Cambridge Wide Open Week 2026 (CWOW) has unveiled details of its June 11–19 event as the life sciences festival expands across the UK’s innovation ‘Golden Triangle’ for the very first time.
Keynote speakers for the event include: former Minister for Science, George Freeman; FT columnist, Gillian Tett OBE; former Business and Industry Minister, Lord Richard Harrington; Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, Professor Deborah Prentice; Dr Olga Kozlova of Oxford University Innovation; and scientist entrepreneur, Dr Jason Mellad.
Portfolio companies and ventures will also be showcased in the Ventures Tour programme, offering investors and ecosystem leaders opportunities to discover some of the UK’s most promising high-growth life science, biotech, techbio, healthtech and medtech companies.
The expanded format which includes Oxford and London reflects the growing national and international significance of the Cambridge ecosystem and its increasing interconnectedness with the UK’s other two world-leading innovation clusters.
Designed for angel investors, venture capital firms, corporate investors, family offices and financial institutions from both within and beyond Cambridge, The Ventures Tour programme is now confirmed as follows:
DAY ONE — Thursday 11 June
Oxford Science Enterprises portfolio and associated ventures will headline the opening programme in Oxford alongside investor showcases from Oxford Venture Angels, Longwall Ventures, Oxford University Innovation and Oxford Technology Management, hosted across Oxford’s leading innovation venues including Saïd Business School and Inventa.
Oxford Science Enterprises’ participating portfolio companies include Ion Therapeutics, Spybiotech, Alethio Therapeutics, ORFonyx, and T-Cypher.
DAY TWO — Friday 12 June
London’s programme will showcase leading investment platforms and venture accelerators operating across healthtech, biotech and deeptech.
Featured organisations include KQ Labs, Mercia Ventures, Foresight Group, LifeArc Ventures and Pioneer Accelerator, with events hosted at The Francis Crick Institute, the London Stock Exchange and Victoria House in Bloomsbury.
DAY THREE — Monday 15 June
Cambridge’s two-day investor programme begins with showcases from some of the region’s most influential venture and innovation organisations at venues including The Glasshouse by Innovate Cambridge, Deloitte Cambridge, Cambridge Judge Business School, Hauxton House and Newnham College.
Featured funds and ecosystem partners taking part include Amadeus Capital Partners, Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, Accelerate Cambridge, o2h Ventures, Meltwind Advisory, Cancer Research Horizons and Bio-Spark by Cambridge Gravity.
DAY FOUR — Tuesday 16 June
The second Cambridge investor day focuses on inward investment, university commercialisation and scaling ventures.
Participating organisations include Cambridge Innovation Capital, Start Codon, Cambridge Angels, Innovate UK Business Growth, Cambridge Enterprise, Parkwalk and Accelerate@Babraham — with events again taking place across The Glasshouse, Deloitte Cambridge and Hilton Cambridge City Centre.
CWOW’s signature Open Day takes place on Wednesday 17 June, providing broader community engagement opportunities across the Cambridge ecosystem – and promising tours, masterclasses, workshops, demos, networking events, panel discussions and public-facing innovation activities.
A dedicated TechBio, Biotech & Pharma Day on Thursday 18 June will spotlight the convergence of AI, biotech and pharmaceutical innovation. Additional fringe events and community programmes will run throughout the week and include the popular Biotech Bikers, 3C Cambridge event and Form the Future Speed Networking.
Shaun Grady, Chair of AstraZeneca UK, said: “CWOW is now an established cornerstone for Cambridge’s life sciences community, and AstraZeneca is thrilled to be part of it again. Bringing together ideas and people from across the region and beyond keeps Cambridge globally recognised as a dynamic life sciences hub.
“My experience being involved in the Beijing – Cambridge Collaboration, the Manchester – Cambridge City partnership and now the Cambridge & Peterborough business advisory board reinforces how essential it is to connect ecosystems – locally, regionally and internationally. CWOW is a great example of this, ensuring business voices are heard and collaborative networks continue to grow.”
Prashant Shah, Co-founder and Co-CEO of the o2h group and founder of Cambridge Wide Open Week, added: “We are excited to once again be hosting a week of life sciences at the home of life sciences – and to see CWOW expand the Venture Tours across Oxford, London and Cambridge. We want people to experience the buzzing life sciences ecosystems of the UK – from investors to government, and from those working in life sciences to the wider community. CWOW is a community and grassroots-driven endeavour that tells the past, present and future stories of these thriving and increasingly connected ecosystems of the UK.”
Register for Cambridge Wide Open Week 2026 here.
View the Full CWOW 2026 Schedule
