Cambridge Innovation Capital

Cambridge Innovation Capital (CIC) is a UK-based venture firm closely tied to the University of Cambridge ecosystem, backing deep-tech and life-sciences companies emerging from the Cambridge research base and the broader UK innovation cluster. The fund has a distinctive position as one of the most credible Cambridge-affiliated investors, with a portfolio that spans therapeutics, diagnostics, biotech tools, AI, semiconductors, and quantum computing. Healthcare exposure is substantial and skewed toward science-driven companies — therapeutics platforms, AI-driven drug discovery, novel diagnostics, and biology-enabled tools — rather than provider-side digital health software. Stage focus runs from seed through growth, with check sizes plausibly GBP 1M to 20M and the ability to lead and follow on through company life. Founders who should approach: UK-based, science-credentialed founders building deep-tech healthcare or life-sciences companies, particularly those with Cambridge research affiliations or strong scientific advisors from the UK academic network; AI-native drug discovery and diagnostics platforms with validated technical milestones. Founders who should not approach: pure software clinical workflow tools, consumer health apps, US-only companies, and any team without demonstrable scientific or technical depth. CIC’s value-add is the Cambridge network — academics, KOLs, scientific advisors, and downstream institutional capital — combined with patient capital and life-sciences-aware governance. Entry path is warm introduction through Cambridge Enterprise (the university tech-transfer office), Cambridge-based scientific founders, or UK biotech VCs. Their LinkedIn and Crunchbase pages list partners and portfolio. Cold outbound is lower-yield given the network-driven sourcing. If your science is real, build a relationship with Cambridge before raising.