Through the keyhole in Cambridge Wide Open Week’s bio-innovation ‘at home’
Cambridge Wide Open Week in June is the brainwave of Prashant Shah and his life science funding and facilitating team at o2h group.
The week-long interactive festival will showcase Cambridge’s pioneers, the companies of the future, and some of its most successful enterprises will be opening their offices and workspaces in what has become one of the world’s most vibrant ecosystems.
The event will run from June 9-13, offering an immersive experience to global investors, CEO’s and employees, sci-tech enthusiasts, policymakers and academics in the ecosystem – as well as to curious residents alike.
Some of the Cambridge Cluster’s leading companies and science parks will open their doors for rare behind-the-scenes tours where visitors can interact with the latest advancements in science that are shaping the future.
Central to the event will be a two-day ‘Ventures Tour’ where cutting edge biotech/ techbio companies from startup to series B will be making investment pitches. The tours are aimed primarily at venture capitalists, angel investors, corporate investors and financial institutions, who are interested in Cambridge and seeking exciting investment opportunities in life sciences.
The pitching events will showcase portfolio clients from Accelerate@Babraham, Amadeus Capital, Cambridge Angels, Cambridge Enterprise, Cambridge Innovation Capital, Cambridge Judge Business School, Innovate UK, o2h Ventures, Meltwind, Parkwalk Advisors and Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst.
Cambridge Wide Open Week will also include a mix of keynotes, talks, discussions, workshops, pitches, masterclasses, demos, conferences, networking receptions and community-driven events.
New this year are the BIA TechBio X event and the AstraZeneca Exchange event, both of which are taking place at AZ’s iconic DISC hub at Cambridge Biomedical Campus.
There will also be a biotech bikers event – a Community Day led by Form the Future in which local students are connected to careers in science, a Creative Disruption Forum event, a networking event by Conexen, a o2h Group summer garden party, and more.
The event is supported by sponsors and partners including law firm Mills & Reeve – the title sponsor and an advocate for life sciences innovation –alongside Keltie, FORA, Appleyard Lees, Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, Deloitte, and ET Capital.
o2h co-founder and co-CEO Prashant Shah says: “Cambridge is one of the most exciting ecosystems in the world and this community-driven endeavour showcases the best of its places, people, and companies in the form of an interactive festival. We are excited about shaping a week of life sciences at the home of life sciences.
“By bringing together such a dynamic group, we aim to create opportunities for inspiration, collaboration, investment and knowledge-sharing. Last year, more than 1,000 people explored 160+ companies across 21+ venues where 177+ talks, presentations, tours, demos and masterclasses took place during Cambridge Wide Open Day.”
• Organisations wishing to participate or sponsor the event should email cwow@o2h.com by April 30. More information on attending can be found at www.cambridgewideopenweek.com or you can visit the official LinkedIn page.
