Cambridge Wide Open Week (CWOW) returns 11–19 June 2026, sharing the spirit and buzz of the week-long, interactive festival with Oxford and London for the first time.
The Cambridge-Oxford-London corridor is widely regarded as one of the most productive life sciences clusters in the world, home to hundreds of biotechnology companies, globally recognised research institutions and a rapidly expanding venture capital ecosystem.
Building on last year’s event, which attracted more than 4,000 attendees across 25+ venues and 200+ sessions, CWOW 2026 will convene investors, entrepreneurs, academics, policymakers, operators, the wider biotech/techbio community and residents alike, to explore the ecosystems and engage directly with the participants and ideas driving innovation.
Founded on a Combined Ways of Working approach and ethos, the event tells the live story of one of the world’s most vibrant life sciences ecosystems, while showcasing the people and ideas shaping the future of life sciences.
This year’s programme kicks off with curated one-day Venture Tours in Oxford and London, before culminating in the week-long festival of innovation across Cambridge.
The Venture Tours are designed to bring together venture capitalists, angel investors, corporate investors, financial institutions, ecosystem influencers, big pharma, founders, operators and the wider community, offering curated access to the UK’s emerging breakthroughs and investment-ready ventures.
Prashant Shah, co-founder and co-CEO of the o2h Group, which organises the annual event, said:”It’s a bottom-up, community-driven endeavour that tells the live story of the people, places and companies that make up these buzzing ecosystems to those that live/work inside or outside these clusters.”
Dona Ardeman, Partner at Mills & Reeve, a key sponsor and backer of the initiative since 2022, added: “Mills & Reeve loves supporting CWOW because it brings people together, sparks curiosity and celebrates innovation across our region, whilst reminding us why community-led ideas genuinely matter to our future.”
Organisations wishing to participate, host events or sponsor the programme should email cwow@o2h.com by 30 April to be included in the programme.
More information on attending here.