Five new ventures secure the chance to be part of Babraham Research Campus - a leading location for early-stage life science start-ups

Cambridge, 12^th June 2025: Five life science start-ups focused on the development of new technology, products and services to positively impact future healthcare have been selected to participate in Babraham Research Campus’ accelerator  programme, Accelerate@Babraham. 

Held annually, Accelerate@Babraham is now in its seventh year. Since its inception, the programme has supported 32 early-stage enterprises and earlier this year was recognised for its excellence as a finalist in the One Nucleus awards ‘Best Performing New Company Creator’ category. To date, Accelerate@Babraham companies have raised >£100m.

The 2025 Cohort:

With a 50% year-on-year increase in applications, the quality of applications this year was once again extremely high with 37 companies competing for a slot on the coveted programme. Successful companies not only have the opportunity to experience life as part of Babraham Research Campus but also secure their spot on a bespoke 8-week taught programme of scientific, business and technical support, receive up to 12 months free lab space and £10,000 non-diluted funding. In addition, as members of the Campus community the cohort gain access to world-class core facilities providing specialist technical support, the Cambridge ecosystem via networks such as Founders Growth Community and investor and pharma connections.

Selected based on the quality of their research, technology and commercialisation readiness level, market need and commitment to the programme, the following five companies make up the 2025 cohort:

- AAB Research is developing engineered extracellular vesicles (EVs) as a scalable, cost-effective alternative to CAR T-cell therapy for B-cell lymphoma. These EVs selectively target B-cells and deliver therapeutic mRNA cargo, offering the potential of a safer, off-the-shelf treatment.

-  AmnioCam, emerging from research at the Babraham Institute, AmnioCam is pioneering a stem cell-based alternative to placental donor-harvested amniotic cells. The technology enables a cost-effective, uniform and unlimited supply of amniotic cells for chronic wound healing, addressing clinical needs in conditions such as diabetic foot ulcers and pressure sores.

- Cycle Therapeutics’ interdisciplinary team merges computational and tissue-level biology to discover a cure for endometriosis. By harnessing the breadth of information available each month from menstrual fluid, the team is building data-driven knowledge and lab-based tissue models of disease to identify novel treatments.

- MabGalaxy is accelerating the discovery of new antibody medicines by combining the power of the natural immune system with artificial intelligence.  This integrated approach significantly shortens the timeline from early research to preclinical drug candidates, enabling innovative treatments to reach patients faster.

- Sysora Health is developing a targeted antibacterial gel to destroy Porphyromonas gingivalis whilst preserving beneficial oral bacteria. P. gingivalis is a key driver of severe gum disease, stimulating inflammation and exacerbating chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Joining the 2025 cohort this year are three Cambridge NeuroWorks Frontier Fellows, seconded to Accelerate@Babraham via Cambridge’s partnership with the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), whose objective is to rocket-boost progress on a new generation of neuro-technologies designed to treat conditions such as depression, dementia, chronic pain, epilepsy and injuries to the nervous system.

A bespoke, multi-disciplinary programme curated to maximise start-up success

The new cohort recently entered an initial 8-week taught programme of bespoke weekly seminars, interactive workshops and 1-2-1 mentoring to help hone ideas, polish commercial propositions and develop company structures to enable the delivery of compelling investor pitches.

The programme is delivered with the support of Accelerate@Babraham’s experts and mentors, all of whom are highly skilled and experienced in their respective fields, enabling them to provide the Accelerate@Babraham companies data-driven, comprehensive business analysis and support, expert scientific/technical advice and founder coaching and skills.

Having completed the taught programme, the cohort then moves into the Campus’ communal LiveLabs space, supported by the expert on-site technical team to guide and assist as the ventures work towards key experimental inflection points, proof of concept and the establishment of commercialisation / technical readiness. Support continues throughout the year with various touch points, including review meetings in October to evaluate each ventures’ commercialisation strategy.

Throughout their time on Campus, the Accelerate@Babraham cohort can take advantage of wrap around support, 1-2-1 mentoring and detailed feedback at every stage, encouraging participants to continually question, enhance, revise and solidify the trajectory of their ventures.

Accelerate@Babraham Programme Manager Jenny Hirst said: “We are delighted to welcome the 2025 cohort to Campus and are looking forward to watching them progress through the programme. We couldn’t deliver Accelerate@Babraham without the unwavering support of our strategic partners and the multitude of experts and mentors that give up their time to assist and guide each cohort. We are extremely grateful for their continuing support. It’s exciting to have the cohort together on site as we start this 2025 programme – excitement and motivation to get going is high!”

Louise Jopling, Chief Scientific & Innovation Officer, Babraham Research Campus commented: “Having collectively raised over £100m to date, delivered a 1.9x return on investment and created over 117 jobs, Accelerate@Babraham companies have made a significant contribution to health and economic growth across our region and the UK as a whole. The current cohort now has the opportunity to follow in these footsteps, and we are delighted to be able to play our part in supporting and nurturing their success.

“We are also particularly excited to welcome the Cambridge NeuroWorks Frontier Fellows, enabling them to harness this proven methodology and ecosystem to amplify their innovations and further accelerate the delivery of meaningful societal benefits.”

The cohort will make their finale presentations to an invited audience of Campus community companies, stakeholders and investors on the July 11th before moving into the labs.

To find out more about Accelerate@Babraham visit: www.accelerateatbabraham.com or visit www.babraham.com.

-ENDS-

About Babraham Research Campus

Babraham Research Campus Ltd is responsible for the management and commercial development of the Babraham Research Campus. Babraham Research Campus is distinct in its co‐location of 60 bioscience companies with the Babraham Institute, a world‐renowned research organisation which receives strategic funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The aim of the Campus is to support UK bioscience through academic research, but also with facilities and capabilities for early-stage and growing commercial organisations. The Campus provides companies laboratory and office space, networking and collaboration opportunities, together with access to outstanding scientific facilities in an ideal geographical location at the core of the Cambridge cluster.

For more information please visit: www.babraham.com and follow the Campus on Twitter @BabrahamUK.

To discover more about Accelerate@Babraham please visit: www.accelerateatbabraham.com