Episode 174 of the Cambridge Tech Podcast reveals an extraordinary approach to drug discovery that sounds like science fiction but is very much reality.

If you've ever wondered how we might make pharmaceutical manufacturing greener without sacrificing innovation, this week's episode delivers some genuinely exciting answers.

HotHouse Therapeutics, a Norwich-based biotech spinout, is harnessing AI and plant biosynthesis to develop the next generation of therapeutic compounds - and they're doing it in greenhouses, not laboratories.

Dr Dave Sheppard and D. Phil Spence joined the show to discuss their genuinely innovative approach to drug discovery. "We use AI and plants to make small molecule therapeutics. Plants have evolved these tools over millions of years to make small molecules - we essentially hijack this system and combine tools from different species to make new molecules with therapeutic purposes."

We find out about:

• Compounds that would take synthetic chemists years to produce individually
• Using greenhouses and vertical farming rather than chemical labs
• Discovery projects (finding new compounds) and production projects (scaling hard-to-access natural compounds)
• HotHouse Therapeutics are not just building a company; they're pioneering an entirely new approach to drug discovery
• Opening a funding round this month (January 2026), aimed expansion into additional therapeutic areas (neurodegeneration, oncology), and a continued focus on proving that sustainable drug discovery isn't just better for the planet, it's better for patients too.

The team emphasises Norwich's emerging biotech ecosystem, particularly the John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, and Anglia Innovation Partnership. With eight team members currently and plans to scale to 20 post-funding, they're committed to keeping operations rooted in Norwich.

This is genuinely exciting stuff. If you're interested in deep-tech innovation, sustainable biotech, or just want to hear how AI is enabling entirely new approaches to one of humanity's oldest challenges, this episode is essential listening.

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Ben Stanton from Deloitte makes his record setting fourth appearance on the podcast to walk us through Deloitte's 2026 Tech (and Media and Telecoms) predictions.

The discussion isn’t just a forecast - it’s a sharp analysis of current market trends, user adoption, and technology realities.

Key Highlights & Insights:

Surging GenAI Adoption – But Reality Lags the Hype:

• “Standalone daily usage of GenAI is now about 6% of the population. In London, it’s 40% using it weekly - it’s urban centres and knowledge workers leading the charge.”

AI’s Gender Divide is Narrowing:

• “We’re far closer to parity: as of April, 53% of men and 42% of women have used GenAI tools.”

SaaS Meets AI Agents:

• “50% of organisations will be committing half of their digital transformation budgets to AI automation by 2026. Customers will buy in, but only if SaaS platforms develop agentic capabilities at speed.”

Agentic AI Poised to Explode:

• “There’s an avalanche of interest. Last year we said 25% would launch POCs—now, all it takes is a couple of clicks inside your ERP.”

Search Gets an AI Facelift:

• “AI-powered search engines now drive three times more discovery than standalone apps. This will reshape how we consume and find information, with huge implications for publishers, marketers, and regulators.”

Industrial Robots: Still Hype Over Reality

• “There are only 5 million industrial robots in the world - rising to 5.5m by 2026. Humanoid robots? Mostly a science-fiction obsession, not yet a real market.”

Tech Sovereignty Spending Accelerates:

• “$100 billion will be committed in 2026 to build AI compute infrastructure outside US/China. Yet 90% of global AI compute remains in their hands - a number falling only moderately by 2030.”

The Rise of Video Podcasts (Vodcasts):

• “The global podcast industry will hit $5 billion this year - driven by video. If you're just audio, you’ll have FOMO. Time for a pivot?”

Produced by Cambridge TV

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As we wrap up an extraordinary year for both AI and climate innovation, this week’s episode delivers an unmissable debate straight from Cambridge Tech Week: “Is climate good or bad for AI?” This thought-provoking episode is essential listening for founders, investors, and anyone passionate about the intersection of technology and sustainability.

The lively panel features:

• Sara Jones, Head of Marketing, Carbon 13

• Jonno Evans, Principal, IQ Capital

• Adam Mandel, Entrepreneur in Residence, Carbon 13

• Anil Madhavapeddy, Professor of Planetary Computing, University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory

Key Takeaways

• AI’s Growing Footprint: Training frontier AI models is massively energy-intensive - think billions of pounds and the equivalent annual power consumption of entire UK counties.

• Global Competition & UK’s Role: The US and China dominate in sheer model scale and capital, but the UK can lead with small, efficient models, edge computing, and unique research talent.

• Climate Shockwaves: A 2.5ºC world would “fundamentally restructure the world’s global supply chain,” warns Prof. Madhavapeddy.

• Sovereign AI & Infrastructure: Expect a world where every country wants their own AI infrastructure - raising urgent questions about energy independence, data localisation, and technological sovereignty.

• Hardware & Efficiency Race: Innovations like IPUs and federated learning promise greater sustainability, but as costs drop, usage surges, so efficiency gains may be offset by soaring demand (Jevons’ Paradox in action).

Produced by Cambridge TV

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.