A tale of two tech cities – the Cambridge Connection makes a triumphant trade mission to Singapore
Next generation law firm Taylor Vinters unites the powerhouse technology clusters of Cambridge and Singapore to forge international links
The pioneering trade mission from Cambridge, led by Taylor Vinters partners, Patrick Farrant and Adrian Rainey, and Struan McDougall, CEO of Cambridge Capital Group, saw more than 100 members of Singapore’s technology community attend the High Commissioner’s residence in Singapore for the launch of the Cambridge Connection – a technology and investment networking forum founded by Taylor Vinters and Cambridge Capital Group, in association with UKTI.
The mission to link investors, entrepreneurs, corporates and government agencies in Singapore with counterparts from the Cambridge and UK technology community has been hugely successful in generating elite opportunities for collaboration, investment and strategic partnering.
HE British High Commissioner, Antony Phillipson, and Deputy High Commissioner, Judith Slater, welcomed the delegation of leading Cambridge tech entrepreneurs, business angels and investors with an empowering opening statement: “Singapore and Cambridge have the scope to lead the world in the areas of highly-skilled, high-tech, high-value-added sectors.”
During the trade mission, delegates attended a series of high-profile meetings and presentation opportunities with key representatives from Singapore’s VC and tech community, including: Sequoia Capital; National University of Singapore Entrepreneurship Centre; Lateral Capital Group, and the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore.
The audience also heard from Dr Miles Upton, head of Asia at Cambridge Consultants, which has led the way for fifty years with innovative product development and recently opened a Singapore office as part of its international expansion. Another initiative of the Cambridge Connection was presented by Tim Pullan, Taylor Vinters’ head of Asia, who revealed: “We are thrilled to announce that the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and global software company Red Gate Software has offered an innovative mentoring support programme aimed at early-stage fast-growth Singaporean tech entrepreneurs.The Taylor Vinters team will also mentor this start-up and effect introductions to key representatives from Cambridge’s VC and tech community.The winning start-up will be announced this summer.”
A significant speaker at the event, Struan McDougall, CEO, Cambridge Capital Group, summarised: “Cambridge Capital Group was delighted to be a founding partner of the Cambridge Connection, and very pleased to be able to make one of the keynote speeches about the power of the hi-tech cluster in Cambridge. The event surpassed our expectations: the companies we brought to present to the Singapore audience and our own investor group have made some excellent contacts for business going forward, as we look to build our membership of international private investors. Taylor Vinters did an outstanding job setting up the programme with UKTI and we look forward to building on the profile we have created in Singapore so that the Cambridge Connection can become an annual delegation.”
Companies represented on the Cambridge Connection trade mission, who all presented at a pitching session at Eden Hall, included: Arachnys; Knowledge Transmission; CCS; Kuvu Tutors; Inotec; Eagle Genomics; e-Go Aeroplanes; iSotera; Cambridge CMOS Sensors; Captive Media, and David Ball Group plc. Key investors at the event were; Struan McDougall, Sebastian McKinlay, and Peter Cowley from Cambridge Capital Group and Martlet (Marshalls), and Tomaz Slivnik of Cambridge Angels.
Commenting on outcomes of the trade mission, Sam Loose, Chief Executive Officer, Knowledge Transmission Ltd., said: “Knowledge Transmission got a lot of exposure, good PR and interest – but most importantly the trade mission led to investment and several distribution agreements for large parts of the Asia Pacific market, Singapore being the ideal hub for doing business in this area.”
