Despite world-class research in AI, biotech, quantum, and clean tech, commercialization and policy pipelines remain fragmented, with comparatively low scale-up capacity and company retention, limiting Cambridge’s global impact.
Our vision is a Global Cambridge for an Entrepreneurial Global Britain. Our mission is to address limitations and position Cambridge as global hub for deep tech entrepreneurship, investment, and policy innovation.
Problem statement
Although Cambridge—often nicknamed the "Silicon Fen"—is home to world-leading research and a thriving startup scene, many of these promising startups struggle to scale up locally. As a result, they frequently relocate to places like Silicon Valley to achieve the growth and investment they need, ultimately limiting Britin's ability to retain and benefit from its own technological innovation.
We've identified and currently researching following issues: (expanded with data later in Constraints section)
Scale-up gap: High start-up density; low conversion to large, independent firms.
Financing shortages: Abundant seed; thin local Series B+ capital pushes firms to London/overseas.
Leadership talent gaps: Deep technical talent but limited experienced commercial and operational leadership.
Facilities cost/shortage: Expensive, scarce labs and offices fragment teams and slow growth.
Institutional extraction: Value and control of Cambridge-born IP often flow to external owners and markets.
Ecosystem erosion: As ventures leave or get acquired, knowledge, capital, and talent flywheels weaken.
Place constraints: Housing, transport congestion, and limited civic infrastructure increase frictions just as growth accelerates.
Solution framework
We're designing Cambridge Investment Zone (CIZ) to address most of mentioned issues. CIZ would be owned by government, operated by GCI, and creates a closed loop from invention to scale by combining: (expanded later in The Cambridge Investment Zone section)
Policy and culture: Evidence-led design of Freezone/CIZ rules; support to the Cambridge APPG; place-sensitive growth that protects Cambridge’s character.
Investment insight: Global syndication and investor engagement; practical tax and capital-markets guidance.
Incentive stack: Clear, milestone-linked instruments (e.g., reduced corporation tax within the zone, business-rates/fees concessions, credits for net new jobs, local supplier spend, translational trials, exports).
Selection and stewardship: Curated membership (deep tech/biotech/AI/advanced manufacturing/climate-tech) with renewal based on ecosystem contribution, not vanity metrics.
Regulation and compliance: A single front door to government and local bodies; continuous audit and community engagement.
Scaling and market enablement: Shared services (legal, accounting, payroll, CROs), clinical/regulatory navigation, and BD support to accelerate Series B+ readiness.
Public dashboards: Firm portals and zone-level KPIs with external assurance for transparency and accountability.
The operating model to run this will be formed of:
A government management contract with outcomes bonuses indexed to retention, jobs, R&D, exports, and net fiscal uplift
Complemented by membership fees, advisory and executive education, marketplace margins, grants/sponsorships, and data products.
This design mirrors Cambridge’s collegiate model, creating a “new college” for firms, embedding companies in the city’s networks while delivering measurable impacts to Cambridge and the UK.
In summary Cambridge stands at an inflection point: unmatched at invention, under-powered at retention. CIZ covers the gap preserving what makes Cambridge great. With a unique incentive structure and hands-on scaling services, forming a true community, it will keep IP, talent, and ownership rooted in Cambridge while supporting the whole of the UK.
