Winners 

2020

The total amount raised to date by #21toWatch alumni has reached more than £710 million

In 2024, we highlighted that the Top 21 had collectively raised £110 million in a single year. In 2025, that number surged by 42%, with alumni raising over £183 million – bringing the total amount raised to date to more than £710 million (excluding CMR Surgical private equity, and undisclosed deals).

 Full #21toWatch List


Name Description People / Company / Thing Longlist Shortlist Top 21

5280 Holdings

Company ✓

8power

A remote condition monitoring solution for industrial assets such as motors, pumps and generators, providing early warning of equipment failure

Thing ✓ ✓ ✓

9Barista

Thing ✓

Ablatus Therapeutics

A medical device company developing Bimodal Electric Tissue Ablation (BETA) a novel ground-breaking ablation platform technology that has the potential to offer treatment options where existing technologies cannot

Company ✓ ✓

AC Biode

The world's first-ever AC (Alternating Current) battery by "Biode"ÔÇï, which has both the characteristics of Anode/Cathode

Company ✓ ✓

Academy of Magic and Science

Thing ✓

Achilles Therapeutics

Company ✓

Actiphage by PBD Biotech

Actiphage, the worldÔÇÖs first rapid, sensitive blood test for tuberculosis. By detecting live mycobacteria, at an early stage of infection, it enables effective disease control of human and bovine TB

Thing ✓ ✓ ✓

Agile Analog

Founded to accelerate the pace of chip innovation by providing smaller, cheaper, more reliable, and lower power analog chip designs. AgileÔÇÖs AI-driven platform replaces the existing manual design process, which has not fundamentally changed in 60 years

Company ✓ ✓ ✓

AI VIVO

Company ✓

Aitrak

Company ✓

AlphaBio Control

Company ✓

Anthony Smith

People ✓

Antiverse

Antiverse is building a world-first computational antibody drug discovery platform

Company ✓ ✓

Anvil

Enables anyone who can write some Python to build a full-stack web app and publish it

Thing ✓ ✓

AptaCam

AptaCam is a University of Cambridge spin-off company dedicated to being a leading supplier of high quality oligonucleotides

Company ✓ ✓

aqdot

 Supramolecular chemistry company that has made its patented technology AqTMFresh Professional available for the first time

Company ✓ ✓

Arcus Answer

Thing ✓

Arecor

Company ✓

Arete Medical Technologies

Drastically lowering the cost of specialist-grade diagnostics for chronic lung conditions like asthma and COPD, enabling access for early diagnosis, improved drug targeting, and preventing flare-ups

Company ✓ ✓

Atelerix

Atelerix has a transformative technology for the storage and transport of viable cells at room temperature, overcoming the barriers and limitations presented by the current need for cryo-shipping

Company ✓ ✓

Audacious SIM technology

Thing ✓

Audio Analytic

Company ✓

AudioTelligence

Leading the world in blind audio signal separation from multi-microphone audio

Thing ✓ ✓ ✓

Azuri TV

Thing ✓

Bamboo Systems

Provides a new-generation of ARM based server-class platform that natively converges compute, storage and networking with support for web-scale application deployment in a high-density, low-power and scalable manner

Company ✓ ✓

Barocal Ltd

Commercialising barocaloric cooling technology to satisfy low carbon refridgeration requirements

Company ✓ ✓

Beth Singler

Junior Research Fellow in AI. Beth thinks about what you think about machines that might think! As an anthropologist, she researches our fears about killer robots as well as the genuine social impact of AI.

People ✓ ✓ ✓

Biofidelity Ltd

Provides high performing novel molecular assays for the sensitive detection of low-frequency genetic mutations

Company ✓

BiologIC Technologies

BiologIC's pioneering architecture enables a radically advanced generation of automation. Our ÔÇ£factory-in-a-boxÔÇØ will provide patient access to high quality therapies.┬á Our ambition is to┬ácreate an empowering ÔÇÿdesktop PCÔÇÖ that drives the next wave of biological innovation

Thing ✓ ✓

BIOS

Creating the open standard hardware and software interface between the human nervous system and AI

Company ✓

Biosceptre

Biosceptre takes a new approach to precision targeting of P2X7 in cancer, by exploiting a novel variant - "non functional" P2X7 - which has been shown to have a critical role in the survival of many cancer cell types

Company ✓ ✓

Bit Bio

Our breakthrough technology combines synthetic and stem cell biology, offering limitless possibilities. Enabling a new generation of cell therapies, providing the best human cells for research and drug discovery, and allowing the control of advanced synthetic biology circuits for biomanufacturing

Company ✓ ✓

Blighter Surveillance Systems

Blighter Surveillance Systems is a world leading designer and manufacturer of electronic-scanning radars and surveillance solutions

Company ✓ ✓

Blue Tap

Thing ✓

Blueshift Memory

Company ✓

Blutick

Thing ✓

Brigette Bard

Developed an HIV self-testing kit with her start-up, BioSure. Based in Nazeing, Essex, the products are approved for use in Britain and South Africa and are dispensed in vending machines at some hospitals

People ✓ ✓ ✓

Callum Coombes

CEO at Safepoint, Non-Executive Director at Menta and an active member of the East Anglian business community. He aims to save lives with his current business and works to make entrepreneurialism more accessible regionally

People ✓ ✓

Camb.ai

Thing ✓

Cambod

Thing ✓

Cambridge Cancer Genomics

Builds the software to enable data-driven precision oncology. The precision AI platform analyses and interprets tumour DNA, enabling oncologists to provide more effective, personalised treatment for cancer patients

Company ✓ ✓ ✓

Cambridge Carbon Capture

Developed a potentially game-changing solution to climate change

Company ✓ ✓ ✓

Cambridge DataLab 

Company ✓

Cambridge Energy Data Lab

Company ✓

Cambridge Energy Partners

Thing ✓

Cambridge Gan Devices

CGD develops highly efficient power electronics targeting energy savings in applications ranging from power supplies for consumer electronics to LED drives, data centers and wireless chargers

Company ✓ ✓

Cambridge LaunchPad

Thing ✓

Cambridge Mask Company

Respirators that use military grade filtration technology

Thing ✓ ✓

Cambridge Picture Company

Company ✓

Cambridge Spark

Cambridge Spark provides Data Science training and recruitment solutions for professionals

Thing ✓ ✓

Cambridge Touch Technologies

Transforming how smart devices are used, making them more convenient and useful in everyday life

Company ✓ ✓

Camena Bioscience 

Company ✓

Camnexus

We develop world-class real-time monitoring systems that integrate low-power sensors and long-range connectivity with predictive analytics for key assets management, particularly water resources, saving operational costs and reducing the impact on the environment

Company ✓ ✓

Cascade50- Sage Dashboards

Thing ✓

Catherine Breslin

Catherine Breslin is a machine learning scientist and consultant based in Cambridge. After completing her PhD at the University of Cambridge, Catherine went on to work on automatic speech recognition, natural language understanding and human-computer dialogue systems for the likes of Toshiba Research and the Amazon Alexa team

People ✓ ✓

Cheddar Creative

Company ✓

Circuit Builder

Circuit Builder is a brand new way to create professionally designed circuit boards. Upload your requirements, see a detailed breakdown of costs and watch in real-time as your project progresses to completion

Thing ✓ ✓

Citispotter Limited

Citispotter is a Cranfield and Cambridge (UK) based Startup, working towards developing cutting edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions to offer insightful and actionable content analysis to optimize business decisions, eliminating misinformation, hate speech and fake news from the content.

Company ✓

Claire Thompson

People ✓

  Closed Loop Medicine 

Company ✓

Cognidox

Thing ✓

COGZ

Marketplace for farmers, growers and growers to sell surplus produce directly to trade buyers before it becomes food waste

Company ✓ ✓

Conundrum

An AI powered software for industrial companies. It oversees a whole production process and assists factory engineers in decision making, helping to reduce waste and downtime

Company ✓ ✓

Coral Eyewear

Coral Eyewear is on a mission to bring the eyewear market into a realm of sustainability. Industry-leading spectacles and sunglasses are produced using ghost fishing nets and recycled plastic

Thing ✓ ✓

CorrosionRADAR

Remote sensing technologies and advanced analytic systems for smart infrastructures

Company ✓ ✓

CropVax

CropVax is a company focussed on improving global agricultural crop productivity while minimising environmental impact

Company ✓ ✓

Curvy Balance Board 

Thing ✓

Dataswift.io

A revolutionary platform for building apps and websites on user-owned personal data, Dataswift is a new kind of fundamental technology infrastructure that promises to change how the Internet is built

Company ✓ ✓

DevelopingExperts

We bridge the gap between education and industry enabling sectors to fulfill their future needs with the experts of tomorrow by supporting teachers to deliver careers through the curriculum

Company ✓ ✓

Doc2

Doc2 speeds up the creation, sending and signing of contracts for SME businesses

Thing ✓ ✓

Dr Catherine Elton

People ✓

Dr Catherine Ramsdale

People ✓

Dr Kam Pooni

A highly accomplished senior business leader with 20+ yearsÔÇÖ experience in driving entrepreneurship and commercial success┬áin the Lifesciences industry. KamÔÇÖs passion is mentoring young entrepreneurs to achieve success

People ✓ ✓

Dr Kate Hilyard 

People ✓

Dr Meritxell Huch

People ✓

Dyslexia Box

Company ✓

Eagle Genomics 

Award-winning AI augmented knowledge discovery platform, the e[automateddatascientist], is revolutionising how scientists conduct life sciences research and is bridging the gap between data and new insights in a rapid, systematic and traceable way

Company ✓ ✓

EBCam

Company ✓

Echion Technologies

Building next generation Li-ion batteries to power the future of e-mobility

Company ✓ ✓

Emersive

Company ✓

Emily MacKay

People ✓

Emma Sceats

People ✓

ET-traps

Company ✓

Fafaza Precision Crop Spraying

Thing ✓

Federica Freddi

People ✓

FlexEnable

Developed and industrialised the lowest cost organic electronics platform for flexible, ultrathin and ultralight displays and optical modules that can be applied to almost any surface

Thing ✓ ✓ ✓

Flit

Thing ✓

Focal Point Positioning

Creating innovative advances in the fields of positioning, navigation and timing, both indoors and outside

Company ✓ ✓

Fotis Fotiadis

Each year over 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted globally. Fotis, cofounder of Better Origin, is one to watch for his work pioneering the transformation of organic waste into high-quality functional animal feed

People ✓ ✓ ✓

Foundries.io

Foundries.io is addressing security and device management for IoT and Edge devices

Thing ✓ ✓ ✓

Fran Baker

People ✓

FutureYou

Thing ✓

Gaia Fancellu

People ✓

Genomics PLC 

Company ✓

Giorgia Longobardi

Co-founder of Cambridge Gan Devices

People ✓ ✓

Glyconics

Glyconics exploits the ability of using light electromagnetic (EM) radiation within a specified IR range to produce a distinctive IR molecular ÔÇÿfingerprintÔÇÖ for a healthy vs a non-healthy sample

Company ✓ ✓

Goncalo de Vasconcelos

People ✓

Gordon Wishart 

People ✓

Granta Innovation

Company ✓

Healthera

Using the Healthera app, which is listed on the NHS Digital apps library, patients can order and track their prescriptions, access clinical services, and monitor their medication intake in one digital end-to-end solution

Thing ✓ ✓

Healx

Company ✓

Heartfelt Technologies

Exists to help patients, their families, carers and doctors, to reduce hospital re-admission rates from congestive heart failure de-compensation

Thing ✓ ✓

Herdsy

Herdsy is an award-winning international technology company, that has developed a technology that helps to solve the biggest issue in the Beef Industry, namely sustainability

Thing ✓ ✓ ✓

HexCam

Thing ✓

Iceni Diagnostics

Transformational approach to diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics using carbohydrates rather than proteins or nucleic acids

Company ✓ ✓

Inawisdom

Inawisdom's focus is on differentiation through data exploitation, using the latest enterprise-ready techniques in predictive analytics, machine learning, natural language processing and artificial intelligence to exploit latent value in organisationÔÇÖs data assets

Company ✓ ✓

Intellegens

Our mission is to revolutionise industrial formulations through deep learning, optimising new formulation and process design to deliver better materials, chemicals and drugs, faster and cheaper

Company ✓ ✓

Intellisense.io

IntelliSense.io is an Industrial AI company making mining operations efficient, sustainable and safe through trusted and open Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions. Deployments across Chile, Australia, Kazakhstan, Brazil and South Africa

Company ✓ ✓

iSeer

Thing ✓

Isogenica

Company ✓

Isomerase

Helping companies discover and develop the next generation of microbial products

Company ✓ ✓

James Dean

James is the CEO and co-founder of Plastometrex, a company that is leveraging advanced numerical modelling and machine learning algorithms to transform the mechanical materials testing industry

People ✓ ✓

Jason Mellad

Jason is a scientist entrepreneur passionate about translating innovative technologies into more effective therapies and better patient outcomes. Before founding Start Codon in 2019, he was CEO of Cambridge Epigenetix

People ✓ ✓

Joe Glover

People ✓

John Cassidy

John is Co-Founder and CEO at CCG.ai, a startup transforming cancer care through its AI platform for DNA analysis: enabling oncologists to provide more effective, personalised treatment for cancer patients

People ✓ ✓ ✓

Kalium Health

Empowering millions worldwide with kidney disease to manage their health and reduce their cost of care by enabling blood electrolyte monitoring by anyone, anywhere

Company ✓ ✓

Kane Halsey

Founder & CEO at Pickr. As CEO Secured £1m investment-biggest institutional investment to Norfolk business in several years. Internal headcount 3x larger than it was a year ago. The team were named Computing's 'Team of the Year'

People ✓ ✓

 Karmacoin Referral Platform

Thing ✓ ✓

Katja Hofmann

Dr Katja Hofmann is a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research in Cambridge, where she leads the Game Intelligence theme. She and her team develop new AI approaches with applications in video games, and other real-world applications

People ✓ ✓ ✓

KisanHub

Platform which connects farmers, agronomists and procurement managers to manage their supply chains effciently

Company ✓ ✓ ✓

Krittika D'Silva

People ✓

Kubos

Developing low energy consuming LEDs using proprietary cubic-GaN technology

Thing ✓ ✓

KuduSmart

Crossbridge Scientific offers a simple, minimal effort fitness test delivered via a wearable device (KuduSmart) to measure human thermoregulation

Thing ✓ ✓

Legal Sphere

Thing ✓

Light Blue Fibre 

Thing ✓

Lightcast Discovery

Cell manipulation platform that uses tiny spots of light to control thousands of cells and reagents simultaneously, allowing us to radically alter drug discovery workflows for the pharmaceutical industry

Company ✓ ✓

Limpet

Limpet is the cutting-edge smart alarm for your bike, motorbike, or high value property which deters, detects and delays theft. Controlled via a simple app, you stay connected

Thing ✓ ✓

Linn Clabburn

People ✓

Loubna Bouarfa

Founder and CEO of Okra Technologies - 15 years researching the field of artificial intelligence (AI), Loubna's goal is to move the healthcare industry towards a future of personalised medicine powered by explainable AI

People ✓ ✓

Louise Birritteri

People ✓

lowRISC

Company ✓

Meteor Inkjet Ltd 

Company ✓

Mogrify

Mogrify has developed a proprietary cellular conversion technology, which makes it possible to transform (transmogrify) any mature cell type into any other, while bypassing the stem cell- stage, addressing challenges associated with efficacy, safety and scalability in the development and manufacture of new cell therapies

Company ✓ ✓

Mursla

Mursla is Cambridge-based startup developing a novel platform to trace tumour early in the blood via the discovery and quantification of cancer-specific exosome subpopulations

Company ✓ ✓

Myriofoam

Developing high capillarity micron-scale metal foams for heat transfer, energy storage and lightweight structures

Company ✓ ✓

NeoPhore

Creating novel small molecule immuno-oncology therapeutics

Company ✓ ✓

Nu Quantum

Developing ground-breaking quantum hardware components and end-to-end quantum cryptography systems

Company ✓ ✓ ✓

Obrizum

An enterprise cloud platform by OBRIZUM group Ltd which allows companies to automatically create, deliver and monitor adaptive digital learning programmes on a global scale

Thing ✓ ✓

Okra Technologies 

OKRA delivers suggestions, predictions and explanations to empower life sciences executives and operational teams to drive the right drug, to the right patient with humanised and understandable AI outputs

Company ✓ ✓

Optibrium

Elegant software solutions for small molecule design, optimisation and data analysis

Company ✓ ✓

Orca Scan

Thing ✓

Outfield Technologies 

Platform for gathering, analysing and viewing the data you need to manage your orchard effectively

Company ✓ ✓

Padlock

Company ✓

Pavegen

Company ✓

PenTail Enzymes

Company ✓

Peter Knight

People ✓

Phoremost

Focuses on bringing more effective and affordable targeted medicines to patients

Company ✓ ✓

Photovoltaic Glazing

By Polysolar a developer, manufacturer and installer of transparent photovoltaic glazing ÔÇô windows that produce renewable electricity ÔÇô thereby turning buildings into power stations

Thing ✓ ✓

Pickr

We enable businesses to deliver major infrastructure projects, by changing the way they build their delivery teams

Thing ✓ ✓

POCKiT diagnostics

New blood test to diagnose potentially fatal strokes

Company ✓ ✓

PodGroup

Thing ✓

PragmatIC

Thing ✓

PredictImmune

Company ✓

Qbio

Company ✓

Qureight

Qureight was founded in 2018 by 2 Cambridge doctors. Their platform enables analysis of images and data from multiple sources to better model diseases and assist with clinical trial endpoints

Company ✓ ✓

Rachael Andrews

People ✓

Rachel Briant

People ✓

Rainbird AI

Rainbird is an AI-powered automated decision-making platform that allows businesses to replicate and scale their best workers

Thing ✓ ✓

Ravi Solanki

People ✓

Reflection Therapeutics

Reflection Therapeutics is a startup developing cell therapies for the treatment of ALS and other devastating neurodegenerative diseases. Their technology guides anti-inflammatory cell therapies directly to tissue sites of need

Company ✓ ✓ ✓

Rend Platings

CEO at Sugarwise. Sugarwise is the international certification authority for sugar claims on food and drink. It assesses foods and beverages on the basis of their sugar claims

People ✓ ✓

Repeat XP

Thing ✓

Rita Cristina Leitao

People ✓

Riverlane

Quantum computing software technology which is transofirming the discovery of new materials and drugs

Company ✓ ✓ ✓

RoboK

Cost-effective 3D sensing technologies for automotive safety

Thing ✓ ✓

Ruchi Sharma

Ruchi is Founder and CEO of Stemnovate Limited. She led a million pound project co-funded by Innovate UK (2017-2019) to successfully deliver cutting edge liver on chip technology

People ✓ ✓ ✓

Safepoint

Thing ✓

Safety Rocks

Company ✓

Samer Kurdi

People ✓

Sano Genetics

Connects people with research in personalised medicine. We provide access to free genome sequencing and analysis for research participants. You own your data and have full control over how it used

Thing ✓ ✓

Sarah Howell

People ✓

Satavia

At SATAVIA our vision is to make aviation smarter and more sustainable: We simplify decision-making for cleaner, greener, next-generation aviation

Company ✓ ✓

Savoursmiths

Company ✓

Sense Biodetection

Company ✓

Serena Belluschi

Serena is co-founder and operations lead at Majico and scientist a Mogrify. She combines her interest and work in cell therapy with her other goal: providing affordable and off-grid water purification technologies to the developing world

People ✓ ✓ ✓

Shift Bioscience Ltd 

Pre-clinical biotech company targeting the root cause of aging to extend healthy lifespan

Company ✓ ✓

Smartmask

Unlimitech is developing the SmartmaskÔäó, a state-of-the-art wearable fitness tracker that analyzes breath flow and composition in real-time to assist sportspeople in the difficult process of optimizing performance

Thing ✓ ✓

Sook

Developed a rent-by-the-hour business model which allows retailers to pay only for the time they are in the shop

Thing ✓ ✓

Sorex Sensors

Company ✓

Spark EV Technology 

AI-based range prediction software for electric vehicles that overcomes range anxiety and builds driver trust

Company ✓ ✓

Start Codon

Thing ✓

Stemnovate

Company ✓

Supapass

Thing ✓

Sutherland Partners Ltd

Company ✓

Sutrue

Sutrue has created an automated suturing device to make medical stitching safer, quicker and more accurate. Our patented mechanism can take all industry-standard needles/sutures, and rotate them at the touch of a button

Thing ✓ ✓

Tactful AI

Tactful uses AI and real-time analytics to provide 360-view of the customer and empower customer care agents to deliver personalized and rewarding experience across digital platforms

Thing ✓ ✓

techspert.io

techspert.io, developers of the worldÔÇÖs first AI-driven solution to knowledge exchange, uses AI technology powered by machine learning to connect businesses with experts to help them make more informed decisions

Thing ✓ ✓ ✓

TechVelocity 

Company ✓

Tevva

Thing ✓

The CashCuff┬« 

Designers of the World's First Payment Shirt. DressCode is taking contactless payment to new levels - no wallet or phone required. Secure payments and more direct from your shirt

Thing ✓ ✓

Thyngs

We connect any physical object to a digital experience using a smartphone, without the need for an app

Thing ✓ ✓

Tripism

Thing ✓

Turation

Company ✓

Veena Adityan

Founder & CEO @ Smartbell

People ✓ ✓

Velocity Commerce

Company ✓

VeriTherm

Thing ✓

VividQ

VividQ is a deep tech company with world-leading expertise in 3D holography. Their patented software powers holographic display in smart-glasses, automotive Head-Up Displays and more

Company ✓ ✓

VNC Automotive

Company ✓

WAi2Go

The WAi2Go platform by Smart Networked Environments is the defining framework for all SmartNE projects: a sophisticated, powerful platform for a wide variety of smart city, campus and building solutions

Thing ✓ ✓

Wavelength.law

Company ✓

Wavye

Pioneering artificial intelligence software for self-driving cars

Company ✓ ✓

Xampla

Plastic pollution is choking our planet.┬á Xampla has the highly innovative solution ÔÇö a natural plastic alternative entirely made from peas

Thing ✓ ✓ ✓

Yagro

Web based platform helping farm input supply chain

Company ✓ ✓