Cambridge Innovation Capital
Cambridge Innovation Capital is a Cambridge deep-tech and life-sciences venture firm founded in 2013 to back University of Cambridge ecosystem spin-outs, typically at Series A. It launched in 2013 with GBP 50 million from Invesco Perpetual, Lansdowne Partners, the Cambridge University Endowment Fund, ARM and IP Group, grew its first vehicle to GBP 275 million, closed Fund II at GBP 225 million (USD 300 million) in April 2022, and launched a GBP 100 million Opportunity Fund in February 2025 anchored by Aviva Investors and British Patient Capital. Its manager, Cambridge Innovation Capital Manager Limited, is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 918898.
Cambridge Innovation Capital is a Cambridge venture capital firm with €702M AUM, 23 active companies and 11 exits.
- ·10 exits in the last 5 years · consistent DPI cadence.
- ·Average hold across 11 realized deals: 5 years.
- ·Top sector focus: Biotech (41% of portfolio).
- ·Fund cadence: ~4Y between vintages · last raise 2025.
Sector breakdown
34 companiesGeography breakdown
3 geographiesKey facts
Recent exits
Cambridge Innovation Capital sold Seldon to TrueFoundry in 2026 after 6 years.
Cambridge Innovation Capital sold Congenica to SeqOne in 2025 after 10 years.
Cambridge Innovation Capital sold Cytora to Applied Systems in 2025 after 8 years.
Cambridge Innovation Capital exited PredictImmune in 2024 after 5 years.
Coverage notes
4 funds tracked, 34 portfolio companies (23 active · 11 realized). Verified weekly from public filings and deal announcements.
Funds & portfolio
Every fund Cambridge Innovation Capital has raised, with its portfolio companies. Hand-checked from public filings.
CIC Fund IIIVC2025€293M0 assetsVC2025 · 1yr€293M0–
No portfolio companies tracked yet.
CIC Opportunity FundVC2025€100M3 assetsVC2025 · 1yr€100M3–
Unrealized
3 held| Company | Entry |
|---|---|
| BeyondMath AI/ML · UK | 2026 |
| Start Codon United Kingdom | 2025 |
| Trent AI AI/ML · UK | 2026 |
CIC Fund IIVC2022€263M13 assets2 exitsVC2022 · 4yr€263M132
Unrealized
13 held| Company | Entry |
|---|---|
| Cambridge GaN Devices Deep Tech · UK | 2022 |
| Complement Therapeutics Biotech · UK | 2023 |
| Epitopea Biotech · UK | 2022 |
| Forefront RF Telecom · UK | 2024 |
| Immutrin Biotech · UK | 2025 |
| Mosaic TX Biotech · UK | 2023 |
| Nuclera Biotech · UK | 2024 |
| Pretzel Therapeutics Biotech · US | 2022 |
| Salience Labs Deep Tech · UK | 2022 |
| Sortera Bio United Kingdom | 2024 |
| T-Therapeutics Biotech · UK | 2023 |
| TRIMTECH Therapeutics Biotech · UK | 2025 |
| Unlikely AI AI/ML · UK | 2022 |
CIC Fund IVC2013€322M7 assets9 exitsVC2013 · 13yr€322M79
Unrealized
7 held| Company | Entry |
|---|---|
| Carrick Therapeutics Biotech · UK | 2016 |
| CMR Surgical MedTech · UK | 2016 |
| Microbiotica Biotech · UK | 2016 |
| Pragmatic Semiconductor Deep Tech · UK | 2014 |
| Riverlane Deep Tech · UK | 2017 |
| Secondmind AI/ML · UK | 2017 |
| STORM Therapeutics Biotech · UK | 2016 |
Realized
9 exits| Company | Entry | Exit | Type | Buyer | MOIC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abcodia HealthTech · UK | 2015 | 2022 | Trade Sale | GENinCode | – |
| Audio Analytic AI/ML · UK | 2017 | 2022 | Trade Sale | Meta | – |
| Bicycle Therapeutics Biotech · UK | 2016 | 2019 | IPO | – | – |
| Cytora InsurTech · UK | 2017 | 2025 | Trade Sale | Applied Systems | – |
| Gyroscope Therapeutics Biotech · UK | 2019 | 2021 | Trade Sale | Novartis | – |
| Inivata HealthTech · UK | 2016 | 2021 | Trade Sale | NeoGenomics | – |
| PredictImmune HealthTech · UK | 2019 | 2024 | – | – | – |
| Seldon AI/ML · UK | 2020 | 2026 | Trade Sale | TrueFoundry | – |
| Sense Biodetection MedTech · UK | 2019 | 2023 | Trade Sale | Sherlock Biosciences | – |
About Cambridge Innovation Capital
Cambridge Innovation Capital (CIC) is a UK preferred venture capital investor for the University of Cambridge ecosystem with approximately £600 million of assets under management as of December 2024, headquartered in Cambridge. The firm was founded in 2013 as the strategic partner of the University of Cambridge, anchored in the Cambridge cluster spinout pipeline. CIC remains a partner-owned independent VC platform with exclusive scale-up investor status across Cambridge spinouts.
Investment thesis
CIC deploys capital through three plus active vehicles (Fund I, Fund II, Fund III early-stage £250 million 2025 plus £100 million Opportunity Fund 2025), targeting early-stage and growth venture investments in deep-tech and life sciences spinouts from the Cambridge cluster. The Opportunity Fund enables late-stage follow-ons up to £20 million per round, addressing the UK growth-financing gap that historically constrained Cambridge spinout scale-up. Sector focus spans artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors, therapeutics, medtech and diagnostics, digital health and genomics. Geographic deployment is anchored on Cambridge ecosystem with broader UK reach.
Recent activity
Recent investments include Pragmatic Semiconductor (chips, 2025), Riverlane (quantum computing, 2024-2025) and commitments to multiple Cambridge spinouts under Fund III (2025). Realised exits across the 2024-2025 period emphasised follow-on rounds over secondary realisations, with gene therapy and biotech exits forming the historical baseline. The platform continues active deployment across the Cambridge spinout pipeline and Opportunity Fund late-stage strategy.
Frequently asked questions
- What investment strategy does Cambridge Innovation Capital focus on?
- Cambridge Innovation Capital focuses on VC, Growth strategies in the private equity space.
- How many portfolio companies does Cambridge Innovation Capital have?
- Cambridge Innovation Capital has 23 active portfolio companies and 11 completed exits and 4 funds tracked on GP Intel.
- Where is Cambridge Innovation Capital headquartered?
- Cambridge Innovation Capital is headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom.
- What is Cambridge Innovation Capital's assets under management?
- Cambridge Innovation Capital manages approximately €702M in assets under management.
- When was Cambridge Innovation Capital founded?
- Cambridge Innovation Capital was founded in 2013.
- What sectors does Cambridge Innovation Capital invest in?
- Cambridge Innovation Capital invests across Healthcare, TMT, Software.
- What are Cambridge Innovation Capital's recent exits?
- Recent realized exits by Cambridge Innovation Capital include: Seldon (2026) to TrueFoundry; Congenica (2025) to SeqOne; Cytora (2025) to Applied Systems; PetMedix (2023) to Zoetis; Sense Biodetection (2023) to Sherlock Biosciences; Abcodia (2022) to GENinCode; Audio Analytic (2022) to Meta; Gyroscope Therapeutics (2021) to Novartis.
Similar firms
Other private equity firms tracked on GP Intel.