The Cambridge Independent Science and Technology Awards 2026 are open for entry.
Now in their ninth year, the awards have garnered a reputation as the leading celebration of the Cambridge region's prowess across science and tech sectors - from biotech to cleantech, and from AI to medtech.
The awards celebrate businesses, organisations and individuals - and are free to enter via our website here.
Finalists get two free tickets to the awards ceremony, which will be held in May.
Editor Paul Brackley, who hosts the awards, said: "We are delighted to open our Science and Technology Awards 2026 for entry and look forward to seeing your entries.
"The standard is always exceptional - proof that the Cambridge region is truly world-leading in so many fields.
"The judging panel will no doubt have a challenging task on its hands when it meets to consider the nominations. It is a joy to celebrate outstanding achievements with our audience.
"We are grateful to our sponsors for helping us to hold these annual awards which will begin, as always, with our popular networking drinks reception, where individuals can catch up, swap ideas and plot more great innovations."
From start-ups through to established multinationals, our nominees can come from all stages of the company lifecycle.
And this year we have added one new category: Fintech Company of the Year, reflecting the growing importance of the Cambridge region in this sector.
There are two categories for individuals - CEO of the Year, which in 2025 went to Eleanor Lightbody, of Luminance, and Researcher of the Year, won last time by Dr Nuru Noor, a clinical lecturer at the University of Cambridge and Addenbrooke's Hospital.
AstraZeneca returns to sponsor Researcher of the Year and will help to judge the category.
Steve Rees OBE, senior vice president discovery sciences at AstraZeneca, said: "AstraZeneca is proud to sponsor the Researcher of the Year award - celebrating outstanding scientific achievements and the resilience it takes to reach these accomplishments.
"We're delighted to be a part of the Cambridge Independent Science and Technology Awards once again and celebrate the remarkable successes in our industry."
Also returning to support the awards is Cambridge Science Park, which sponsors our STEM Initiative of the Year category - an acknowledgement of the importance of continuing to nurture the talent pipeline in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Jane Hutchins, director of Cambridge Science Park, said: "STEM matters because it has the power to change the way young people see the world and their place in it. Each year, through these awards, we see projects which genuinely help young people discover what they're capable of, and that's worth celebrating."
Appleyard Lees, the intellectual property law firm, has been involved in the awards since they were first held and returns to support the AI Company of the Year category this year.
The firm will also once again offer its fantastic £1,500 IP Prize - an offer of bespoke IP advice for one of our finalists.
Woodfines Solicitors has also been involved in the awards since they began. It continues its support this year for the Cleantech Company of the Year category, won in 2025 by Levidian.
Neil Gibbs, head of Woodfines' corporate commercial team, said: "We're delighted to once again sponsor the Cambridge Independent Science and Technology Awards, a partnership we've been proud to support since their inception.
"At Woodfines, we're passionate about helping businesses thrive at every stage of their journey, and we're committed to embedding sustainability into everything we do.
"This year, we're particularly excited to sponsor the Cleantech Company of the Year category and look forward to celebrating the innovative companies driving sustainability through technology."
St John's Innovation Centre is also returning to sponsor Medtech Company of the Year for the third year.
And Railpen, which is involved in several major investment schemes in Cambridge, is once again sponsoring The Award for Innovation, which covers all sectors.
BDO LLP, meanwhile, is supporting the Biotech Company of the Year category.
Richard Watson, tax partner at BDO, said: "Supporting the Cambridge Independent Science and Technology Awards once again reflects BDO's commitment to the region's innovation community. These awards play an important role in recognising excellence, encouraging ambition and highlighting the impact Cambridge companies & talent have on the world."
BDO will be among those joining the judging panel, which will bring together expertise across a wide range of fields. Judging will take place at the Bradfield Centre, operated by Mantle Space, which is sponsoring Software Company of the Year for the third year in a row.
The Tech for Good Award is also back, celebrating those that are leading the way in using technology for a positive impact.
The awards conclude with two broad and hotly-contested categories: Technology Company of the Year, won in 2025 by Nu Quantum, and Life Science Company of the Year, won last time by Broken String Biosciences.
The Faculty of Science and Engineering at Anglia Ruskin University will sponsor Technology Company of the Year once again.
Prof Laurie Butler, pro vice chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at ARU, said: "These awards are a highlight in the calendar of the city's science community, and ARU is proud to once again be supporting this fantastic event. Cambridge's exceptional track record in scientific innovation means the awards will be celebrating some of the most significant and cutting-edge developments taking place anywhere in the world right now, which is incredibly exciting."
Zyme Communications, which offers PR and marketing services for the life science industry, will support the Life Science Company of the Year category again in 2026.
Lorna Cuddon, managing director of Zyme Communications, said: "We're proud to sponsor the Life Science Company of the Year award for a fourth consecutive year. The awards showcase some of the brightest and best companies from Cambridge and beyond. Several of us from the Zyme team attend the ceremony at Hinxton - we always enjoy being part of the celebrations!"
A very special winner will be selected for our Lifetime Achievement Award by our judging panel. It was won in 2025 by Dr Jane Osbourn, who has helped launch multiple successful drugs and is now CEO of Alchemab Therapeutics.