Investing in UK university spinouts
University spinouts are among the most technically defensible companies Britain produces, and among the hardest to fund well. Cambridge Capital Group members have backed them since 2000.
What makes spinouts different
Spinouts start with real intellectual property and a technology transfer office on the cap table. That combination creates unusual defensibility and unusual complexity - licence terms, equity splits and founder incentives all have to work before the company can scale.
Experienced angels help navigate this early, which materially affects whether the company can raise again.
What we look for in a spinout
- A clean, workable IP licence from the institution
- A commercially motivated founding team, not only academic founders
- A defined first application rather than a platform in search of a market
- A cap table that leaves room for future rounds
Cambridge Capital Group at a glance
Cambridge Capital Group is one of the UK's longest-established Business Angel networks, founded in 2000 and investing at the source of British innovation ever since.
- More than £50m invested by our members
- A portfolio of over 150 hi-tech startups
- Focused on IP-rich, defensible technology businesses
- Members include private investors, family offices and experienced operators
Do you invest alongside university funds?
Yes. Co-investment with university and institutional seed funds is common.
Which institutions do spinouts come from?
Our deal flow comes from Britain's leading universities, research institutions and innovation hubs, with Cambridge as our largest single source.
Investing at the source of British innovation since 2000.
Cambridge Capital Group connects private investors and family offices with exceptional technology companies emerging from Britain's leading universities, research institutions and innovation hubs.