University of Cambridge, Dept of Physics

Qkine

Qkine, spun out from the University of Cambridge, specializes in the manufacture of recombinant proteins, with applications in cellular agriculture, organoid research, and stem cell research, amongst others.

Coolbrook

Finland-based Coolbrook has developed rotodynamic heating technology for fully electric, high temperature heat generation. IDTechEx Technology Analysts Eve Pope and Thomas Bithell spoke with Chief Commercial Officer Lauri Peltola.

Zinergy UK Ltd

Printed battery company based in Cambridge, UK, producing ultra-thin batteries using zinc-manganese dioxide chemistry.

nu quantum

nu quantum is a spin-out from the University of Cambridge 'building the entanglement fabric essential to scaling quantum computers'.

Immaterial: MOF Manufacturer

Immaterial is a UK-based start-up that manufactures shaped monolithic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).

Intellegens

Cambridge, UK-based company Intellegens applies machine learning processes to sparse and noisy data to speed up R&D. This is application-agnostic, with sectors served including materials, chemicals, life sciences and manufacturing.

Envisics

Founded in January 2018, from an augmented reality wearables parent company, DAQRI, Envisics has grown in the heads-up display (HUD) space, being valued more recently at US$500M with investments from large OEMs such as Hyundai Mobis, Stellantis, GM Ventures or Inmotion Ventures from Jaguar Land Rover. With research that spun out of the University of Cambridge, Envisics has evolved significantly, bringing this solution to the automotive industry. Led by Dr Jamieson Christmas, Envisics is bringing holographic displays to augmented reality HUDs (AR-HUDS) and providing full depth planes to images projected ahead of the driver.

Sensmet Oy

Sensmet Oy is a Finnish company, which provides an on-line analysis technology for detecting metal impurities in liquid streams. IDTechEx spoke with Toni Laurila, CEO of the company, at The Battery Show Europe 2023.

Cambridge Touch Technologies

Cambridge Touch Technologies (CTT) were spun out of the University of Cambridge and produce electroactive polymer enabled touch screen technology.

Versed AI

Versed AI was presented at Cambridge Tech Week 2023, and Tess Skyrme, Technology Analyst at IDTechEx, attended a presentation by the founder Fenella Boyle.

Xampla

Xampla are a UK-based company developing plant-based materials to replace single-use flexible plastics and intentionally-added microplastics. IDTechEx spoke with Xampla CTO Dr Marc Rodriguez on their materials and applications.

Hitachi Cambridge Laboratory (HCL)

The HCL is based within the University of Cambridge and is developing silicon-based quantum computing hardware.

Watching Lithium in Real Time to Improve Performance of EV Batteries

Researchers have found that the irregular movement of lithium ions in next-generation battery materials could be reducing their capacity and hindering their performance. The team, led by the tracked the movement of lithium ions inside a promising new battery material in real time.

New Evidence for Liquid Water Beneath the South Polar Ice Cap of Mars

An international team of researchers has revealed new evidence for the possible existence of liquid water beneath the south polar ice cap of Mars. The researchers used spacecraft laser-altimeter measurements of the shape of the upper surface of the ice cap to identify subtle patterns in its height. They then showed that these patterns match computer model predictions for how a body of water beneath the ice cap would affect the surface.

Cambridge Smart Plastics

Cambridge Smart Plastics are a UK-based company, providing novel polymer materials with unique characteristics. IDTechEx spoke with Andrew Terentjev (CEO).

Algorithm Learns to Correct 3D Printing Errors

Engineers have created intelligent 3D printers that can quickly detect and correct errors, even in previously unseen designs, or unfamiliar materials like ketchup and mayonnaise, by learning from the experiences of other machines.

Floating Artificial Leaves Ride the Wave of Clean Fuel Production

Researchers have developed floating 'artificial leaves' that generate clean fuels from sunlight and water, and could eventually operate on a large scale at sea. The researchers designed ultra-thin, flexible devices, which take their inspiration from photosynthesis - the process by which plants convert sunlight into food. Since the low-cost, autonomous devices are light enough to float, they could be used to generate a sustainable alternative to petrol without taking up space on land.

Smart Lighting System Based on Quantum Dots

Researchers have designed smart, colour-controllable white light devices from quantum dots - tiny semiconductors just a few billionths of a metre in size - which are more efficient and have better colour saturation than standard LEDs, and can dynamically reproduce daylight conditions in a single light.

Opto Biosystems

Opto Biosystems are a start-up emerging from the University of Cambridge, developing injectable neural interfaces capable of detecting activity in the brain, spine, and peripheral nervous system. One key use case for this technology is the minimally invasive monitoring of brain cancer patients. Tess Skyrme, Technology Analyst at IDTechEx, interviewed Co-founder Ben Woodington.

Illumina

Illumina is a US-based biotech company, founded in 1998 by Larry Bock and Anthony Czarnik. Illumina is a leader in the DNA sequencing market and is believed to own the largest share of the genetic sequencing industry.