Humans have used the North Star, also known as Polaris, as a guiding light throughout history.
In ancient times, sailors and travellers used the North Star to navigate the seas and land. Due to its fixed position in the sky, sailors could determine their latitude and find their way. When oceans were drowned in the darkness of the night, the North Star, breaking through a sinister sky, was the only thing humans could rely on.
As humans, we have always looked for a light, an entity carrying help and advice. Fire protected us against the cold of winter, the North Star helped us navigate through uncharted territories, and mentors have guided us towards progress.
Mentors have a lot in common with stellar objects. Not only do they appear to enlighten an infinite space filled with incertitude; they also, thanks to their light, alike plants make us grow.
Unlike the sun condemning Icarus when he got too close, mentors, such as Gerard Grech, former CEO of Tech Nation, help people fly above their own limitations. By joining Cambridge Enterprise, Gerard Grech will lead a new flagship initiative that will support and accelerate University founders to make an even greater impact on the world in the technology and software sectors.
A science hub to beneficiate the world
“Founders at The University of Cambridge” is launched as Cambridge looks to become Europe’s centre for science and the main challenger to startups emerging from great US universities, in particular MIT and Stanford.
The Founders programme will supercharge entrepreneurs building companies within the Cambridge ecosystem, in particular supporting deeptech founders building transformative companies that benefit both society and the UK economy. Recent research from Dealroom shows that while Cambridge is the third most important science hub in the world, it has a greater density of founders per inhabitant than any other global university city, including Boston, Oxford and London.
Gerard brings deep experience from his time as founding Chief Executive of Tech Nation, the private and publicly-funded organisation that supported ambitious tech entrepreneurs for almost a decade, across the country. He is also a governing board member of Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency. During his time at Tech Nation, the organisation worked with over 1300 digital companies to scale, including a third of all tech unicorns ever created in the UK. Companies supported included Revolut, Deliveroo and Darktrace.
The appointment of Gerard to lead a founder-focused initiative signals the University’s commitment to commercialising more of its world-leading research into global companies, particularly those tackling problems including climate change and an aging population with technology solutions.
Where ideas thrive
Part of the University of Cambridge, Cambridge Enterprise is responsible for supporting the translation of University research to create globally leading economic and social impact. Deeply embedded in the UK’s leading innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem, Cambridge Enterprise has strong relationships with the University of Cambridge, industry, investors and visionaries.
They facilitate knowledge transfer by helping innovators, experts, and entrepreneurs to use commercial avenues to develop their ideas and expertise for the benefit of society, the economy, themselves, and the University.
Liaising with organisations both locally and globally, they offer expert advice and support in commercialisation and social enterprise, including help with academic consultancy services; the protection, development, and licensing of ideas; new company and social enterprise creation and seed funding.