Cambridge Enterprise helps early-stage start-ups and University of Cambridge spin-outs to grow their ventures

Cambridge Enterprise, the innovation arm of the University of Cambridge, is opening a starting home for new University of Cambridge companies with the recent refurbishment of ideaSpace West.

The co-working space and founder community, co-located with Cambridge Enterprise at the Entrepreneurship Centre in West Cambridge, will remain focused on creating a community where founders can work to grow their venture and be supported in their development as entrepreneurs and leaders.

ideaSpace West provides Cambridge Enterprise with the ideal starting point for new University of Cambridge companies. The union brings both communities together and paves the way to ever greater collaborations between the University and its portfolio companies. It aims to create the ideal community for early-stage ventures emerging from the University alongside start-ups from the wider ecosystem. The space is designed to cater to a diverse range of startup needs, providing an effective and supportive community, and enabling the free flow of ideas and innovation.

Beyond the physical transformation, ideaSpace West is a symbol of Cambridge Enterprise’s ongoing commitment to fostering innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurial spirit at Cambridge West. Joining current and new members, ideaSpace West will also be the home to the recently launched Founders at the University of Cambridge initiative, which is announcing the first cohort for its accelerator programme in the coming weeks. This first programme will support ten companies from the University community to take forward their ideas via early-stage investment and extensive support leveraging a global alumni network.

Ben Hartley, Head of ideaSpace, said:

“ideaSpace has built a reputation of helping founders and entrepreneurs to grow their businesses by providing both a unique community to connect to and a great space to work – the perfect environment for emerging and ambitious ventures. The union between ideaSpace and Cambridge Enterprise joins together two pivotal segments of the Cambridge innovation ecosystem. Both organisations are fostering a more collaborative and self-sustaining environment for founders, and entrepreneurs in Cambridge. Our new home on the West site embodies this shared vision, and we can’t wait to see what the innovators passing through our doors will do next.”