Last call for entries to Cambridge Independent's Science and Technology Awards

A new £1,500 intellectual property prize from Appleyard Lees has been announced as the June 6 deadline nears for entry to the Cambridge Independent's inaugural awards for start-up and scale-up companies across five categories: Artificial intelligence, biotech, cleantech, fintech and medtech.

Add This Share Buttons

Appleyard Lees has joined the sponsors of the Cambridge Independent's Entrepreneurial Science and Technology Awards – and is generously offering a prize worth £1,500.

The awards can be entered online now by filling in a simple form on the Cambridge Independent's website. Entries close on Tuesday June 6 – so please get your skates on!

Entries are invited across the following five categories:
■ Artificial intelligence
■ Biotech
■ Cleantech
■ Fintech
■ Medtech

There is more reason than ever to apply now, as patent attorneys and intellectual property firm Appleyard Lees, which has opened a Cambridge office, will offer one of the winners £1,500 worth of free advice.

Partner Barbara Fleck said: “We are absolutely delighted to be part of the event and support local companies. We are particularly looking forward to being part of the judging panel. 

“It is always really exciting to learn about Cambridge companies, particularly when those are emerging companies with new and exciting technologies.

“It’s interesting for us as patent attorneys because we feel we can add value to their business by making sure they set out an intellectual property strategy very early on.

“It’s so important to have that strategy in place and integrate it into the business. For me, it’s always one of the most exciting stages to be involved in when you work with companies.”

IP strategy can make or break the success of an emerging or growing company – and can be crucial in securing investors too.

“It’s extremely important – a crucial piece of the puzzle of developing a business,” said Barbara. “For smaller companies, of which we have many in Cambridge, it’s really important as part of the funding process. It’s very important to be able to present an IP strategy to investors. Protecting innovation gives companies a competitive edge.”

Julia Gwilt, head partner at Appleyard Lees’ office in New Park Street, Cambridge, will join the judging panel for the awards, which also includes leading Cambridge entrepreneurs Hermann Hauser and Charles Cotton.

Julia said: “Barbara and I have worked in the Cambridge scene for some time, with start-ups and scale-ups as well as larger companies.

“Appleyard Lees has a long-standing growth fund whereby there’s a pot of £50,000 a year to help people with funding their IP strategy – whether that’s their own filing process or looking at competitors.”

The £1,500 prize, which could be awarded in any category, will be designed around the winner.  Barbara explained: “We will sit down with the winner and discuss what is appropriate to them in developing and integrating an IP strategy in the business. It could be protecting your own IP or looking at competitors.”

This could involve help drawing up an IP strategy, assistance with filing a patent, trademarking advice or research into the competitive IP landscape – advice that could prove hugely valuable to a company’s development.

Winners of the awards will be announced at the huge Venturefest East business showcase event at Newmarket Racecourse on September 21, for which the Cambridge Independent is media partner.

The awards are also sponsored by Grant Thornton, Woodfines solicitors and Regus, the office space experts, and are supported by World Science Aid, the World Nano Foundation and Emerging Tech Capital.

Enter online today

If you have any questions about your firm's eligibility, please contact the editor at paul.brackley@iliffemedia.co.uk.

The prizes

■ All shortlisted entrants will be invited to benefit from free pitching advice from Grant Thornton’s G team.
■ The biotech start-up winner will secure four hours of free mentoring from AstraZeneca.
■ One winner from across the categories will enjoy £1,500 of IP advice from Appleyard Lees.
■ Winners will be showcased in the Cambridge Independent.

About the Cambridge Independent

The new title for the Cambridge region, the Cambridge Independent is a quality weekly newspaper published every Wednesday by the independent, family-owned Iliffe Media. Since launching in September 2016, the Cambridge Independent has won Weekly Newspaper of the Year at both the NewsAwards and at the Regional Press Awards.

Contact 01223 320320 or email newsdesk@iliffemedia.co.uk.

___________________________________________________



Looking for something specific?