Fundraising Fox
Start Codon
Venture studioCambridge · Pre-Seed–Seed · 6 people tracked
Find your way into Start Codon
Sign up to see every warm intro you have to Start Codon
- Paths you didn't know you had: your email and LinkedIn already hold routes to the Start Codon team. We find them for you
- 2nd- and 3rd-degree connections: the friend-of-a-friend routes that take hours to manually find through your inbox or LinkedIn
- Answers now, not in days: momentum is everything in a raise. Skip asking around whether someone knows someone
Days of research, done the moment you sign in, with every route ranked by how warm it is.
Investment thesis
Start Codon operates as a venture builder focused on early-stage, disruptive innovations in life sciences and healthcare, primarily backing companies with an affiliation to Cambridge, which it regards as Europe's leading hub for innovation. The firm supports exceptional founding teams from across the UK, providing capital and hands-on company-building assistance. Its portfolio spans biotech, medtech, therapeutics, diagnostics and femtech, reflecting a science-first approach to commercializing research and translating discoveries into clinically and commercially viable ventures.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 6 people
from the firm's website & curated
Founder mafia
The Start Codon mafia →11 people who came through Start Codon went on to found or lead other companies.
What they invest in
from 9 of 17 portfolio companiesBiotech ×7Deep Tech ×5Medical Devices ×5Healthtech ×3AI & Machine Learning ×2Digital Health ×2Hardware ×2New Materials ×2
HQs:United Kingdom×5
Investments · 17 tracked
founders shown can be your intro path
Semarion is a University of Cambridge spin-out developing the SemaCyte platform, which converts adherent cells into barcoded, ready-to-use reagents for accelerated drug discovery and cell-based research.
BiotechDeep TechMedical DevicesNew MaterialsSaaSCambridge, GB
Jeroen Verheyen(CEO and Co-Founder)inTarun Vemulkar(Co-founder & CTO)in
Co-investorsThe FSE GroupCambridge Capital GroupFound CapitalEMV CapitalMartlet CapitalParkwalk Advisors
Awen Oncology is a drug discovery company developing first-in-class oncology therapeutics that target cancer-specific proteins found only in tumor cells, aiming for treatments with improved efficacy and fewer side effects.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechHealthtech
Prof. Andrea Brancale(Chairman, Co-Founder)inDr. Ramsay McFarlane(CEO, Co-Founder)inDr. Jane Wakeman(CSO, Co-Founder)
Co-investorsDevelopment Bank of Wales
Emm develops a medical-grade silicone menstrual cup embedded with ultra-thin sensors that tracks cycle metrics such as flow, duration, and frequency to give users personalised insights into their menstrual health.
Digital HealthFemTechHardware
Jenny Button(Founder)in
Co-investorsAlumni VenturesBlue LionBlue Lion GlobalKaya VenturesLunar VenturesSie Ventures+1 more
Spirea develops a multivalent ADC linker technology called ELIVATE that expands the range of usable payloads for antibody-drug conjugates, aiming to enable next-generation ADCs for oncology, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases.
BiotechDeep TechHealthtech
Myriam Ouberai(Founder)inBo Rode Hansen(Executive Director)in
Co-investorsCambridge Angels groupACF InvestorsO2h VenturesR42 Group
StemBond makes SENCE, a range of cell culture well plates (6 to 96 wells), coverslips and inserts pre-coated with a proprietary animal-free hydrogel tuned to tissue-relevant stiffnesses.
BiotechDeep TechNew Materials
Tagomics develops multimodal technologies for precision medicine and next-generation diagnostics.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechMedical DevicesCambridge, GB
Dr Jack Kennefick(Co-founder, Director & Chief Executive Officer)Dr Robert Neely(Co-founder, Director & Chief Scientific Officer)
Co-investorsCalculus Capital Ltd.Illumina VenturesIQ CapitalCalculusInnovate UKMEIF Proof-of-Concept & Early Stage Fund+2 more
.jpeg){kind=logo}
TRIMTech Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on drug discovery and development, backed by investors including Cambridge Innovation Capital and BGF.
BiotechDeep TechLongevityMedical DevicesCambridge, GB
Damian Crowther, PhD FRCP(Co-founder, Head of Research)Dr. Leo James(Co-founder, Group Leader at MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology)Dr. William McEwan(Co-founder, Group Leader at UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge)Nicki Thompson, PhD(CEO)Nicki Thompson(CEO)
Co-investorsCambridge Innovation CapitalPfizer VenturesSV Health InvestorsM VenturesPfizer Venture InvestmentsDiamond Edge Ventures
VentriPace Medical develops cardiac rhythm management technology using sensing and remote monitoring to support short-term management of transient conduction disturbances following procedures such as TAVI and cardiac surgery.
Digital HealthHardwareMedical DevicesAbingdon, GB
Will Simpson(Managing Director & Founder)in
BoardBob Stern(Chairman)
Verinnogen develops data collection technology for pre-clinical cancer research, aiming to improve the accuracy, repeatability, and reliability of research data.
BiotechHealthtechMedical Devices
Dr Isaac Johnson(Co-founder & CEO)Dr Mike Irvine(Co-founder & CTO)
Co-investorsCambridge Angels group
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
AdoraArkVaxDrishti DiscoveriesErebaGenHotHouse TherapeuticsIndegra TherapeuticsPhorestRevoNA
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesEmm · eu-startups.com · Nov 19, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Start Codon made?
- Start Codon has 17 tracked investments.
- What stage does Start Codon invest at?
- Start Codon invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What sectors does Start Codon focus on?
- Start Codon focuses on AgTech, AI & Machine Learning, Biotech, Deep Tech, Digital Health, FemTech, Healthtech, Longevity, Medical Devices.
- Where is Start Codon located?
- Start Codon is headquartered in Cambridge, GB.
- Who does Start Codon co-invest with?
- Start Codon most often shares deals with Cambridge Angels group, Alumni Ventures, Cambridge Innovation Capital, among 11 tracked co-investors.
Images
Similar investors
Future Positive Capital is a venture firm backing entrepreneurs building companies that address large-scale global challenges across health, sustainability and technology.
Overwater Ventures is an early-stage venture firm that partners with pre-seed and seed stage founders working on large-scale problems, offering hands-on support across launch strategy, go-to-market, fundraising, and marketing.
Everywhere Ventures is an early-stage venture firm that writes pre-seed checks and is backed by a community of founder and operator LPs.
Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) is a government-backed ecosystem connector that funds and supports the development, commercialization, and adoption of advanced technologies in Ontario, fostering industry-academic collaborations and supporting early-stage startups.
Khosla Ventures is a venture capital firm that backs bold, early-stage, technology-driven companies across deep tech and other sectors, providing hands-on 'venture assistance' to help founders build category-defining businesses.