Cambridge Future Tech

I had the pleasure of speaking at the @Cambridge_Uni Future Forum alongside @Eliza Warner from IQT and @jhayward__ from @CamFutureTech. We unpacked the unique strengths and bottlenecks of the UK innovation ecosystem—and how founders can punch above their weight on the global stage. Some key takeaways: • The UK is second only to the US in top-tier universities, but its capital pool (particularly in the later stages) is ~17x smaller than the US’s. This mismatch means many founders under-raise and over-stretch early teams. • Enterprise sales cycles in Europe are long—averaging 11–12 months vs. 3–6 months in the US. That gap can break startups before they scale. • Talent is not the issue. It’s market dynamics. Israel (who boasts the highest number of unicorn founder per million) offers a compelling playbook: incorporate and raise capital in the US early, build US GTM teams, but retain deep tech teams at home where talent is high and labor costs are lower. • Founders who decouple where they hire from where they sell are better positioned to grow quickly and raise globally. Thanks to @SadiaCuthbert and the rest of the University of Cambridge for hosting a thoughtful, global con