm at Cambridge Central Library. eventbrite.co.uk
How can our high streets continue to meet the needs of the community? Join the discussion at Future High Street, an event hosted in partnership between Cambridge Business Improvement District (BID) and Cambridge Network. Taking place at The Tamburlaine Hotel on 5 June, the event will look to both the challenges facing the high street and the opportunities afforded by a new era, such as using this urban hub as a space for art and entertainment. Also up for discussion will be the gathering of data on how people use the spaces, in order to inform future facilities and transport. cambridgebid.co.uk FUTURE HIGH STREET
Celebrating entrepreneurial spirit and showcasing the city’s independent businesses, the Cambridge BID Independents’ Week returns from 4 to 7 July. For punters, it’s a chance to explore the city’s indie scene and discover new gems on their doorstep, while local independent businesses are encouraged to get involved with ideas, special offers and experiences, such as music and entertainment, workshops and street activity. Find out more at cambridgebid.co.uk Independents’ Week
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NEWS
Top local networking events and meetups you need on your radar
The Marketing Meetup
Launched in 2016, The Marketing Meetup: Cambridge is a well-attended and well-organised monthly event that has now expanded to ten different locations across the UK following its success in our city. Providing a place TECH AND BEER Founded by a passionate group of tech community leaders, Tech and Beer offers a relaxed networking environment that aims to connect innovators and leaders, pint in hand. With music, inspiring speakers, entertaining hosts, beer and pizza, there’s an atmosphere of professionalism, fun and engagement that’s a million miles away from those dull-as-dishwater networking events everybody loathes. The next date for your diary is 27 June – find out more at techandbeer.io
to network and discover more about relevant topics, it pulls in a solid line-up of speakers and takes place on the first Tuesday of each month at The Bradfield Centre. Register at themarketingmeetup.com
Promising attendees the chance to meet awesome people and get tons of free website-improving, traffic-increasing, customer- converting SEO goodness, Optimisey is a meetup that comes highly recommended. The next event takes place on 23 May and includes a talk from local SEO consultant Tim Capper, plus plenty of beer, wine and nibbles. Learn more at optimisey.com OPTIMISEY
Cambridge 100 Club
Taking place at Cambridge Space, Creators Club is a vibrant community of creatives, freelancers, small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Each event, the group explores a different theme through talks and Creators Club
CAM CREATIVES
A long-established business club made up of senior executives, entrepreneurs, innovators, scientists and technologists, which meets at quarterly dinners at Jesus College. Expect opportunities to meet prominent business figures and regional innovators and investors, hear insightful speakers and enjoy a delicious dinner. The next event is on 9 May. cambridge100.org.uk
A collective of more than 3500 connected creatives, this group hosts regular networking events with special guest speakers. camcreatives.com
practical activities, and enjoys refreshments. Up next: Authentic Confidence on 8 May. Find out more at cambridgespace.co
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MOVERS & SHAKERS
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MOVERS & SHAKERS
WORDS DOUGLAS ROSS
Douglas Ross meets Eben Upton, founder of Raspberry Pi
Today, there have been over 25 million Raspberry Pi sold worldwide. “We have customers buying tens of thousands of the minicomputers to network together as a training research platform,” Eben explains. “We designed this little machine to go into kids’ bedrooms; we didn’t imagine it would end up being used in high-performance computing research.” The allure of the Raspberry Pi is the unforeseen manifestations that such a simple, programmable computer has produced. For Eben, one of the most interesting adoptions of the platform has been its recent use in high- performance research, as he explains. “Most supercomputers are built of connected medium-performance machines, forming one high- performance machine. Raspberry Pi is nowhere near as powerful as the machines you put into a supercomputer, but if you take a bunch and network them together, you get a device that provides –in a scaled-down way – the development challenges for modern supercomputers. They become great tools for training and experimenting with new approaches.” The Raspberry Pi’s origins are appropriately simple. Noting a marked
s one of the youngest but fastest-evolving industries in the world, digital tech is
catching us all off guard. In fact, we can no longer call it an industry. It permeates our lives and continues to develop in unforeseeable ways. All companies want to be a tech company, and nowhere more so than in Cambridge. Just off Hills Road, a short walk from the Botanic Garden, the Raspberry Pi Foundation was created in 2008 by Eben Upton, who at the time was director of studies in Computer Science at St John’s College. Four years later, the foundation started producing low- cost, programmable minicomputers known as the Raspberry Pi, or Pi for short. A simple circuit board that fits in your hand and can be encased in a plastic shell, the Pi was originally constructed to be an introduction to the fundamentals of computer programming. So why did its release take several years? “I think some of it is about the perils of distraction,” Eben admits. “There were periods in that window where there were so many things to do in each of those areas of academia, business and tech that I found myself distracted. If you have a magpie mind, it’s very easy to never get anything done!” Occupying these very overlapping sectors — academia, business and tech — helped Eben to identify how a non-profit could navigate the various challenges that occupy the terrain and come out with a viable solution to a major problem: tech literacy. But the popularity of the Pi was something that nobody in the foundation predicted.
decrease in student applications for computer science degrees at
The popularity of the Pi was something that nobody in the foundation predicted. Today,
there have been over 25 million sold worldwide"
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MOVERS & SHAKERS
the university, Eben and others in Cambridge identified a slow-burning crisis. Silicon Valley was racing ahead of Europe. The decreasing interest in technology in the UK augured a growing skills gap – the ramifications of which stretched far beyond Cambridge’s blushing limestone. Global consulting firm Accenture estimated that the UK stands to lose £141.5 billion of the potential GDP growth that could come from the investment in (and adoption of) intelligent technologies. In Cambridge, decreasing applicant numbers in computer science degrees were a symptom. We were becoming detached from technology’s tactility; our relationship with it slipping from active engagement to one of passive acceptance. Within just a decade or two of Steve Jobs dismantling and reassembling his first rudimentary computer, the magic of tinkering with tech was being lost. “We talk about Raspberry Pi being a hypothesis test, really,” Eben reflects. “We had this hypothesis that, originally, we weren’t getting our people from formal education, but kids who were programming in their bedrooms. When the opportunity to do that went away, so did our applicant stream. We thought that if we could build a machine to house those properties, maybe our applicants would come back. And they did. Applicant numbers exceeded those in the late nineties and were up to approximately 1100 last year.”
Eben does not shy away from the role Raspberry Pi has played in bolstering Cambridge’s position as a tech hub, but he is aware that there are many working within the city to influence its placement as a global tech centre. Asked whether he sees tech ‘hubs’ as short-lived phenomena, he is less sure that any sort of technological innovation can be done just remotely. Instead, central hubs may be key to the growth of satellite contributors. While the engineering design of the Pi is done in Cambridge, the industrial design is outsourced to Bristol, the manufacturing of the plastic components to Dublin and the West Midlands, and the electronics manufactured in South Wales. “It is important that you have clusters and that they can talk to each other. You probably can’t put all of these clusters in one place, and it’s a nice way in which a centralised area for tech can create employment in locations that may be more associated with older industry types,” Eben says. Continuing to build on this tradition of the tactile importance of computer science, Raspberry Pi opened its first retail store in Cambridge’s Grand Arcade early this year. A physical space where visitors can play with the computer, the store has been a long-standing aspiration for many in the foundation. Its purpose is to talk to the people who use the computer and to learn from them directly. For Eben, the
IMAGES The Raspberry Pi store in the Grand Arcade is a physical space where customers can play with the computer. The store is divided into six pods, with each one demonstrating a different use for the Raspberry Pi
past few months have confirmed the shop’s utility. “We’ve been running it for nearly three months now, and we are seeing people come in and decide to have a go – and also those who come in and decide not to, and we have the chance to ask them why. If we didn’t sell a single Raspberry Pi in the store, there would still be a lot of value to us in finding out why,” he explains. The store’s design is segmented into six pods, with each one demonstrating different uses for the Raspberry Pi. In the few months it’s been open, the company has noted how strongly visitors respond to those applications of the platform that produce visible and physical results. This, and the scale of international interest in the computer, demonstrate that people have never, and possibly will never, lose their innate interest in the mechanics of digital tech. It may be up to those building
Noting a marked decrease in student applications for computer science degrees at the university, Eben and others in Cambridge identified a slow-burning crisis"
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tech to stay conscious of this need for active participation in and autonomy over it. At a time when the digital world increasingly plays with and inhabits the physical, keeping this tactility may be key for many products’ success in the future. The 8GB of storage in the original iPod wasn’t what made it so popular, but the effort put into its physical design. And the malleability of Android software continues to propel companies like Samsung forward. For Eben, Cambridge continues to transform as a destination for some of the brightest minds in computer science and engineering. Some changes are plainly obvious and some more complex. For example: “We are working less with silicon, which is sad for me as a person from the silicon industry. On the other hand, we are working a lot more with software and a lot of hardware at the next level up.
We are also seeing a lot of changes in salaries. American companies have historically treated the UK as a medium- cost destination. The thirst for talent in Silicon Valley has become so extreme that people are now paying Silicon Valley salaries in Cambridge. This is great in that people are compensated, but it might be making start-up life a little harder. If you want good engineering talent of any kind, you have to compete. And then, of course, we have a new pivot to biotech... “I came here in 1996 to study and I never envisaged being here 23 years later, but it’s such a compelling place. In terms of how people think and approach technology, there’s a different flavour to Cambridge than the U.S. The students make a big difference – having all of these bright young people crammed into a few square miles makes it fun and keeps you young,” he smiles.
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THOUGHT LEADERS
Fire Tech explains how it’s taking on the tech world to create a diverse community of future digital creators – and why it matters
omen make up only 15% of people in STEM roles, and this figure falls to just 5% for
into a world of artificial intelligence, where bias can wind up entrenched in algorithms. Imagine what tech would be like if the designers and producers reflected the general population in all its diversity! A broader range of lived experiences would deliver brighter, more creative and more useful new ideas to the world, for everybody. Who knows what great inventions and products we have missed out on so far? The statistics tell us that some women and girls have been discouraged (openly or otherwise) from pursuing studies and careers in STEM. But it wasn’t always like this. In fact, the first computer programmer, Ada Lovelace, was a woman, and in many countries, women make up 50% of tech students. It is important for young women to see tech as a discipline that is welcoming, creative and fun. More than that, we need to pump up their access to experiences in order to build their confidence, give them better access to role models and introduce them to a wider community of like- minded creators. At Fire Tech, 28% of students are female. That’s twice the national average, but still not good enough. That’s why #AllGirls courses have been introduced alongside the mixed- gender courses. Fire Tech is building an environment where women can explore their interest in tech and build valuable digital skills in an environment that is social, open, supportive and empowering specifically to them. This is because education is one of – if not the – most powerful tool in our arsenal for change. Fire Tech’s founder, Jill Hodges, says: “As the founder of Fire Tech, I see how much girls enjoy tech and coding when they come to our classes. We have one
leadership roles, according to a recent PwC study. Tech has a gender-gap problem – and something needs to be done about it. When one group dominates the design and build of new products, those products are – unsurprisingly – made for that demographic. We find tech designed with men’s needs prioritised, with smartphone screens made for man-size hands, and mainly men (or men’s ideas of women) as video game heroes. Diversity is about to get even more important as we move
of the highest girl participation rates around, from six year olds up to 17 year olds. But I also know that we get a lot of calls from girls or their mums who are concerned about being the sole girl in a class.” She continues: “We don’t think tech needs to go ‘pink’ to attract girls, but we do think more girls will feel excited about coming to a course where they know they’ll meet women studying STEM subjects, and get to build their projects alongside like- minded young women. We can’t wait to see how these girls work together to problem-solve, create, communicate and build a community of tech-enabled young women.” She concludes: “Fire Tech is building a community of future digital creators and leaders and we want to make it as easy and exciting as possible for young women to be a part of that.” Fire Tech runs camps and courses for ages 9 to 17, teaching kids to code, build, tinker and create. Find out more at firetechcamp.com
Diversity is about to get even more important as we move into a world of artificial intelligence, where bias can wind up entrenched in algorithms"
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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
THE OFFICERS’ MESS
If you’re in the market for a unique, history-steeped workspace, the Officers’ Mess could be ideal. A Grade II building located at the Duxford Airfield, this building began life as the dwelling of RAF officers including Douglas Bader, the World War II spitfire ace with a reputation as one the Royal Air Force's most skilled pilots. Last used by the military in the sixties, the building was given a £2 million refashioning in 2016, transforming it into a unique business centre with a range of sleek offices and meeting spaces. A blend of historic and modern, the refurbishment retained many original features, giving nods to the building’s fascinating past while also creating a bright and contemporary business hub boasting top facilities. The heart of the building is a light-filled atrium perfect for some blue-sky thinking, while other spaces include the former officers’ quarters, or The Stores, allowing you to soak up some impressive history while you work. Operated by Mantle, which runs a range of business centres in the region, the Officers’ Mess has a variety of options available, from private or virtual offices to co-working desk space and meeting room hire. Whichever you choose, you’ll be able
to take advantage of not only a handy location (under half an hour’s drive from Cambridge city centre and less than a minute from Junction 10 of the M11), but also appealing features including a relaxed cafe, enclosed courtyard, ample parking and on-site staff. One of the centre’s big draws is its affordability – a crucial consideration for cash-strapped start-ups and small businesses – and the centre prides itself on its clear pricing plan and value- for-money offering. There are options for companies at all stages: grab your laptop and use the co-working space for £10 a day, or if you’re looking for a virtual address before your company has a permanent home – ideal for giving fledgling companies credibility and a feel of professionalism – that can be yours for £45 per month, with call answering for £75 per month. When you’re ready, you can take on a small
office space with a minimum contract of three months, allowing you to level up without taking on a huge financial commitment. Another bonus is the connections you can make at the Officers’ Mess, which hosts bimonthly networking events that give tenants the opportunity to meet other businesses from Mantle’s various centres. If you like the sound of all this but need a more central venue, Mantle also runs CB1 Business Centre on Station Road, which offers serviced offices, co- working, dedicated desks, virtual offices and meeting rooms. Find out more at mantlebusinesscentres.co.uk
IMAGES The Officers’ Mess boasts a historic character while offering sleek, light-filled spaces and top facilities
The building was given a £2 million refashioning in 2016, transforming it into a unique business centre with sleek offices"
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SPACE EXPLORATION WHAT’S IT GOT? Serviced
offices, virtual office options, co-working facilities, cafe & parking IS IT FOR ME? If you’re a start-up looking for low-cost, flexible options or a good-value co-working space, and like the idea of a unique, environment rather than an identikit office, then this could be for you HOW MUCH? Co-work for £10 per day, virtualaddress for one or more locations from £45 per month (rolling monthly contract), call answering for £75 per month or £99 + VAT for both historic working
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MURRAY EDWARDS COLLEGE
Boasting not one, but two fully- fledged conference centres, Murray Edwards College is a popular choice for businesses and organisations from a wide range of sectors. The college itself was founded in 1954, with New Hall Events, its commercial arm, celebrating its 20th anniversary in April this year. Murray Edwards has spent the past two decades refining its offering as a thriving conference and business venue, adding facilities and welcoming hundreds of events, from residential and day meetings to product launches, lectures and training sessions. Buckingham House is a modern and flexible space, featuring a lecture theatre that can seat up to 140 and additional adjacent syndicate rooms, plus a foyer with sliding doors on to an outdoor deck. If you’re planning an all-singing, all-dancing presentation, there’s state-of-the-art AV that covers all requirements, plus you can book a package that includes the filming of your event. Meanwhile, the Kaetsu Centre comprises seven flexible meeting rooms located across four floors, plus a lecture theatre that seats up to 150. When it comes to feeding your delegates, the options are impressive. The spectacular Dome Dining Hall, one of the largest dining rooms in Cambridge, features art-lined walls and serves fine-dining fare, while drinks and
WHAT’S ITGOT? Twoconference centres, overnight accommodation formorethan 300delegates, arangeof diningoptions &parking IS ITFORME? If you’relooking foravenuewith heritage,first- classfacilities, experienced staffandample overnight accommodation
Murray Edwards has spent the past two decades refining its offering as a thriving conference and business venue"
Hepworth and Elisabeth Frink. Event organisers can take advantage of this unique feature by incorporating a private art tour, taking delegates through the impressive collection, which features paintings, drawings and sculptures. Artworks also feature in many of the public spaces, such as breakout rooms and areas for dining and networking. If you require overnight accommodation for guests, you’re well served in that department, too, with the college offering more than 300 bedrooms (during vacation periods), the majority of which are en suite and have been recently renovated. Find out more: murrayedwardsevents.co.uk
canapé receptions can be served in Fountain Court Walkway, which offers beautiful views over the illuminated fountains at night-time. Alternatively, the College bar, overlooking Fountain Court, provides a more contemporary space with modern furniture and drawings by Quentin Blake. This venue is also home to the New Hall Art Collection – the largest collection of women’s art in Europe, which began in the early nineties when the college wrote to 100 women artists asking them to each donate a piece of work. The donations continued and the renowned collection now includes work by many eminent female artists including Tracey Emin, Barbara
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WHAT’S IT GOT?
IncubatorHub in Chestertonwith co-workingand officespace. MakerSpace in CherryHinton withdigital fabrication equipmentand adedicated engineer IS ITFORME? Ifyou’vegot an ideayou wanttomake arealityusing equipment like MakerSpace. Ifyou’reafter ahotdeskor officespace andaccessto acommunity, checkoutthe IncubatorHub HOWMUCH? £99+VATper monthfor hot-deskingand £299+VATper monthforfull membershipat theIncubator Hub.From£36 perhour,get one-to-one supportfrom theMaker Spaceengineer tomakeyour designareality a3Dprinter, headtothe
BARCLAYS EAGLE LABS
Offering co-working and office space, mentoring, events designed to help businesses grow, and access to new and emerging technologies, the Barclays Eagle Lab network now has 21 hubs across the UK. The Labs are designed to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and the digital transformation of the UK by providing start-ups and scale-ups with the conditions to create and grow. The original Eagle Labs concept was conceived to utilise under-used branches and office spaces and turn them into thriving business and community hubs, promoting digital skills and helping develop the UK economy. In late 2015, Cherry Hinton in Cambridge was chosen as the location for the first Eagle Lab, followed more recently by an Incubator space on Chesterton Road. The Lab in Cherry Hinton is a dedicated a Maker Space that’s equipped with digital fabrication equipment and a dedicated engineer who’s on hand to help businesses and entrepreneurs gain a foothold
into the world of Industry 4.0, which includes the Internet of Things, sensor technology and augmented reality. The Maker Space is a place where you can make an idea a reality, and it’s specially designed for rapid prototyping, technical projects and workshops. Once you’ve received a free induction, anyone can pay per half hour to use the equipment, which includes a laser cutter, 3D printer and a vinyl cutter. The Maker Space also offers practical and fun corporate away days, which can be tailored to your company’s digital goals, incorporating team building and problem solving. Meanwhile, over on Chesterton Road, the Eagle Lab Incubator Hub offers a co-working space where users can pay for a part-time desk, a full-time desk or a private office, with membership including 24-hour access and office necessities such as superfast Wi-Fi, printing and unlimited refreshments. What’s more, tenants get the opportunity to tap into an innovative
community, taking advantage of mentorships from the Cambridge Judge Business School, as well Barclays growth specialists. Another advantage of working with a brand like Barclays is access to financial support – both in the form of funding help and loans, and the financial expertise and connections the company has. The results speak for themselves, with Barclays proudly pointing to the number of ‘graduates’ who’ve flown the nest, outgrowing the Hub and moving on to their own office space after successfully taking their business to the next level. Find out more at labs.uk.barclays
The Labs are designed to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and the digital transformation of the UK by providing the conditions to grow"
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PITCH PERFECT
Local companies give us their pitch. Up first, Patrick Short from Sano Genetics, a personalised medicine research platform putting the patient in the driving seat
What’s your pitch? We are a platform for genomics with privacy and transparency at its core. We help people discover more about themselves and get access to the latest findings in genomics, and give researchers access to patients and data needed to do transformational research. US, where I studied biology and mathematics. I moved over to Cambridge about five years ago for my PhD – that’s where I met my co- founders Charlotte Guzzo and William Jones. We were all doing our PhDs at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, one of the world-leading centres for genomics research, and discovered a common interest in entrepreneurship and new models for research that had the potential to be faster and more empowering to research participants. What makes you unique? We are trying to help solve one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century – making medicine more personalised. We have a radically different approach to most companies, which is based around data privacy and transparency. We provide research participants with full access to data and insights and our goal is to give researchers access to data and advanced analytics ten times faster and cheaper than What’s your background? I am originally from North Carolina in the
other alternatives. As a company, we are an interesting blend of deep science, machine learning and patient engagement. Biggest achievement so far? Growing our base of users from zero to more than 1,000 in less than a year. It was really exciting to see the MVP that we built getting people excited about participating in genomics research and learning more about their DNA. Biggest challenges? Reaching tens of thousands of users for our platform. In genomics and medical research, you need a lot of participants to do great science. As a science-driven company, we want to get to the point where we can facilitate transformational research; getting to the scale of participants to do that takes time and building trust with patient groups and other partners. Which individuals or companies are your biggest inspirations? I worked previously at Invitae, a genomics company in San Francisco – while I was there, the level of transparency that the leadership showed around the vision and mission for the company was really inspirational. It is something we are trying to do at Sano. We want to make sure that everyone – both within the company and outside of it – has ownership in the company
We are trying to help solve one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century – making medicine more personalised""
mission, understands what our goals are and has visibility with how we are conducting ourselves, particularly with regards to data privacy. Where do you want the business to be in five years? Our goal is to bring about personalised medicine using a model that empowers individuals, rather than exploits them. In five years, I would like to grow our base of participants to over 1 million people, and to be making significant strides toward data-driven personalised medicine in several major disease areas.
Find out more about Sano Genetics at sanogenetics.com
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THOUGHT LEADERS
Joe Glover, founder of The Marketing Meetup, on how Cambridge groups are leading the way for networking events
etworking has always been important to business growth. Through collaboration, we can
person you’re speaking to that you’re interested in them, not just yourself.
Humans over job titles I think we have focused on job titles for determining the value of a human being for too long. My contention is that open networking is actually a very inefficient way of getting new business, and you should therefore embrace the randomness of the interactions you make and commit yourself to those conversations, almost regardless of who the person is. Through a breadth of interactions with all kinds of people, we become richer in experience and have our eyes opened to new worlds. While the person standing in front of you may not have immediate ‘value’ to your business, you never know when you may need to call on them or the information they’ve imparted to you. Value first, business later Do you know what people hate? Being sold stuff they don’t want. I’m not anti-sales. In fact, salespeople bringing a solution to a problem is welcomed. But the traditional methods of selling to anyone who has the misfortune to be standing nearby is no longer acceptable. The people hanging on to the methods of a bygone era are easy to spot, as you can almost see the pound signs flash in their eyes as you speak. The new way is to stop, listen and actually care about the conversation you are having at the time. Ask where you can help, and then give value upfront, looking for returns later on. Joe Glover runs The Marketing Meetup, a networking group now in ten locations across the country, with 100 events per year for a community of over 5,500 marketers. Find out more at themarketingmeetup.com
be better than the sum of our individual parts. And yet, somewhere along the way, networking events have become lost in a quagmire of complicated formats, rigid recommendation structures and a focus on job titles instead of human beings. In short, we’ve tried to create shortcuts and processes to create a connection. The result is that networking events have gained a bad rep and can be tiresome. The standard complaints of ‘I just get people selling to me all the time’, ‘I don’t want to recommend someone I don’t know’ or ‘the group was just plain unwelcoming’ are fair. But it’s not all doom and gloom. The times, they are a-changin’ – and Cambridge is leading the way. In our city, we have an incredible array of networking events that are doing things in what feels like the ‘right way’. But what is the right way? Well, may I be so bold as to propose where I think networking events are going? Here, I present you with three new norms for attending a networking event. Listening The pressure is real when you walk into a room of strangers and feel like you have to make an impression. Even worse is when you feel like you have to be the smartest person in the room. How often have you experienced someone speaking to you and switched off halfway through because you’re panicking that you have to think of something clever to say in response? Take the pressure off by reminding yourself that networking is an opportunity to learn, too. If you don’t understand something, ask the person you’re talking to. By asking questions, you’re keeping the conversation going – and showing the
Somewhere along the way, networking events have become lost in a quagmire of complicated formats, rigid recommendation structures and a focus on job titles instead of human beings"
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MOVERS & SHAKERS
WORDS CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS
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MOVERS & SHAKERS
fter a conversation in a field while walking their much-loved Labrador Darcy, Lucy and Will
IMAGES The Cambridge Dry Gin is a classic and was created from botanicals found in the couple's garden and in the fields where they walk their dog, Darcy
We meet the duo behind Cambridge
Lowe decided to quit their jobs, start making gin and set themselves up as the Cambridge Distillery. At the time, Will was working in London as an educator in the wine trade, while Lucy worked at the Judge Business School in central Cambridge – but despite their busy careers the two were confident they’d eventually get round to creating a business for themselves. “We always knew that we’d end up powered by our interests,” says Lucy, “Ever since I was little I’d wanted to do my own thing: I always hugely disliked routine, and didn’t want to be at a desk from 9-5. I loved the opportunities and freedom offered by working for yourself.” The couple started out by distilling
gin in their living room in Histon, which was certainly one of the UK’s smallest distilleries if not the tiniest (a shed in Scotland also claims to be in the running for the crown). The lack of available space played a part in their choice to approach distillation via vacuum, rather than large, hot, splashy copper stills, but it also gave Will and Lucy fine control over the process, and enabled them to extract maximum flavour from even the most delicate of botanicals. Each botanical is distilled individually, in volumes of less than two litres at a time, to ensure that the freshest possible characteristics of the plant, flower, spice, fruit or berry – or whatever – are preserved: it’s not the fastest route to creating gin, but it guarantees something rather special at the end. “We were working every evening and weekend at the start. It was exciting – it was this little secret we had,” says Lucy. That same year the couple presented Will’s father with his very own gin as a birthday gift, created specifically to challenge his long-standing complaint that no gin was dry enough. The couple gave the creation the fitting name Professor Lowe’s Raspingly Dry Gin – and it was this spirit that caused the moment when the Lowes realised they’d struck on something special. “Will’s uncle was staying with Will’s father, and they’d
Distillery, the local
gin-makers putting our city on the map
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MOVERS & SHAKERS
CAMBRIDGE DISTILLERY IN NUMBERS
Founded in
Sites in Cambridge
Countries sold in
Coldest point in distillation process
Current staff
Individual distillations to create one bottle of Watenshi
Gins tasted by our master distiller in 2018
run out of the gin we’d made,” explains Lucy. “They offered Will’s uncle any one of all the other gins in the cupboard, but in the absence of ours he refused, choosing a beer instead. That’s when we knew.” First came the tailored gins, created (as the Raspingly Dry Gin was) specifically for individuals to meet their unique tastes and requirements. Tailoring clients sit down with Will to sample different botanical distillates, while he works slowly towards blending the client’s perfect gin. It's a service still offered to this day, to some extremely high-end businesses including British Airways, many Cambridge University colleges and the House of Lords, as well as discerning individuals looking for the ‘pinnacle of spirits personalisation’. The couple are steadfastly discreet about the famous faces that have come through the distillery’s doors, but will reveal that Olympians, actors and “national-treasure-status” TV presenters are among the distillery’s alumni. After tailoring came the Seasonal Gins: biannual, limited-edition spirits first exclusively stocked by London’s Selfridges, created from botanicals harvested in the preceding six months. Lucy and Will had collected seasonal botanicals to use in the creation of their clients’ tailored gins, but realised these distillates had extra potential as sapid recordings of the passing years. Despite their relatively low profile (“We had a Twitter account, and I think this was around the early days of Instagram, so nothing was happening there – and we had a website, which Will built – but that was basically it,” says Lucy), the sheer quality of spirits being
created were starting to attract national attention. It was clear the couple would have to make some changes. “In 2012, Will went part time with his job in London. I was first to give in my notice, so I could do all the admin behind the scenes,” explains Lucy. “We needed Will for the tailorings, of course, and then I did everything else around that – the bookings, invoicing and so on – and even distilling while he was still working. I remember giving in my notice and I was shaking, because it was such a big step for us. My manager just went: ‘Oh, that’s a shame, but best of luck’ – it was such an anti-climax,” Lucy laughs. In 2014, the Seasonal Gins were followed by Japanese Gin, the first in this now hugely popular sector, created from delicate Japanese flavours that were
IMAGES The Cambridge Gin Laboratory in the city centre provides gin tastings and the opportunity to blend your own bottle of gin
Looking at the Distillery's creations, it's easy to understand why it's been named three consecutive times as the most innovative spirit-makers in the world".
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MOVERS & SHAKERS
extractable via vacuum distillation and had been previously uncapturable in gin form. Then came the classic Cambridge Dry Gin, created from botanicals found in the couple’s garden and the fields and hedgerows where they walked Darcy. There’s also a gin made from ants, one of the world’s most expensive gins, a truffle gin designed as a digestif, and a never-ending line of monthly experimental spirits in the form of a limited-edition Prototype series. Looking at the distillery’s list of creations, it’s easy to understand why it’s been named three consecutive times as the
most innovative spirit-makers in the world. The days of churning rotary
on product development and works closely with his sales team, developing relationships and introducing clients to the ever-growing range of exceptional spirits – all still distilled, bottled and sealed by hand back in Cambridge. So, what’s next? “We’ve got big plans,” says Will. “Collaborations with names such as the Botanic Garden and Cambridge Satchel Company are helping us reach new audiences, while communicating how we achieve previously impossible quality standards: fresh botanicals, individually distilled and expertly blended. We’re proud of our beginnings in the living room but while we’re a local company, we have global aspirations. Cambridge has always been an international benchmark for academic quality: it’s about to be known for world-leading gin, too.” As you might expect, building a business together as husband and wife can mean it’s tricky to keep work and home life separate. “We have regular meals out together and try to keep Sundays as a family day,” says Lucy, “with big roast dinners and dog walks – they’re as sacred as they can be.” No matter where the next few years might take this Cambridge-grown success story, there’s one thing that’s certain: they’re still happiest where the business began, out in the fields with Darcy, watching the seasons change.
evaporators burbling happily in the Lowes’ living room are long gone: nowadays the couple head up a team of 30 across three sites – the Cambridge Gin Lab in the city centre, which teaches keen gin enthusiasts about the spirits they create, how to taste gin like a pro and even blend their own bottle; and the Grantchester-based showroom and distillery itself. Lucy now heads up the branding and marketing side of the business, while Will leads
BELOW The distillery's
Japanese gin has delicate Japanese flavours previously uncapturable in gin form
We've got big plans. We're proud of our
beginnings in the living room, but while we're a local company, we have global aspirations"
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SOCIAL VENTURES
WORDS MATTHEW GOODING
In the first of our series on Cambridge-based impact ventures, we profile Dyslexia Box, an Allia Future Business Centre-based company providing life-changing workplace technology for disabled people
because they don’t know what to do,” Ben says. “They come to a company like us, and we almost take care of that employee for a while, train them, build their confidence and get them working. “Companies invest a lot of money in this area but often end up buying all the things separately – their purchasing is all over the place and that’s not good for the purchaser or the end user, who has to see loads of different people and might not even get the best technology to help in their situation. We provide an end-to-end solution for workplace adjustments, we don’t just run away once we’ve made a sale. “There are more disabled people in work and wanting to get into work than ever before. Access to work is growing every year, with the Government giving more money to help people get back into jobs. We think that’s going to continue.” Dyslexia Box has been based at the Future Business Centre on King’s Hedges Road for the last year. The centre is run by Allia, an organisation
adjustments where necessary, so our workplace needs assessors will go out, do an assessment, then provide a report with recommendations for the changes which are needed. “These are usually in the form of pieces of technology, such as a text- to-speech converter. So if I’m dyslexic, my boss is sending me emails all the time and I’m struggling to read them, text-to-speech will read those aloud to me. Dragon, our most popular product, does it the other way around – I can speak into a microphone and it will convert that into text.” Ben and his business partner, Larry Jenkins, founded the company 18 months ago to build on their previous experience in the sector. With 3.7 milllion disabled people now in work, an increase of 800,000 over the last six years, the market for assistive technology is certainly a growing one. “We usually deal with HR or purchasing managers, who often panic when they’re asked to look after a team that includes someone with a disability,
In Partnership with
yslexia Box operations director Ben Lewis is in possession of a very expensive pair of glasses.
FAR RIGHT Ben Lewis from Dyslexia Box demonstrates the OrCam MyEye artificial vision system
Actually, it’s not the glasses themselves that come with the hefty price tag, but the attached technology, an advanced ‘artificial vision’ device for blind and partially sighted people. Developed in Israel, the system, OrCam MyEye, is the most, er, eye-catching item supplied by Dyslexia Box, which provides assistive technology and services to help people with disabilities in schools, universities and workplaces. “It’s a camera that sits on the side of your glasses, attached with some really powerful magnets, and can read aloud pretty much any text anywhere,” Ben explains. “It can read words on products, it can recognise faces when you’ve programmed them in, and can recognise objects and barcodes, so it’s really helpful in a supermarket, for example. We’ve done a lot of demos with it and there’s always plenty of interest.” Costing £4,200, OrCam MyEye represents a significant investment, but Dyslexia Box provides plenty of other solutions for its clients, which range from big corporations such as Volkswagen and Haribo to a plethora of schools, universities and the NHS. “Our flagship offer is to provide reasonable adjustments for dyslexic and disabled people – things which allow them to go about a job where their disability is holding them back,” Ben says. “The law states companies have to make these reasonable
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