Bloomberg lauds Cambridge tech stars in UK Startup pantheon
Bloomberg UK's Startups to Watch, now in its second year, canvassed the UK to find 25 startups that represent the diversity and innovation of the country's startup scene.
Regarding Sano Genetics, Bloomberg said: “Getting a new drug to market typically takes 10 to 15 years, three phases of clinical trials and more than $1 billion.
“Sano Genetics wants to expedite this process for precision medicine, where treatments are tailored to the individual based on their DNA. Sano’s platform combines genetic testing and the recruitment of patients to clinical trials, which helps cut the time and cost of discovering new treatments.
“Co-founded by three graduate students at the University of Cambridge, Sano most recently raised $11.4 million in a funding round led by VC firm Plural. It has also secured several innovation grants to fund rare disease studies including long Covid and ALS.”
The Bloomberg announcement follows a series of recent accolades for the impact Secondmind is having in the automotive industry, including the company’s selection for the Tech Nation Future Fifty accelerator programme, an Automotive Testing Technology International Award and success the recent Business Weekly Awards.
Bloomberg editors recognised Secondmind as one of the most innovative, fast-growing UK businesses after considering a number of criteria, including the scope of the problem being tackled, the creativity of ideas, the traction generated amongst investors and customers, and the commitment to diversity.
In making the list, Secondmind joins notable alumni from Bloomberg’s inaugural list in 2023, such as Pragmatic Semiconductor, HealX, and Monzo, who are recognised as leading innovators in the UK's tech sector.
Secondmind CEO, Gary Brotman, said: “Being recognised as one of Bloomberg UK’s Startups to Watch in 2024 is a testament to the determination and ingenuity of our team, who are committed to pioneering AI-driven solutions that help engineers achieve more with less data.
“We are thrilled to be featured alongside some of the UK’s most promising startups and look forward to continuing our journey of innovation and sustainable growth.”
Wayve co-founder and CEO Alex Kendall completed his PhD at Cambridge. The company is developing what it calls ‘embodied AI’ for self-driving cars, enabling them to learn from situations that don’t follow strict rules, such as erratic or unexpected actions by drivers, pedestrians or cyclists. It has run tests of its technology on delivery routes for grocery retailers Asda and Ocado.
The London-based company raised more than $1 billion in a funding round led by SoftBank this year, with Microsoft and chipmaker Nvidia among the investor pool.
Both SanoGenetics, through CTO Charlotte Guzzo, and Secondmind clinched accolades at this year’s Business Weekly Awards. Charlotte was named Woman Entrepreneur of the Year while Secondmind clinched the Sir Michael Marshall Engineering Excellence trophy.
