The 7th annual Awards – which spotlight the Top21 standout individuals, game-changing companies, and world-leading innovations from across Cambridge and the East of England – are regarded as a reliable, early indicator of the NextGen innovators set to impact and improve our world and future.
This year, the Top21 list is dominated by neuroscientists and medical physicists, all making extraordinary progress with early diagnostics, precision and regenerative medicines, and novel treatment strategies for persisting medical challenges, including neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.
Neurodegenerative diseases – such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, motor neurone disease (MND) and Huntingdon’s - affect more than 50 million people worldwide and are now the leading cause of death for both men and women in the UK.
In response, venture capital investment in biotech on a global scale surged to £6.96 billion in Q3 2024, a 90.2% increase on the previous year* - with the UK emerging as the top performer in Europe, attracting £536 million.
The 2025 Top21 list was also peppered with an eclectic mix of ‘world firsts’, including a new approach to spectral imaging, a pioneering ‘adaptive focus’ technology for VR and AR, and a first-of-its-kind zero-emissions cement. All the innovations have been designed with a bright, net zero future front of mind.
The seven Top21 2025 ‘People’ winners are:
- Arkoprovo Paul: co-founder of Cambridge-based biotech firm, Oltera, who is working on stem cell models of neurodegenerative conditions to discover potential therapeutic strategies.
- Austin Reed: founder and CEO of IntercepTx, who is revolutionising the treatment of cancer with pioneering early intervention tools and novel therapies to intercept tumours before they develop.
- Dr. Ethan Waisberg: Academic Foundation Programme Doctor at the University of Cambridge, and member of NASA’s Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Working Group. Ethan uses generative AI technology to ensure eye disease progression is better tracked, and currently leads AngioGenius, a startup developing an app for home eye disease detection.
- Jonathan Fisher: founder of Peter, a device initially developed for his father to help him - and millions of others with Parkinson’s Disease - regain their mobility and walk confidently again
- Lucy Jung: founder of LYEONS Neurotech, Lucy is specialising in innovating life-enhancing solutions for people with long-term medical and neurological conditions, and advancing brain health innovations globally.
- Ping Lin Yeap: A Gates Cambridge Scholar at the University of Cambridge, Ping Lin’s research work, combining Medical Physics with AI, is set to revolutionise adaptive radiotherapy workflows in clinical settings and advance personalised cancer treatment and precision medicine.
- Raifa Al Maamari: Raifa’s pioneering research in energy policy contributes to developing low-carbon hydrogen value chains in the GCC region—a sustainable focus that’s driving innovations in Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.
The seven Top21 2025 ‘Innovations’ winners are:
- AllFocal Optics is set to revolutionize AR/VR technology with its groundbreaking nanophotonic solutions. Rooted in foundational research from Cambridge University, they deliver unparalleled visual experiences with adaptive focus, while prioritizing compatibility and scalability.
- Lambda Energy has developed a low-cost, highly scalable spray coating for greenhouse panels that runs on natural sunlight. It converts unused ultraviolet light to red light, increasing crop yield by 20% and displacing 1.3mt CO2e by 2050.
- Prospectral has designed a new approach to spectral imaging and is building a technology to empower companies with dramatically lower-cost, more compact, and less complex cameras for gathering the data required to detect and analyse materials.
- FinCrime Dynamics helps its clients build better defences against financial crime by translating financial crime intelligence into data resources with their simulation and synthetic data engine, Synthetizor®.
- Reclinker (previously known as Cambridge Electric Cement) has invented the world's first zero-emissions cement. The new cement is made in a virtuous recycling loop that eliminates the emissions of cement production, saves raw materials, and reduces the emissions needed to make lime-flux.
- VyperCore’s unprecedented technology offers up to 80% power reduction, with five-fold, memory safe, acceleration of future datacentre server class managed-language applications across a vast spectrum of industries.
- Wave Photonics: Integrated photonics is used for energy-efficient communications for AI and data centres, rapid diagnostic tools, on-chip lidar, and quantum technologies. Wave Photonics is building design technology to enable and accelerate the development, mass production and adoption of this technology.
The seven Top21 2025 ‘Company’ winners are:
- Bioscopic - This groundbreaking biotech startup is tapping into an unexpected source of medical innovation: beneficial bacteria found in infants. These tiny microbes play a crucial role in developing a healthy immune system and fighting diseases from the earliest stages of life.
- BioTryp Therapeutics - Bacteria form protective communities called biofilms, where they thrive, and treatments fail. BioTryp Therapeutics is developing novel anti-biofilm therapies to revolutionise how we treat infections, starting with urinary tract infections.
- Cellestial [corr] Health - This pharmacological discovery company is working to stop the progression of Parkinson's disease from the time of diagnosis, by protecting the neglected half of the brain composed of astrocytes.
- clock.bio aims to extend and improve quality of life by reversing the harmful effects of time in our cells, harnessing the regenerative capabilities of human pluripotent stem cells.
- Evoralis – This pioneering enzyme technology breaks down textiles and plastics into reusable building blocks, transforming polyester, nylon, tough blended fibres and more, accelerating a truly circular economy.
- Nanomation - Patented technology makes it possible for the semiconductor industry to manufacture with nanomaterials for the first time, paving the way for faster, more powerful, and more efficient chips.
- TRIMTECH Therapeutics – Neurodegenerative diseases, which include Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s, are caused by protein aggregation inside cells. TRIMTECH’s unique technology targets and degrades aggregated proteins, without affecting non-aggregated forms, offering a solution that is both potent and offers outstanding safety.
#21toWatch Founder, Faye Holland said:
“The calibre of this year’s Top21 has not disappointed We are now witnessing logical sci-fi ideas from decades ago being turned into reality, and it’s very, very exciting. I look forward to hearing about them closing lucrative funding rounds soon!
“Since #21toWatch began, our 126 hugely valued winners have, between them, now raised a staggering £614,054,499 (not including CMR Surgical, undisclosed and private equity deals) – of which £183,199,400 was raised in the last year alone. This is a huge single-year increase which represents 42% of the amount raised over the first six years of the programme!
Notable examples of raises from March 2024 to February 2025 include Top21 winner in 2020 Riverlane securing £57million; Top21 winner in 2021 Echion Technologies securing £29million, Top21winner in 2022, Cambridge Gan Devices (CGD) securing £25million in 2022; Top21 winner also in 20222 Forefront RF securing £16million; and Top21 winner last year in 2024 Expression Edits securing £13million.
But it’s not just about the big figures. Over the last year, another 20 of our Top21 winners have secured the funding needed to take them to the next level – including Abselion (Top21 2022, £6.6m); Deep Form (Top21 2022, £2.5m); Hutan Bio (Top 21 2023, £3m), and Beyond Math (Top 21 2024, £6.5m)."
“It’s hugely reassuring to know that, while things may still continue to be challenging for startups, investors do follow our lists – and investments are being made for the most promising innovations. Congratulations to all our winners!”
