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Innovation Alley 2026: Application Window Opens for Cambridge Tech Week's Deeptech Startup Exhibition

Event artwork for Innovation Alley 2026: Application Window Opens for Cambridge Tech Week's Deeptech Startup Exhibition

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University of East Anglia (UEA)PEM
About this event

What to expect

Cambridge Tech Week 2026 is opening applications for Innovation Alley, a flagship exhibition showcasing 80+ deeptech startups and scaleups at Cambridge Guildhall on 16–17 September 2026. This curated exhibition forms the centrepiece of Cambridge Tech Week's mission to demonstrate how breakthrough technologies move from discovery to real-world deployment.

What Is Innovation Alley?

Innovation Alley is deliberately designed to prioritise conversation and interaction over passive display. The exhibition space—sponsored by University of East Anglia (UEA) and PEM—will feature up to 10 different zones covering AI, MedTech, HealthTech, ClimateTech and advanced engineering. The format creates a high-impact environment where founders can engage directly with potential partners, investors and clients, moving beyond traditional exhibition stands to enable meaningful conversations and tangible outcomes.

Dr Mike Short CBE FREng, Chair of Cambridge Tech Week Steering Committee, explains: "Innovation Alley is designed expressly for conversation, and intended for startups with a defined proposition and scaleups looking to build visibility and relationships. This is all about wanting to help tech companies meet the right people on their scale-up journey."

Who Can Apply?

The exhibition maintains strict eligibility criteria to ensure quality. Startups must have been established for less than five years, employ fewer than 25 staff, and be angel and/or seed funded. Scaleups must have secured at least Series A funding and have been revenue-generating for a minimum of three years. Meeting these criteria doesn't guarantee participation—all applications undergo a rigorous selection process to curate the strongest cohort.

Exhibition space costs £350 plus VAT for startups and £1,500 plus VAT for scaleups. All applications must be received by 5pm Monday 8 June 2026, with successful applicants notified by Monday 6 July 2026.

Integrated Pitch Competition

All confirmed startups that have been pre-selected as finalists automatically receive entry into the Pitch Competition, sponsored by Mills & Reeve and held on Wednesday 17 September as a central feature of Visionary Tech Day. This takes place on the main stage of the Corn Exchange, offering visibility to a focused global audience of investors and industry leaders. Scaleups are automatically added to the longlist unless they opt out during the application process. Yo

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