Professor Sir Colin Humphreys: from Bench to Boardroom

About this event
Professor Sir Colin Humphreys CBE FRS FREng. Colin is Professor of Materials Science at Queen Mary University of London; Emeritus Goldsmiths’ Professor of Materials Science at the University of Cambridge; Fellow of Selwyn College, Cambridge and Honorary Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. He was knighted in 2010 for “services to science”.
He founded the Cambridge Centre for Gallium Nitride and set up two spin-off companies to exploit the research of his group on low-cost LEDs for home and office lighting. The companies were acquired by Plessey, which is manufacturing LEDs and microLEDs based on this technology at their factory in Plymouth, UK.
He founded the Cambridge/Rolls-Royce Centre for Advanced Materials for Aerospace Engines. Materials developed in the Centre are now flying in Rolls-Royce engines.
He recently co-founded a new company, Paragraf, to exploit the research of his group on graphene, which promises to revolutionise a wide range of products including sensors and electronic devices. Its first product is a Hall-effect sensor for measuring magnetic fields.
In his limited spare time, he writes on science and religion and is the author of Creation and Evolution (Oxford University Press, 1985), The Miracles of Exodus (Harper Collins, 2003), which has been translated into German and Portuguese and has an Audio edition, and The Mystery of the Last Supper: Reconstructing the Final Days of Jesus. (Cambridge University Press, 2011), which has been translated into Russian, German, Portuguese, Japanese and Greek, and has a South Asian edition.

Since its realisation graphene has promised extraordinary revolutions in technology and products, like never seen before. Paragraf want to ensure the incredible possibilities of graphene in electronics are achieved, and through this deliver the massive potentially life and environmentally improving benefits this material can offer.

Paragraf™ has perfected a proprietary process for depositing single-atom thick, two-dimensional materials, including graphene, directly onto silicon, silicon-carbide, sapphire, gallium-nitride and other semiconductor-compatible substrates. The contamination-free technology is scalable, and compatible with existing electronic device manufacturing processes.

 

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The Chris Abell Postdoc Business Plan Competition - Grand Finale 2021

Watch six postdoc finalists pitch (online) to a panel of expert judges for a chance to win up to £20,000 investment in their business idea

About this event

*Supported by the Entrepreneurial Postdocs of Cambridge (EPoC), with special thanks to our competition sponsor, Taylor Vinters.

The format to the Grand Finale of The Chris Abell Postdoc Business Plan Competition is similar to that observed on The Dragon’s Den; attendees will see six finalists pitching their business ideas (virtually) to a panel of expert judges.

The online, digital audience, shall comprise some 200+ attendees, made up of academics, researchers, postgraduate students, University staff, business experts/mentors, the Cambridge Enterprise Investment Committee, members of the Cambridge Enterprise Venture Partner network and others closely aligned to the entrepreneurial ecosystem within Cambridge. Winners will be announced, and prizes awarded (via Microsoft Teams).

 

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Impulse meets EPOC
Get ready for an exciting journey – From inventor to innovator

16 Mill Lane Cambridge CB2 1SB

Tuesday, 25 February 2020 from 18:00 to 20:30 (GMT)

 

Are you ready for the next step to make your innovative idea/project a reality?

Impulse, the Cambridge entrepreneurship programme for tech innovators based at the Maxwell Centre, helps you to transform your innovative research idea/ project into a “high potential” business case. More than 80 top-tier entrepreneurs, innovators, investors and industry experts share their expertise, offer senior level mentoring and guidance. The programme provides a unique learning environment for participants helping them to transform scientific breakthroughs into market-ready solutions.

 Accept the challenge and join our event to learn more about Impulse and sponsorship opportunities, get inspired by one of our mentors and listen how other Postdocs experienced the Impulse programme.

Agenda 

6:00 – 6:15     Registration

6:15 – 6:30     Impulse – The Cambridge entrepreneurship programme for tech innovators
                        Yupar Myint, Head of Impulse
6:30 – 7:10     Accept the challenge – Become an innovator
                        Fiona Nielsen, Repositive

7:10 – 7:30     The innovator's journey - Insights and learnings from Impulse alumni
                        Chris Proctor, Cambridge Bioelectronics
                        Gita Khalili Moghaddam, GlycoVue 

7:30 – 8:30     Networking session (nibbles and drinks)

Register: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/get-ready-for-an-exciting-journey-from-in...  

 

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From Research to science entrepreneur to Nobel Prize Winner: Greg Winter

Bristol-Myers Squibb Lecture Theatre, 29 Lensfield Road , Cambridge , CB2 1ER

Tue, 3 March 2020, 18:00 – 21:00

Join us as we hear from Nobel Prize winner Sir Gregory Winter about his journey from academia to the world of investors and startups.

 

About the event :

We're delighted to host Greg Winter, Cambridge's very own Nobel Prize winning molecular biologist who will talk about his journey going from researcher to a world leading life sciences innovator and entrepreneur within the field of antibody therapeutics. 

In recent years the application of genetic engineering technologies and/or laboratory-based evolution have led to the development of antibodies as a new class of pharmaceutical drugs. Many of the best-selling drugs are now antibodies, and continuing technology development is opening up new prospects for antibody therapeutics, and for other peptide- and protein-based drugs created in like manner.

Agenda: 

6pm - 6.15pm - registration 

6.15pm -7.30pm - talk 

7.30pm - 9pm - food and networking

 Register: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-researcher-to-science-entrepreneur-t...

 

 

2019 Postdoc Business Plan Competition

The 2019 Grand Finale event will be at Downing College on 31st October 2019

 

 

 

 

10th October

EPOC Meeting

Postdoc Centre @ 16 Mill Lane

Do you want to see how EPOC committee works?

Do you want to join EPOC as a committee member in the future?

Come along to our next committee meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

How to start a business in Genomics

Wellcome Genome Campus, BioData Innovation Centre, Hinxton, CB10 1SA

Genomics is proliferated with commercial opportunities, new ideas and innovative technologies waiting to be licensed and developed into a world-class cutting edge product. More and more, a solid entrepreneurial skillset will come in just as useful as a dab hand in the laboratory.

Join us for a stimulating discussion with startup founders in the field of Genomics - we will explore how to build and launch a startup in this field and what has to be done differently to help them succeed in a highly regulated market.

Come armed with your questions!

Moderator

Ashutosh Trehan - EPOC President and Postdoc at LMB

Panelists

Patrick Short 

Dr. Abel Ureta-Vidal 

Lee Harland

Illumina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10th July

EPOC Meeting

Postdoc Centre @ 16 Mill Lane

Do you want to see how EPOC committee works?

Do you want to join EPOC as a committee member in the future?

Come along to our next committee meeting.

 

 

 

11th July

How to Build an Early Stage Start-up Team 

University of Cambridge Judge Business School

You have a great idea and want to start a company, but embarking on such an adventure by yourself seems like a daunting task. 

- Who should you pick to be on your team on the road to success?
- What should you look for and what should you avoid in picking co-founders?
- What is the best way to attract the right talent and keep them on board?

Join us for an evening at the Judge Business School where these questions and others will be answered by Simon Stockley (MBA), faculty member at JBS and social entrepreneur. 

As always, refreshments will be provided. Who knows, you might even meet your co-founder amongst the audience. Come, learn, network and you might be inspired to launch or join a startup!

This event is a great opportunity for EPOC members and Cambridge Judge Launchpad students to network and connect.
 

 

 

 

10th June 2019

From Early Career Researcher to Entrepreneur  

We are excited to hold an event ZINC that will bring together researchers from different institutions and disciplines who are interested in entrepreneurship and want to find out more, with a stellar line-up of invited speakers including David Halpern and others.

It will be an interactive and informal session, that will highlight individual stories of 'entrepreneurial academics', and stimulate conversations around how researchers can build their own businesses, including associated challenges and opportunities.

 

 

 

6th June 2019

An introduction to business modelling - a guide for postdocs

This workshop will provide postdocs with an overview to business modelling and will take them through how to use the business model canvas effectively when applying to the 2019 Postdoc Business Plan Competition. 

The event will be run by Ludo Chapman of The Innovation Practice. Ludo has over 30 years’ business experience launching and leading start-ups. He started out by setting up a software training company before becoming CEO of a scientific instrument business. 

For more info and to register click here

 

 

 

 

15th May 2019, 17:30

How to write a business plan: A guide for postdocs

Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), University of Cambridge, Lecture Rooms 1 & 2 , 17 Charles Babbage Road , Cambridge, CB3 0FS             

 

Are you a postdoc engaged in innovative research? Are you looking to start a company? Perhaps you’ve got an idea, but you need help getting it down on paper?  

If so, Cambridge Enterprise and The Entrepreneurial Postdocs of Cambridge (EPoC) shall be hosting a workshop on the skills you will need to get your idea off the ground.  

The workshop shall be run by Adelina Chalmers a.k.a. “The Geek Whisperer”.  Adelina helps Cambridge University start-ups secure millions of pounds of investment and specialises in helping researchers become entrepreneurs.  

Sign-up here

 

 

 

 

 

1st May 2019

Business Plan Competition Launch Night 

Pizza and refreshments provided!

Are you a Cambridge postdoc working on innovative research? Do you have a great business idea? Are you looking to start a company or join an entrepreneurial team? 

If your answer is ‘yes’ to any of the above, then the Postdoc Business Plan Competition is the ideal platform for you.

Sign-up here

 

 

 

 

3rd April 2019

Funding a business from scratch in Cambridge 

18:00 - 20:30 Postdoc Centre @ Mill Lane

 

Do you have an idea/startup and are you looking to raise investment/funding? 

Then join us in April, where we will hear from: 

- Arun, Innovate UK’s support for start ups

- George (Metro Bank) on the types of funding, timing in the business lifecycle, and what a funder wants to see and when

- Simon, CEO of Paragraf and his perspective on fundraising

Followed by networking (beer + pizza). 

Sponsored by Metro Bank.

 

 

 

 

07 March 2019

From Researcher to start-up founder

6-8pm, 16 Mill lane Postdoc centre 

  

EPOC are looking forward to welcoming Slaven Stekovic, PhD, Founder of TLL The Longevity Labs and current MBA student at the Judge Business School, who will talk about his journey from PhD to startup founder and how you can also build a business from your research.

 

 

 

27 February 2019 

From Inventor to Innovator

6-8.30pm, 16 Mill lane Postdoc centre

 

Are you ready for the next step to make your innovative idea/project a reality?

EPOC are excited to host Yupar Myint, Head of Impulse and a few of their alumni, to discuss how you can transform your innovative research idea/ project into a “high potential” business case. 
 
Followed by networking. 

 

 

07 February 2019 -  What do investors look for

with Entrepreneur First

 

                                                          

 

While it has never been easier to start a technology company, and every day there’s new story of a startup raising money, what investors look for is still an elusive question to most early stage entrepreneurs.

EPOC and Entrepreneur First, explored what investors really look for, from both angles - the investor and the entrepreneur - and come away with tangible advice for your future.

We heard from Allister Furey, the European Managing Director at Entrepreneur First and Robert Stojnic, the founder of Atlas ML, a development platform for Machine Learning, formerly CTO for Cambridge based GeneAdvisor.

 

 

11 December 2018 - How to start business from scratch

 

 

                                                         

EPOC have been pleased to host Metro Bank, Deloitte and Taylor Vinters who told us all we need to know about starting a business in Cambridge. It covered every conceivable thing you might want to know, including:

- How to take advantage of the Cambridge Cluster

- Who to talk to about funding at various stages of growth

- The role of the various professionals alongside an early stage business

and much more. Followed by networking and beer & pizza! 

 

 

26th November 2018 - How to get into Y Combinator

                                             

EPOC were proud to host Dr. Tom Simmons, CEO of Cambridge Glycoscience, former president of EPOC and former Postdoc in the Biochemistry Department, for an interactive discussion on starting a biotech business in Cambridge and moving to Silicon Valley to take part in Y Combinator. 

The talk has been followed by a networking session with beer and pizza. 

 

12th November 2018 - EPOC Annual General Meeting (AGM)

On Monday 12th November EPOC has held its last AGM, during which the new president Ashutosh Trehan has been elected and the last year activities have been summarised 

If you have any questions, please reach out to us by email via:

epoc@admin.cam.ac.uk

 

01 November 2018 - Business Plan Competition 

Register now to secure your place!

Six finalists pitching to a panel of judges for their chance to win investment in their business idea. Winners will then be presented with First, Second and Third prize awards.

• Date: Thursday 1 November 2018
• Time: Registration and welcome drinks from 6 pm with a 6.30 pm start
• Venue: The Theatre, Peterhouse, Cambridge.
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Current confirmed speakers include:

• Hanbin Ma, Founder of ACXEL & 2017 competition winner
• Professor Andy Neely, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Enterprise and Business Relations
• Srishti Gupta, President, Entrepreneurial Postdocs of Cambridge (EPoC)

 

 

Thursday 15th March 2018

Talk: Innovation and Entrepreneurship from a research lab

On the 15th March we have been delighted to host Dr. Lianne Taylor for an interactive discussion on how your skills as a research scientist are useful in business and entrepreneurship.

Dr Lianne Taylor presented her own entrepreneurial research, practical experience and academic benchmarking to help your own decision-making, risk awareness, biases and opportunity recognition as you consider the next steps with your ideas and innovations.

 

Monday 26th February 2018

What does it take to go from being an inventor to an innovator? 

Find the answer in this interactive session from the team who run the Impulse programme - an entrepreneurship programme for tech innovators. We'll also hear from Jamie Urquhart (co-founder of ARM) and Impulse alumni. 

 

Thursday 22nd February 2018

Thinking of starting a business? Commercialising your research? Scaling an already established startup? Then this is the event for you!

We have been delighted to welcome Dr Shai Vyakarnam (Cranfield University), author of Camels, Tigers & Unicorns: Rethinking Science and Technology-Enabled Innovation, co-authored with Uday Phadke (Cambridge Judge Business School). In this talk, Shai will discuss the challenges of scaling small businesses and what entrepreneurs, scientists and technologists engaged in innovation in academic institutions and corporate environments need to do in order to turn ideas into commercially valuable propositions. 

 

Wednesday 21st February 2018

 EPOC Consulting Club

The EPOC Consulting Club has been run on the 21st Feb along with CAR consultancy, made up of a diverse group of specialists in a variety of fields from sustainability to natural disasters and engineering. They also offered internship opportunities for postdocs on their ongoing consulting projects! 

More info can be found here 

 

Monday 5 February 2018

 J M Keynes Fellowship Fund

The Managers of the J M Keynes Fellowship Fund proudly present an evening of special lectures, featuring two of the Fund's distinguished Fellows speaking about their innovative research in the field of financial economics.