Shock news – Cambridge can do software! Success at Seedcamp

In my home town and beyond there is a rather insidious meme that states Cambridge is great at doing massively complicated stuff like ‘inventing’ gravity (overhead this weekend on punt), discovering DNA, solving Fermat’s last theorem, designing chips, curing cancer etc.

On the other hand, we are crap at web stuff and software unless it it outrageously complicated. Cambridge brains need something tough to chew.

see more pwn and owned pictures

I have always thought this was nonsense on stilts and it is great to see people like Neil Davidson, founder of Redgate and the Business of Software conference amongst many other things playing such a key role in trying to do something about this.

Looks like the good entrepreneurial people of Cambridge are already starting to do it for themselves though.

I was delighted to see that two Cambridge Software businesses made it to the final of mini Seedcamp held today. This is a great initiative designed to give support and mentoring to some of the most promising early-stage software teams in the land.

How great to hear, and how proud for our little fen town that Mohammed Al-Ubaydli and team at Patients Know Best and Andrew Walkingshaw, Toby White, and Dan Wilson at Timetric not only made it from the 120 or so applicants to the 20 chosen to participate but were in the final 5 chosen to present to the investment committee at the end of the day. (The other worthy three were CityOdds, GymFu and Sentry).

Here is a famous tennis-goer ‘singing’ a song with a hidden message.

Now your hard work really begins. You can all build great companies.

I am not a mathematician but:

• Two finalists out of 20 drawn across Europe = 10% of successful applicants for Mini Seedcamp came from Cambridge.
• Two of five winners of Mini Seedcamp = 40% of winners on the day.
• (These are small numbers but that never stopped us making a headline at Library House).

I know there were other businesses that applied and got very close to being accepted. I also know there are a ton of other people in the town who are working away on a bunch of exciting projects that will stand with the best that hackers across the country and Europe can produce.

Celebratory blue sky and cherry blossom, Llamas Land, Cambridge. (See comment).

Way to go #Camrev.

Happy birthday Neil!