#21toWatch 2026 Shortlist Showcases Region’s Strength as UK’s Startup Capital

The shortlist for the coveted #21toWatch Awards 2026 has been revealed, showcasing the next generation of standout entrepreneurs and breakthrough innovations from Cambridge and across the East of England. 

The 2026 shortlist reflects a technically rigorous startup community with a strong understanding of real-world problems. While each candidate has a different focus, all are grounded in credible technology, show clear commercial intent and address large-scale challenges spanning healthcare, sustainability, energy, infrastructure and trustworthy AI. 

Highlighted innovations include novel approaches to halt the progression of cancer, tackle the most critical challenges in brain health, improve treatment options for the common yet currently undertreated mental illness, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and turn Organ-on-Chip technology into a transformative reality. 

Also on the list is the world’s lightest, thinnest insulating biomaterial, an emotionally intelligent memory platform, AI models that turn sound into health insights, a social venture focused on enabling trustworthy AI, a solution for tackling the actual cost of climate risk, a drop-in mixture to decarbonise cement and a drop-in solution to increase energy density in redox flow batteries. 

The full short list is detailed in full below: 

This year’s ‘Company’ category is dominated by deeptech and biotech startups with game-changing innovations: from bioelectronic lab-grown organs to advance research capabilities, to phage-based antimicrobials, through to treatments and applications for diverse conditions including cancer, hearing loss, endometriosis and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), a common mental illness for which there are limited treatment options available. Many of these first-of-a-kind technologies are rooted in university research and interdisciplinary engineering. 

The 12 outstanding companies in the running for the seven coveted Top21.2026 Company places are: 

auryx – building AI models that convert sound into health insights, powering heart rate, respiration and advanced cardiovascular monitoring on existing consumer devices, such as the earbuds and devices you already own. Aims to create the world’s best foundation model for turning sound into health insights.   

Cyclana Bio – a team of interdisciplinary scientists merging computational and tissue-level biology to discover a cure for endometriosis by targeting the dark matter of tissue: the extracellular matrix.   

Electra Bio – a startup committed to turning the promise of Organ-on-Chip technology into a transformative reality, empowering innovation through bioelectronic lab-grown organs. By seamlessly blending biology with cutting-edge electronics, Electra Bio aims to revolutionise drug discovery and advance research capabilities, driving progress in science and improving lives.   

FactTrace – building the truth infrastructure for the AI era: a foundation that preserves the integrity of meaning as language moves between people, systems and machines. As societies rely increasingly on AI-generated text and fast-moving information, the ability to verify what has remained true through change will become essential for enterprise, institutional and governmental decision-making.   

Loop52 – circular plastics platform for the automotive industry, creating a scalable system that connects dismantlers, recyclers and OEMs to meet new EU recycled-content regulations for Automotive Plastic Circularity.   

NanoPrint Innovations – specialises in advanced thin-film deposition technology. A startup providing high-speed, vacuum-free deposition systems for industrial and research use, enhancing solar cell efficiency and enabling scalable, cost-effective solar and electronics production.   

Protalea Bio – developing effective treatments that halt the progression of cancer and neurodegeneration, thereby prolonging healthy life. Protalea Bio does this by targeting pre-disease inflammation before the disease has a chance to develop.   

Quadlytics – this patent-pending technology identifies combinations of bacteriophages that work better together to produce efficient phage-based antimicrobials for numerous applications, including in human and animal health, as well as in agriculture.  

RhosynBio – develops innovative antimicrobial surfaces that prevent bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, reducing contamination, corrosion and AMR risk, while enhancing hygiene and sustainability across healthcare, food processing and industrial settings.   

Serenatis Bio – developing three novel drugs to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a common yet poorly treated and devastating mental illness with huge unmet need and commercial opportunity. Each drug has a different mechanism of action – targeting glutamate and dopamine receptors – and uses precision medicine to identify which of the three would best suit individual OCD patients.  

Shuffle Energy – closing the ‘spark gap’ by delivering the software component connecting heat pumps, hot water tanks and e-boiler to energy markets, reducing electric heating costs by 30-60%.   

SomNyx – wants everyone to sleep smarter and dream deeper. Our AI-powered, textile-based sleep wearable will enable clinical-grade sleep monitoring from hospital to home, transforming early diagnostics for several brain disorders.  

The final seven Top21.2026 in the ‘People’ category will be selected from the following 10 standout individuals: 

Aliki Marina Tsopelakou, CLEAR-Methane: Aliki is leading the social venture, CLEAR-Methane at Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge – developing photochemical filtration technologies for ventilation systems, improving indoor air quality while reducing atmospheric methane, a potent greenhouse gas, to deliver combined public-health and environmental benefits with significant climate impact.    

Callon Peate, co-founder, GreenMixes: a startup on a mission to build a carbon-negative future with a drop-in cement admixture, delivering the cheapest, most scalable route to fully decarbonising concrete and turning buildings into long-term carbon sinks.   

Gemma Swan, University of Cambridge: Gemma has developed a novel, highly efficient plant transfection mechanism, integrated into a prototype device, with the aim of enabling large-scale protein production in plant systems.   

Joshua Williams, co-founder, Agseer: a startup enabling mixed-species agriculture with AI models for precision robotics. Agseer’s innovative approach to image generation involves populating digitally simulated fields with 3D models of real plants. This method avoids model biases common to synthetic image generation and allows Agseer to develop training datasets that have diversity far exceeding that of real fields.   

Kristina Khutsishvili, researcher in AI Ethics and Public Sector Decision-Making at the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge: Kristina is working on Episteme, a social venture focused on enabling trustworthy AI and aiming to reshape the ways of building and governing algorithmic systems.   

Mehrdad Asgari, postdoctoral researcher, University of Cambridge: Mehrdad is revolutionising the global dye industry through AI-generated and non-toxic molecular designs resulting in less environmental damage and superior colour performance.   

Mila (Mahlaqua) Noor, Gates Cambridge alumna and postdoctoral Bye-Fellow: Mila is investigating cytomegalovirus placental transmission to develop antiviral strategies improving maternal-fetal health.    

Omer Nivron, co-founder, Ötzi: A unique venture is on a mission to tackle one of the finance industry’s biggest blind spots: the actual cost of climate risk. To this end, Ötzi has built the first physics-informed AI model generating risk forecasts out to 2050, which are not only more accurate than the competition but also faster and radically more cost-effective. This isn’t just about better pricing for insurers; it’s about a more resilient future.    

Osarenkhoe Ogbeide, co-leader, Obasense: A startup creating a new form of low-cost, hyper-sensitive sensors using advanced nanomaterials for detecting toxic and dangerous gases and pollutants for multiple areas and industries.    

Sara AlMahri, Cambridge PhD candidate in AI, co-founder, Alphachain AI: This startup is on a mission to transform supply chain sustainability, ethical traceability and visibility – helping companies, governments and investment funds turn supply chain data into strategic intelligence. The AI model uncovers hidden risks, maps complex multi-tier networks and identifies high-impact opportunities, enabling decision-makers to act with speed, precision and foresight, unlocking value where others see blind spots.  

Lastly, the ‘Things’ category highlights technologies and innovations with the potential to underpin new industries or significantly disrupt existing ones. The seven Top21.2026 ‘Things’ will be selected from the following 10 game-changing innovations from the respective companies: 

Cambridge Atomworks: Nuclear fission micro-reactor providing reliable power to replace diesel for energy intensive local power requirements in off-grid situations such as mining and remote communities.  

Eleon: Scaling the seamless integration of advanced electronics into fabrics – with solutions tailored to help brands and textile manufacturers elevate their textile products to the next level, empowering industries to create outstanding products that are smarter, safer and more connected than ever before.   

HotHouse Therapeutics: Rewriting the future of drug discovery with BotanAI and BotanBio – AI and plant bioengineering platforms that design and make molecules no other laboratories can reach.   

Kodiaq Technologies: Pioneering a drop-in solution for redox flow batteries – enabling scalable, battery-based, long-duration energy storage that is sustainable, globally resilient and highly investable.  

Memorify: Emotionally intelligent memory platform using neuroscience-led AI to automatically document, organise, preserve and resurface life’s most precious moments, bringing joy and connection while safeguarding personal histories for generations to come.   

Myonerv: Wearable medical device for monitoring and treating stroke, enabling patients suffering from upper limb paralysis to regain real-time control of their hand.   

NANOPLUME: Scaling the manufacture of the world’s lightest, thinnest insulating biomaterial, dramatically increasing energy efficiency, space efficiency and circularity.   

Polytecks: Cambridge University spin-out pioneering smart textile technology for next-generation healthcare diagnostics; they have developed high-density e-textile electrode arrays that capture bioelectrical signals from the body’s surface with unprecedented resolution and comfort.   

Sqwish: Helping businesses use AI more efficiently. Its first tool is an API that makes AI inputs smaller (up to 90%) so responses are faster and costs lower, without losing quality.   

Zyvex: Created entirely from Food Standards Agency (FSA)-approved materials, Zyvex® antimicrobial is a breakthrough in food safety. 100% organic, completely food-safe and edible, it significantly reduces the presence of all FSA-listed food-borne bacteria including Listeria – and is also environmentally friendly and carbon negative.  

Now into its eighth year, #21toWatch is organised by multi-award-winning technology communications agency, cofinitive, a Cambridge Management Consulting company.   

Tim Passingham, chairman, Cambridge Management Consulting, said: “This year’s shortlist includes a notable number of early-stage startups founded in 2024 or 2025, including one, FactTrace, which only emerged from stealth this year. #21toWatch’s purpose is to shine a light on genuinely emerging talent, reaffirming Cambridge’s position as the UK’s dynamic startup capital.”  

Each of the candidates on the shortlist are assessed by an independent judging panel against five strict criteria: innovation, the ability to address a real challenge, influence, viability, and memorability. 

The judges for 2026 are (listed alphabetically): 

Samantha Graham, Enterprise Network Manager at Norwich Research Park   

Tasneem Khatib, Cambridge Chapter Lead at CAMentrepreneurs, which was created to support and inspire business and social entrepreneurship among Cambridge University alumni, current students and others.    

Simon Thorpe, an active angel investor at Cambridge Angels, with a focus on the technology.

Super-connector, Amy Weatherup, i-Teams programme director and Co-Chair at Cambridge Angels 

With judging already underway, Tasneem said: “This year’s #21toWatch shortlist is an impressive and exciting showcase of the depth and diversity of innovation coming out of the region. The quality of the ideas, together with the energy, ambition and expertise behind them, really stood out – a real pleasure to judge!” 

In addition to the sponsors and partners supporting #21toWatch, this year’s ceremony is set to enter a new phase thanks to three premium sponsors supporting the event, which includes legal firm, Birketts.  

Partner, Maria Peyman said: “Cambridge and the East of England are truly raising the bar when it comes to innovation and entrepreneurship, and these awards celebrate and recognise the people, companies and creations that are achieving great things. Having been involved with #21toWatch since the first year in 2019, we have seen first-hand the high standard of those ventures and opportunities who make the annual list and are excited to play a role in highlighting this year’s listings and winners in the coming months.”   

The Top21.2026 will be announced at an exclusive ceremony on Thursday 5 March 2026 at The Glasshouse in Cambridge. To stay informed, you can follow #21toWatch on all social media platforms, and at https://www.21towatch.com 

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