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On 10 September 2025, leaders from across the life sciences industry came together for a One Nucleus BioWednesday Breakfast Session, generously hosted by Mission Street at The Press in Foxton alongside Bidwells.

The session explored what it takes for science and technology companies, particularly spin-outs and early-stage ventures, to grow and scale effectively in the UK.

The panel was moderated by Sue Foxley (Bidwells) and comprised:

  • Dr Nataly Hastings, CEO, Cellestial Health
  • Dr Michael Murray, CEO, MetalloBio & Principal, Murray International Partners
  • Dr Kathryn Chapman, Executive Director, Innovate Cambridge
  • Paul Hughes, Managing Director, Life Sciences & Technology, BDO

Scaling is Systemic

Growth in life sciences is enabled by a variety of levers moving together in concert, as highlighted by Kathryn Chapman:

“Success depends on funding, space, talent and markets moving in tandem, not sequentially. Cambridge has moved from a lab space shortage to an investment challenge and now needs all growth levers aligned.” — Kathryn Chapman, Executive Director, Innovate Cambridge

While Cambridge has addressed some early pain points such as lab space and has good access to talent, the panel noted that the life science sector now broadly faces an investment challenge and companies may want to grow but lack access to sufficient financial resources. One of the standout findings from Bidwells’ Report “Now is the time to go big” is that UK companies receive just £1 in funding for every £8 their US counterparts secure.

Flexibility in Space

A key theme was the need for flexible infrastructure for companies at different stages. Some start-ups will operate virtually, while others need adaptable spaces that evolve as science and business teams grow.

“Given <Cellestial’s> strategy to follow best industry practices for small molecule drug development, outsourcing to CROs around the world makes more sense than building lab space from scratch as we aim to progress rapidly through diverse drug development stages. We can tap into leading global talent in a way that is quick and flexible.” — Dr Nataly Hastings, CEO, Cellestial Health

Health

The panel stressed the importance of providing both collaborative hubs and private, secure spaces for IP-sensitive and deep intellectual work.