Business Weekly - Cambridge, UK

During the past seven years, CUE and PA have operated separately, yet only within 10 miles of each other, fostering substantial business creation, innovation and commercial success.

CUE, which is student-run, educates Cambridge University staff and students about enterprise and helps them create world-shaping companies. Since 1999, its business competitions have attracted over 450 entries and it has awarded grants of over £280,000 to 31 start-ups.

The CUE business competitions create global businesses: The resulting 20 companies which trade today, including Owlstone Nanotechnology, Splashpower and Light Blue Optics, have collectively attracted more several millions of pounds in further funding and are valued in excess of £30m.

CUE’s sponsors include the Greater Cambridge Partnership, the Cambridge Angels, 3i and ARM.

PA, through its consultancy skill and dedicated technology centres in Cambridge, UK, and Princeton, US, is the commercialisation partner of choice for many global companies, able to help develop strategy and take technology ideas from concept, through rapid prototyping to volume production to market.

PA has a demonstrable track record in business success and innovation, both for clients and for itself, in the form of recently launched venture companies such as UbiNetics, Meridica and Aegate. It has won numerous MCA awards.

Through this new, complementary initiative, CUE business competition winners will have early access to PA’s expertise and support in developing their business ideas.

President of CUE, Rahul Vohra, said: “The CUE competitions are a world class way of taking entrepreneurs with innovative technology to a stage where they can raise investment. We are excited to be working with PA, who will add significant experience to the process of growing successful global businesses.”

Ian Rhodes from PA’s management group, added: “PA’s clients include many of the world’s most successful global brands.

“These companies are increasingly turning to PA to access innovative ideas and entrepreneurial teams to sustain growth.

“With CUE’s track record over the last seven years, we see this collaboration as a ‘win-win’ – better services for our clients, whilst enhancing the commercialisation of the UK’s successful science and technology base.”