Cambridge Tech Week has named five startups as finalists in its 2026 pitching competition after judges selected them from a shortlist of 20 companies.

The finalists are HotHouse Therapeutics, HutanBio, Lambda Energy, Myonerv and Xplore Intelligence. They span biotechnology, sustainable energy, agritech, medtech and artificial intelligence, reflecting the breadth of the wider shortlist.

HotHouse Therapeutics emerged from Professor Anne Osbourn’s laboratory at the John Innes Centre. The company is developing a drug discovery approach based on transient plant expression, using living plants to produce new medicines through an artificial intelligence-led platform.

HutanBio is focused on algae-based fuel production. It has identified a new class of algae, called Sphaerica, that produces oil at much higher rates than existing leading strains and can be cultivated in seawater on non-agricultural coastal land using sunlight and CO2.

Lambda Energy operates in agritech with a greenhouse additive called GloGro. The product is designed to increase crop yields by about 20%, and the company has secured pilot manufacturing and grower trials for high-value crops in the UK.

Myonerv has developed a wearable neurostimulator designed to monitor and treat stroke-induced paralysis remotely. Its system uses reusable electrode arrays and has already demonstrated remote control of hand movement between Cambridge and Greece.

Edinburgh-based Xplore Intelligence is building software to train and evaluate AI agents. Its Forge platform is designed to simulate operational environments so businesses can test full AI agent systems before deployment. The company has also won its first contract, worth more than GBP £1 million.

Judging panels

An independent panel drawn from finance, venture capital and industry reviewed the initial shortlist. It included Paul Hughes, Managing Director – Life Sciences & Technology, BDO; Jamie Bignal, Director, HSBC Innovation Banking; Mayank Shah, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Grow Beyond Borders; Anne Dobree, Investment Director, Parkwalk Advisors; Isabelle O’Keeffe, Venture Partner, Twin Path Ventures; and the Chief Technology Officer for His Majesty’s Government Communications Centre, whose identity was withheld for security reasons.

A separate panel will choose the overall winner in the live final. It includes Zickie Lim, Partner and Head of VC & Investments, Mills & Reeve; Marilena Ioannidou, Director, Metaxi Catalyst Ventures; Richard Lewis, Managing Director, Foresight Group; and Emmi Nicholl, Chief Executive Officer, Cambridge Angels.

The competition forms part of Startup to Scaleup Day, one of the business-focused strands of Cambridge Tech Week. Organisers have positioned it as a showcase for younger technology businesses seeking investor, customer and market attention as they move beyond the early stage.

The finalists also highlight where UK startup activity remains concentrated. Drug development, climate and energy technologies, digital health, food production and AI infrastructure continue to attract commercial and investor interest, particularly when linked to research institutions or clear industrial use cases.

Cambridge has long been one of the UK’s leading centres for venture-backed science and technology businesses, with strong links between academia, investors and corporate partners. The inclusion of companies from outside the city, including Xplore Intelligence, suggests the competition is intended to reflect a broader national technology base rather than the local cluster alone.

The pitching competition is sponsored by Mills & Reeve, PwC and Julius & Clark. Professional services and law firms have become regular backers of startup competitions as they seek closer ties with high-growth businesses and their investors.

Lead judge Zickie Lim commented on the selection process.

“The standard of this year’s competition has been exceptionally high from the start, which will make the final selection process incredibly challenging. As sponsors of the Pitching Competition, Mills & Reeve is delighted to support a platform that shines a spotlight on the next generation of innovative businesses, and we are looking forward very much to seeing the finalists pitch live at Cambridge Tech Week,” Lim said.

PwC also highlighted the strength of the field.

“This year’s finalists demonstrate the extraordinary depth of innovation emerging from the UK’s technology ecosystem, and are among the strongest we’ve seen. They all represent the kind of ambitious, globally relevant businesses that have the potential to create real impact. PwC is proud to support entrepreneurs at this critical stage of their growth journey,” de Young said.

Telent has urged the UK defence sector to place greater emphasis on integrating new technologies with existing systems, an argument set out by Strategy and Development Director Barry Zielinski.

Investment in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and other emerging technologies will not deliver a meaningful operational advantage unless those tools can work together within a wider operational framework, Zielinski said.

He argued that the operating environment is shifting quickly as adversaries adapt faster, technology cycles shorten and the line between physical and digital battlefields becomes less distinct. In that context, military success depends less on the strength of any single platform or sensor and more on the speed at which armed forces can connect information, decisions and operational effects across domains.

The comments reflect a wider debate in defence procurement and military planning, as governments and suppliers pay more attention to artificial intelligence, cyber tools, advanced sensors and space-based assets. In Zielinski’s view, these systems should be judged not in isolation but by how well they connect with networks, data systems, command structures and personnel.

Integration focus

Communications networks, operational facilities and digital systems form the foundation of modern military capability because they allow information to move securely and reliably, according to Zielinski. He said resilience and security must be built in from the start through approaches such as secure-by-design and zero-trust principles.

That view places infrastructure at the centre of defence modernisation rather than treating it as a support function. It also shifts part of the discussion away from procuring new tools and towards ensuring that existing and new assets can share data and support decisions coherently.

Artificial intelligence has become a major topic in defence because of its potential to process information and support decision-making. Zielinski said that potential depends on more basic conditions, including data quality and the resilience of the infrastructure that carries it.

If communications, trusted data and secure networks are unavailable or compromised, the value of more advanced systems is reduced, he said. In practice, that means creating decision advantage is not only about software or platforms, but also about the systems and physical assets that underpin them.

Human role

Zielinski also addressed automation, which is drawing attention across defence organisations seeking greater efficiency and a faster operational tempo. He said its main value often lies in reducing repetitive work rather than replacing people.

He cited predictive maintenance, autonomous monitoring, automated network management and logistics optimisation as examples. Those uses can free skilled personnel to focus on tasks where judgement and experience remain essential, he said.

“The most effective technologies do not replace human capability – they amplify it,” Zielinski said.

The argument comes as defence planners increasingly talk about integrated operations across land, sea, air, cyber and space. In that model, infrastructure such as communications, transport, energy and digital systems becomes more strategically important because it links the movement of people, information and resources.

Zielinski pointed to the Falkland Islands as an example of how infrastructure supports long-term readiness, citing runway infrastructure as part of maintaining strategic capability. The example illustrated how closely linked infrastructure and operational output are becoming.

From pilots to deployment

Zielinski also argued that the UK already has access to much of the technology needed for future operations. The central question, he said, is whether those technologies can be integrated and adopted quickly enough to meet operational needs.

That places emphasis on collaboration between government, industry, academia, small and medium-sized enterprises and the Armed Forces. Combining those perspectives can improve the practical design of technology and help integrate it into future capability, he said.

He set out three priorities for defence organisations: connecting networks, data, platforms, people and infrastructure; improving collaboration across the sector; and moving beyond demonstrations, pilot schemes and concepts so new systems reach operators more quickly.

The broader message is that military advantage is likely to depend on how effectively defence organisations bring together people, infrastructure, data and digital systems, rather than on who has the best single piece of equipment. “The question is not whether the technology is available. The question is whether it can be integrated quickly enough to provide the Armed Forces with a genuine operational advantage,” Zielinski said.

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Alphatax has acquired TP Accurate and Intra Pricing Solutions, expanding its transfer pricing software offering.

The acquisitions add two products to the group’s tax technology portfolio. TP Accurate develops software for intra-group financing arrangements, while Intra Pricing Solutions offers TPGenie, a tool that uses automation and artificial intelligence to produce transfer pricing documentation for multinational companies and advisers.

Transfer pricing has become a growing focus for tax departments as regulators increase scrutiny of how multinational groups price transactions between related entities. Companies often manage financing analysis, documentation and compliance through separate systems, leaving tax teams with fragmented processes and greater audit exposure.

The additions broaden Alphatax’s coverage across the transfer pricing workflow. The products are intended to help customers manage compliance more efficiently, strengthen governance and reduce audit risk.

The transactions also form part of a broader platform strategy at the business, previously known as Tax Systems. Alphatax’s long-term goal is to build a single operating system for tax, bringing together compliance areas that have traditionally been managed through standalone tools.

Bruce Martin, Chief Executive Officer of Alphatax, said the deals supported that strategy.

“This is another important step in our growth strategy and reflects our continued investment in creating a more connected future for tax,” said Bruce Martin, Chief Executive Officer, Alphatax.

“Transfer pricing is one of the most complex areas of tax compliance, with increasing regulatory scrutiny and growing demands on tax teams. Bringing TP Accurate and Intra Pricing Solutions into Alphatax adds market-leading capabilities that deliver immediate value for customers while accelerating our vision of the world’s first tax operating system. We’re delighted to welcome both teams to Alphatax,” Martin added.

Product fit

The rationale for the two acquisitions lies in different parts of the transfer pricing process. One addresses financial transactions within corporate groups, including loans, guarantees and other financing arrangements that require detailed pricing analysis. The other focuses on preparing the documentation companies need to support their transfer pricing positions.

For large multinationals, those tasks have become more burdensome as tax authorities demand more detailed support for cross-border arrangements. Software providers have responded by building tools that automate calculations, standardise reporting and help companies maintain records across jurisdictions.

Intra Pricing Solutions’ management said the transaction would allow it to continue developing its software within a larger platform.

“We were looking for a partner that shares our long-term vision for innovation in transfer pricing,” said Arjen Rommens, Co-Founder & CTO, Intra Pricing Solutions.

“In Alphatax, we found exactly that. Together we can invest more, innovate faster and continue supporting our customers for many years to come,” Rommens added.

TP Accurate was founded to address pricing for intercompany financial transactions, a niche but significant part of the market. Such transactions can be difficult to assess because companies must justify the terms applied between related parties as though they had been agreed by independent entities.

Michael Vorndran, Founder of TP Accurate, said that focus would now sit within a larger organisation with a broader customer base.

“I founded TP Accurate to address a longstanding gap in transfer pricing technology: the ability to accurately price intercompany financial transactions, which run into the trillions of dollars annually,” said Michael Vorndran, Founder, TP Accurate.

“Joining Alphatax means many more companies around the world can benefit from our solution and we’re proud to be part of a team like Alphatax,” Vorndran added.

Market position

Alphatax is backed by Providence Equity Partners and sells tax and accounting software to large companies and advisory firms. It says it works with more than 42% of the FTSE 100 and 80% of the top advisory firms, while more than 30,000 tax professionals have been trained to use its software.

The group has operated for more than three decades and has sought to widen its reach across tax compliance functions as companies digitise processes once handled through spreadsheets and localised applications. More than 200,000 submissions are filed each year using its systems, according to the company.

By acquiring specialist providers rather than building every function in-house, Alphatax is following a path taken by many software groups seeking to assemble broader platforms in niche business markets. In tax technology, where rules differ by jurisdiction and compliance demands shift regularly, vendors argue that integrated tools can help companies manage risk more consistently across their operations.

The two acquisitions place greater emphasis on transfer pricing, an area that remains both technically complex and commercially important for multinational groups with cross-border financing and intercompany trading arrangements.