Leading Deeptech Voices Come Together for Cambridge Tech Week 2026

By Tech East 3 minute read

Deep tech leaders from across AI, energy, venture capital and public policy will come together at Cambridge Tech Week 2026 to explore how deep tech is changing the world.

Taking place from 14–18 September in Cambridge, the five-day event focuses on a key challenge: moving breakthrough technologies out of the lab and into real-world use at scale, and doing it responsibly.

This year’s programme looks beyond innovation for its own sake. It focuses on what sits behind it — infrastructure, investment, policy and global collaboration — and how these pieces come together to turn ideas into impact.

Speakers

Suranga Chandratillake
General Partner, Balderton Capital
Founder and former CEO of blinkx

Lucy Yu
CEO, Centre for Net Zero (Octopus Energy Group)

Karen Silverman

Founder and CEO, Cantellus Group

Also confirmed:

  • Alice Delahunty, President, Electricity Transmission, National Grid
  • Tom Adeyoola, Executive Chair, Innovate UK
  • Professor Sir Anthony Finkelstein, President, City St George’s, University of London
  • Lord Kulveer Ranger, Vice-Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Group for AI
  • Sasha McMurray, Head of Programmes, Deeptech Labs
  • Tom Wilson, Partner, Seedcamp
  • Teemu Turunen, Finnish Ambassador to the United Kingdom
  • Chengxi Taylor, Co-founder and President, General Reasoning
  • Shane Mason, Founder and Director, Strategical
  • Kateryna Bezsudna, Director, TEKEVER Ukraine

What to expect across the week

The programme is designed as a connected journey through the deep tech ecosystem:

Monday – Showcase Cambridge
A curated introduction to one of the world’s leading innovation ecosystems

Tuesday – Visionary Tech Day
A big-picture look at global competition, infrastructure and system-level thinking

Wednesday – Startup to Scale-up Day
A practical deep dive into building and growing deep tech companies

Thursday – Specialist Deep Dives and Big Tech Debate
Focused sessions on quantum, AI, healthtech and medtech, alongside industry debate

Friday – Connections
A decentralised programme centred on collaboration, partnerships and networks

Why Cambridge, why now?

Cambridge continues to stand out as a place where science, investment and policy come together to create real-world impact.

Dr Mike Short, Chair of Cambridge Tech Week, said:
“Cambridge has long been a global centre of discovery, but the conversation has shifted. The challenge now is deployment — how we scale transformative technologies globally, responsibly and quickly enough to meet major global challenges.”

Katie Nelson, Head of Leasing UK and Ireland at Kadans Science Partner, said:
“We are delighted to support Cambridge Tech Week. It provides a unique platform to connect entrepreneurs, investors, researchers and industry leaders shaping the technologies that will define the coming decade.

Cambridge continues to demonstrate why it is one of the world’s most influential deep tech hubs, and we are proud that our Merlin Place development sits at the heart of this ecosystem.”

Further speakers and programme updates will be announced soon.

Find out more at https://cambridgetechweek.co.uk/

Tickets are available at https://cambridgetechweek.co.uk/tickets.html