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Cambridge Innovation Capital

Europe, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, Cambridge

Description

Cambridge Innovation Capital (CIC) is a prominent European venture capital firm deeply embedded within the Cambridge, United Kingdom, innovation ecosystem. Specializing in deep technology and life sciences, CIC primarily invests in companies originating from or closely linked to the University of Cambridge and the broader UK innovation landscape. Its core mission revolves around commercializing world-class research and intellectual property, bridging the gap between scientific discovery and market-ready solutions. The firm plays a crucial role in nurturing early-stage ventures, providing not just capital but also strategic guidance and access to a vast network of scientific and industry experts.

CIC's investment strategy focuses on Seed, Series A, and Series B rounds, with a clear emphasis on long-term partnerships and significant follow-on funding. The firm seeks out companies with disruptive technologies, strong intellectual property, and experienced management teams capable of scaling globally. While initial investments typically range from £1 million to £10 million, CIC is prepared to commit substantial additional capital throughout a company's growth trajectory, often investing up to £30 million over the lifetime of a single portfolio company. This patient capital approach allows portfolio companies to achieve critical milestones and build sustainable businesses.

Since its inception, Cambridge Innovation Capital has raised significant funds to support its investment thesis. In 2022, the firm successfully closed its third fund, CIC III, at £175 million, bringing its total assets under management to over £500 million. This substantial capital base underscores its capacity to support ambitious ventures. Its portfolio boasts numerous success stories, including companies that have achieved significant clinical breakthroughs, developed cutting-edge AI solutions, or been acquired by global industry leaders, demonstrating CIC's impact on the UK's deep tech and life sciences sectors.

Investor Profile

Cambridge Innovation Capital has backed more than 90 startups, with 8 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 31 rounds, about 34% of its total and boasts 9 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Series A, Series B, Series Unknown rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in United Kingdom, United States, Ireland.
  • Strong thematic focus on Biotechnology, Health Care, Software.
  • Led 2 rounds in the past year.
  • Typical check size: $1.3M – $12.7M.

Stage Focus

  • Series A (32%)
  • Series B (27%)
  • Series Unknown (14%)
  • Seed (13%)
  • Series C (8%)
  • Series D (3%)
  • Corporate Round (1%)
  • Pre Seed (1%)

Country Focus

  • United Kingdom (89%)
  • United States (8%)
  • Ireland (2%)
  • Hong Kong (1%)

Industry Focus

  • Biotechnology
  • Health Care
  • Software
  • Therapeutics
  • Information Technology
  • Medical
  • Medical Device
  • Artificial Intelligence (Ai)
  • Genetics
  • Machine Learning
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Cambridge Innovation Capital frequently co-invest with?

Tencent
Asia, Guangdong, China, Shenzhen
Co-Investments: 7
Watrium AS
Europe, Oslo, Norway, Oslo
Co-Investments: 5
Amadeus Capital Partners
Europe, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, Cambridge
Co-Investments: 13
IP Group
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 6
Octopus Ventures
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 7
University of Cambridge Enterprise
Europe, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, Cambridge
Co-Investments: 14
IQ Capital
Europe, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, Cambridge
Co-Investments: 5
EC
Europe, Madrid, Spain, Madrid
Co-Investments: 5
M Ventures
Europe, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands, Amsterdam
Co-Investments: 4
Parkwalk Advisors
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 16

Which angels does Cambridge Innovation Capital often collaborate with?

JB
Europe, Surrey, United Kingdom, Guildford
Shared Deals: 2
CA
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Shared Deals: 1
HB
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
WT
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Shared Deals: 1
IP
Europe, Southern Finland, Finland, Helsinki
Shared Deals: 1
MM
Europe, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, Cambridge
Shared Deals: 1
CN
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Shared Deals: 1
PP
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Shared Deals: 1
JM
North America, Massachusetts, United States, Cambridge
Shared Deals: 5
BB
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1

What are some of recent deals done by Cambridge Innovation Capital?

Sortera Bio

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

Sortera Bio operates as a biotechnology company.

BiotechnologyLife ScienceMedical
Pre SeedJun 5, 2025
Amount Raised: $10,180,355
TRIMTECH Therapeutics

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

TRIMTECH Therapeutics treats inflammatory and persistent CNS conditions by focusing on the elimination of harmful proteins.

BiotechnologyMedicalTherapeutics
SeedMar 5, 2025
Amount Raised: $31,000,000
Salience Labs

Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

Salience Labs offers photonic solutions designed to enhance connectivity for AI data center infrastructure.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Data CenterIT InfrastructureMachine LearningSensorSoftware
Series AFeb 7, 2025
Amount Raised: $30,000,000
Forefront RF

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

Forefront RF is a fabless semiconductor company.

Semiconductor
Series ANov 7, 2024
Amount Raised: $20,773,043
Epitopea

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

Epitopea is a transatlantic cancer immunotherapeutics company.

BiotechnologyLife ScienceTherapeutics
SeedOct 24, 2024
Amount Raised: $31,000,000
Nuclera

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

Nuclera offers a protein prototyping system to accelerate drug discovery by making proteins readily available to researchers.

BiotechnologyLife SciencePharmaceutical
Series COct 15, 2024
Amount Raised: $75,000,000
Microbiotica

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

Microbiotica is a developer of human microbiome therapeutics intended to discover and develop live bacterial therapeutics and biomarkers.

BiotechnologyHealth CareTherapeutics
Series UnknownAug 27, 2024
Riverlane

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

Riverlane develops software solutions to harness the power of quantum computers for practical applications.

ComputerInformation TechnologyQuantum ComputingSoftware
Series CAug 6, 2024
Amount Raised: $75,000,000
Phosphor AI

Hong Kong, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong

Phosphor AI provides personalized AI tutoring solutions for secondary education.

EducationInformation Technology
SeedJan 4, 2024
Amount Raised: $2,500,000
Pragmatic Semiconductor

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

Pragmatic is a ultra-low-cost flexible electronics enabling novel solutions not practical with conventional electronics

ElectronicsFoundriesInternet of ThingsManufacturingProduct DesignSemiconductor
Series DDec 6, 2023
Amount Raised: $203,437,082