PVCC 2026: Seven Founders to Watch
The Cambridge Tech Podcast goes inside the Postdoc Venture Creation Challenge (PVCC), to meet seven University of Cambridge teams turning rigorous research into investable ventures. Hosted by Faye Holland and James Parton, this episode is a snapshot of where the next wave of Cambridge innovation is forming: construction intelligence, regenerative medicine, industrial biotech, robotics, grid analytics, battery circularity and climate resilience. What you will hear Camentis, led by Dr Ashan Senel Asmone, is piloting a construction data platform that gives site leaders earlier visibility of productivity risks, helping prevent delays and cost overruns. A therapeutics company, led by Dr Jin Seok Lee, is developing a temporary mRNA signal designed to help heart muscle cells regenerate. The team is progressing from encouraging animal data towards further preclinical studies. DroplexBio, led by Brian Ng, uses RNA nanotechnology to create compartments inside bacteria, aiming to make commercially valuable proteins that are difficult to manufacture today. Haptos Technology, led by Zhuo Chen, is building electronic skin for robots. Its sensors capture pressure, temperature, texture and slip, with industrial robotics as the first market before wider applications in care, agriculture and surgery. Loom Light, co-founded by Dipanshu and Leonie Muck, provides grid risk intelligence for renewable projects, lenders, insurers and infrastructure investors. PeatWaterWise, co-founded by Dr Neha Joshi and Dr Hamid Rahimi, combines satellite data and hydrological modelling to help farmers and land managers understand water tables without manual dip well measurements. MetCycle, founded by Esther Gray, is developing a room temperature process to recover critical metals from used batteries, with potential to fit into existing recycling operations. For founders and investors, the recurring lesson is clear. Great science is only the starting point. The teams making progress are validating urgent customer problems, narrowing their first market and using mentors to turn technical capability into a compelling commercial story. With the PVCC Grand Finale approaching, this is an early look at founders building technologies with the potential to reshape major industries. Listen for practical insight on commercialising research, then subscribe to the Cambridge Tech Podcast to follow the next generation of deep tech companies as they move from breakthrough to business. Headline sponsor Holden Polestar Produced by Cambridge TV #CamTechPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
