After being launched and successfully running for two years, Illumina Accelerator Cambridge was finally able to celebrate with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony that had been delayed because of Covid-19 restrictions
Illumina Accelerator is a company creation engine that provides select start-ups with access to seed investment, business guidance, Illumina’s sequencing systems and reagent and fully operational lab space in the San Francisco Bay area or Cambridge during each six-month funding cycle.
Since its launch in July 2020, Illumina Accelerator Cambridge (IAC) has launched 13 start-ups dedicated to harnessing the applications of genomics to improve human health, including novel therapeutics, diagnostics, synthetic biology, research tools, and agriculture. With a global reach, IAC has brought start-ups to Cambridge from seven different countries (UK, Poland, South Africa, Israel, US, Argentina and India). The company won the Innovation award at the 2022 Cambridge Independent Science & Technology Awards.
The event was a celebratory occasion to reflect on the accomplishments that the start-up engine has had so far and the global impact that it can continue to make – it is becoming a powerhouse in attracting top talent and investment capital into genomics and into Cambridge.
It was hosted by Paula Dowdy, senior vice president and general manager of Illumina for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Guests included the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Dr Nik Johnson, entrepreneurs and Illumina’s partner, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA).
