Cambridge is famous around the world for its iconic institution of education, technology and talent. Our 800 year old University of Cambridge is known for its history and prestige and is ranked the fourth best University in the world. Home to Charles Darwin and Alan Turing and dubbed the ‘Silicon Fen’ of the UK, we are going to discuss what is the formula behind Cambridge’s success to lead it to be ranked as one of the top three "innovation ecosystems" in the world and what businesses in Cambridge can do to attract the next generation of Darwin’s and Turing’s to the city.
On 4 October, join us as we enjoy hearing from a number of up and coming entrepreneurs within the Cambridge scene who are going to be the future leaders in technology and innovation. Following the presentations, an interactive panel discussion will commence which will comprise:
- Heidi Allen, Member of Parliament for South Cambridgeshire
- Ben Peters, Co-founder from FiveAI
- Rachel Elias-Jones, CFO from Bango
- David Braben, CEO from Frontier Developments
…with more to be announced soon!
If you’re interested in attending, please contact events@mills-reeve.com
Showcase your business at the exhibition
Before the panel discussion commences, guests will be invited to explore an exhibition which will showcase a variety of businesses and other organisations who play a key part in the economy of Cambridge and beyond. Exhibitors, from start-ups to well-known companies, will be explaining their offering and discussing their stories. If you are interested in showcasing your business to 200 senior business leaders, please contact sarah.adams@mills-reeve.com
| Heidi Allen Member of Parliament for South Cambridgeshire Elected as the Conservative MP for South Cambridgeshire in 2015 and again in 2017, Heidi Allen lives in Elsworth with her husband Phil. She came to politics from business, having worked for 18 years in a variety of industries. Prior to running her own manufacturing business, she worked in the private sector for organisations such as ExxonMobil and the public sector with the Royal Mail. Over the last 2 years, Heidi has gained a reputation for being an independently minded backbencher, unafraid to speak out in the House of Commons. A member of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, she has influenced the national debate on the funding of the welfare state, regularly speaking up for families on low incomes and for the disabled. She is very proud to have been awarded the “Conservative Newcomer MP of the Year" in 2016 for her work in representing the vulnerable and marginalised. She was also instrumental in the Government agreeing to take in more child refugees displaced by the war in Syria and was recognised again for her work on this issue winning "Conservative MP of the Year" in 2017. |
| Ben Peters Ben co-founded UK autonomous mobility start-up, Five AI, in 2015 and serves as VP Product. Five AI is a large, Cambridge based, start-up building a full stack solution for autonomous vehicles which they’ll deploy as a service in complex European cities, to be trialled in London in early 2020. Building safe autonomous vehicle services for the urban environment is a huge challenge – the company has grown to over 110 research scientists and engineers and have raised $36M in funding (mainly venture capital). Prior to Five AI, Ben was VP Marketing at VC-backed communications startup, Neul, which developed internet-of-things software and chipsets leading to its successful acquisition by Huawei in 2014. Before that he was an executive for 6 years in NXP Semiconductor’s automotive group, responsible for RF, radar and C2X technologies. Ben is a graduate in Electronic Engineering from the University of Brighton and holds an MBA from the University of Warwick. |
| Rachel Elias-Jones CFO and Executive Director from Bango Rachel is CFO and Executive Director at Bango, the pioneer in mobile payments for global online merchants. She is responsible for overall financial management of Bango, for corporate financial functions and Bango's financial relationships with partners. In her position as CFO, Rachel has brought Bango to its best financial performance. From structuring major global acquisitions, developing a global base of major mobile operators including Verizon and AT&T and app stores including Microsoft and Google, and financing sustainable product development, Rachel has played a crucial part in building a business that is consistently achieving record revenues while maintaining a controlled cost base. The global reach of Bango requires a wide range of financial and taxation models, Rachel ensures the smooth running of the team delivering this commercial flexibility. Rachel has responsibility for innovation and management in critical finance functions, and is closely involved in product development to ensure the Bango Platform can scale and handle complex requirements. An experienced finance leader and Chartered Accountant, Rachel spent 5 years in practice at 'top 5' audit firms, specializing in the technology and listed sectors, prior to joining Bango. |
| Dr David Braben OBE FR Eng CEO from Frontier Developments David has been a software engineer for 36 years, beginning when he co-wrote the best-selling computer game “Elite” with Ian Bell while still at Cambridge University. He founded Frontier Developments plc in January 1994, a 380 person company based on the Science Park in Cambridge, which floated in 2013 (AIM:FDEV). Frontier is famous for many successful games, most recently “Elite: Dangerous” (2014) and “Planet Coaster” (2016), and shortly “Jurassic World Evolution” (2018). David is one of six founders of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, a charity that sells small educational computers worldwide for as little as £4. He supports start-ups through his membership of Cambridge Angels. He was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2012, a Fellowship of BAFTA in 2015 (one of only 97, since the first was given to Alfred Hitchcock in 1971), honorary doctorates from Abertay University, the Open University, and York University, and an OBE in 2014. |
