Cambridge Enterprise Ventures

Cambridge Enterprise Ventures is the direct investment arm of the University of Cambridge, deploying university capital into spin-outs and start-ups founded by Cambridge academics, researchers, students, and recent alumni. Operating an evergreen fund of approximately £50M — bolstered by an additional £30M university commitment in 2020, with £10M earmarked for sustainability investments — the fund invests across all sectors emerging from university research, including life sciences, deep tech, AI, cleantech, and advanced materials. Check sizes range from £20K Pathfinder grants for early market and IP validation up to £500K at seed stage, with pre-seed investments of up to £100K also available. Based in Cambridge, UK, the fund has invested £55M across more than 210 companies since 1995, catalysing over £3.5B in follow-on capital and achieving a 3.03x realized multiple on exits. Cambridge Enterprise Ventures always syndicates with co-investors at seed stage and maintains a network of over 100 angel and VC co-investors through its Cambridge Enterprise Venture Partners (CEVP) programme. Eligibility is restricted to ventures with a strong founder or technology connection to the University of Cambridge.