Cambridge Tech Week names five startup pitching finalists

Cambridge Tech Week has named five startups as finalists in its 2026 pitching competition after judges selected them from a shortlist of 20 companies.

The finalists are HotHouse Therapeutics, HutanBio, Lambda Energy, Myonerv and Xplore Intelligence. They span biotechnology, sustainable energy, agritech, medtech and artificial intelligence, reflecting the breadth of the wider shortlist.

HotHouse Therapeutics emerged from Professor Anne Osbourn's laboratory at the John Innes Centre. The company is developing a drug discovery approach based on transient plant expression, using living plants to produce new medicines through an artificial intelligence-led platform.

HutanBio is focused on algae-based fuel production. It has identified a new class of algae, called Sphaerica, that produces oil at much higher rates than existing leading strains and can be cultivated in seawater on non-agricultural coastal land using sunlight and CO2.

Lambda Energy operates in agritech with a greenhouse additive called GloGro. The product is designed to increase crop yields by about 20%, and the company has secured pilot manufacturing and grower trials for high-value crops in the UK.

Myonerv has developed a wearable neurostimulator designed to monitor and treat stroke-induced paralysis remotely. Its system uses reusable electrode arrays and has already demonstrated remote control of hand movement between Cambridge and Greece.

Edinburgh-based Xplore Intelligence is building software to train and evaluate AI agents. Its Forge platform is designed to simulate operational environments so businesses can test full AI agent systems before deployment. The company has also won its first contract, worth more than GBP £1 million.

Judging panels

An independent panel drawn from finance, venture capital and industry reviewed the initial shortlist. It included Paul Hughes, Managing Director - Life Sciences & Technology, BDO; Jamie Bignal, Director, HSBC Innovation Banking; Mayank Shah, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Grow Beyond Borders; Anne Dobree, Investment Director, Parkwalk Advisors; Isabelle O'Keeffe, Venture Partner, Twin Path Ventures; and the Chief Technology Officer for His Majesty's Government Communications Centre, whose identity was withheld for security reasons.

A separate panel will choose the overall winner in the live final. It includes Zickie Lim, Partner and Head of VC & Investments, Mills & Reeve; Marilena Ioannidou, Director, Metaxi Catalyst Ventures; Richard Lewis, Managing Director, Foresight Group; and Emmi Nicholl, Chief Executive Officer, Cambridge Angels.

The competition forms part of Startup to Scaleup Day, one of the business-focused strands of Cambridge Tech Week. Organisers have positioned it as a showcase for younger technology businesses seeking investor, customer and market attention as they move beyond the early stage.

The finalists also highlight where UK startup activity remains concentrated. Drug development, climate and energy technologies, digital health, food production and AI infrastructure continue to attract commercial and investor interest, particularly when linked to research institutions or clear industrial use cases.

Cambridge has long been one of the UK's leading centres for venture-backed science and technology businesses, with strong links between academia, investors and corporate partners. The inclusion of companies from outside the city, including Xplore Intelligence, suggests the competition is intended to reflect a broader national technology base rather than the local cluster alone.

The pitching competition is sponsored by Mills & Reeve, PwC and Julius & Clark. Professional services and law firms have become regular backers of startup competitions as they seek closer ties with high-growth businesses and their investors.

Lead judge Zickie Lim commented on the selection process.

"The standard of this year's competition has been exceptionally high from the start, which will make the final selection process incredibly challenging. As sponsors of the Pitching Competition, Mills & Reeve is delighted to support a platform that shines a spotlight on the next generation of innovative businesses, and we are looking forward very much to seeing the finalists pitch live at Cambridge Tech Week," Lim said.

PwC also highlighted the strength of the field.

"This year's finalists demonstrate the extraordinary depth of innovation emerging from the UK's technology ecosystem, and are among the strongest we've seen. They all represent the kind of ambitious, globally relevant businesses that have the potential to create real impact. PwC is proud to support entrepreneurs at this critical stage of their growth journey," de Young said.