Cambridge Enterprise and Cambridge Social Ventures have partnered to offer seed funding to social ventures emerging from the University of Cambridge.
The programme will invest up to £20,000 each in as many as five businesses that are making a positive social or environmental impact. Any returns will be reinvested in future social ventures.
This particular funding is only available to University members, but the Cambridge Social Ventures programme remains open and welcoming to ventures from anywhere.
While Cambridge Social Ventures supports a range of businesses beyond the University of Cambridge, this particular fund is limited to businesses emerging from the University or founded by alumni. Other funding options are available for non-University businesses.
To be eligible for seed investment from this fund, ventures must be:
- current members or graduates of the Cambridge Social Ventures incubator programme
- spin-outs from University research or founded by Cambridge alumni
- dedicated to making positive social or environmental impact and suitably structured as a social venture with an embedded social mission (we can guide you through this).
If you’re not sure about your eligibility, please get in touch at for a chat.
This fund is only available to current members or graduates of the Cambridge Social Venture incubator programme. This is a programme of training, advice and other support for business making positive social or environmental impact.
Find out more about the Cambridge Social Venture Incubator
If you are selected for Cambridge Social Ventures, and meet the eligibility criteria, the team will facilitate an introduction to Cambridge Enterprise. The selection process will then proceed as normal for Cambridge Enterprise Seed Funds, with applications to be assessed by a Social Investment Committee.
Cambridge Social Ventures supports businesses making positive social or environmental impact with programmes designed to drive businesses forward to create real, scaleable, lasting social or environmental change. From prisons to prosthetics, fashion to farming, the ventures they support come from all sectors. They range from local to global in scale, and include technology start-ups, public sector mutuals, community organisations, university spinouts and everything in between.
Cambridge Enterprise seed funds support students and academics through direct investment as they build teams and raise the finances they need to develop products from their research and build spin-out companies. It creates partnerships and links entrepreneurs with University seed funds and sources of angel and VC investment, as well as a network of mentors and management.