Company details

HEADCOUNT

100-499

ORG TYPE

Non-profit

SECTOR

Education & Learning

WEBSITE

http://www.enterprise.cam.ac.uk/

About the company

Cambridge Enterprise is the University of Cambridge’s commercialisation arm, helping researchers and innovators turn ideas into real-world impact through consultancy, intellectual property support, licensing, venture creation and investment. The organisation is based at the Hauser Forum in the West Cambridge Innovation District. Public employer messaging emphasises flexibility, wellbeing, and learning budgets alongside a clear set of values. Cambridge Enterprise states “over 130” co-workers and was founded in 2006.

Locations and presence

Cambridge Enterprise is anchored in Cambridge (Hauser Forum, West Cambridge). The company promotes hybrid working and also states many roles allow working abroad for up to 30 days per year.

Palpable Score

72.1

/ 100

Cambridge Enterprise looks like a well-supported early-career environment, with strong benefits, a clear career framework signal, and unusually concrete people metrics published via Best Companies recognition. The score is held back by thin, inconsistent visibility of junior openings at any given moment and limited public evidence on early-career promotion and retention outcomes.

Pillar 1: Early-career access

Score

11.8

/ 20

The company’s own jobs portal currently shows no open roles, which makes “apply now” entry-level access hard to evidence from live vacancies.
Cambridge Enterprise has advertised true early-career roles externally, such as a Junior Business Analyst role marketed to graduates with “some experience with data” rather than long experience requirements.
The company does not present a dedicated graduate, internship, or apprenticeship route on the careers site navigation, so early-career entry points rely on occasional role-by-role postings.

Pillar 2: Hiring fairness and transparency

Score

15.8

/ 20

The company runs hiring through a formal ATS careers site with a “Connect” talent community option, which supports a consistent application flow when roles are live.
Cambridge Enterprise has published role-specific hiring timelines in at least one vacancy (including closing date and interview dates), which is unusually helpful for early-career applicants planning around notice periods and exams.
The company does not publish a single standard “what to expect” hiring process page (stages, typical tasks, timelines across teams), so transparency varies by role.

Pillar 3: Learning and support

Score

16.0

/ 20

The company advertises a “generous personal L&D budget” and frames learning as a core benefit rather than an afterthought.
Cambridge Enterprise backs development with named tools and support in role adverts, including LinkedIn Learning as part of the personal development offer.
The company does not publicly show practical onboarding structure (buddying, 30-60-90 day ramp goals, coaching cadence), which limits how confidently a first-job candidate can assess day-to-day support.

Pillar 4: Pay fairness and stability

Score

14.5

/ 20

The company offers a standout benefits baseline for a 100–249 sized employer, including 30 days’ holiday plus public holidays and Bupa private medical insurance.
Cambridge Enterprise includes flexibility that materially affects early-career quality of life, including hybrid working and the stated option to work abroad for up to 30 days per year in many roles.
The company does not consistently publish salary ranges on its own careers site, which caps pay-fairness confidence for early-career candidates comparing offers.

Pillar 5: Early-career outcomes

Score

14.0

/ 20

The company has strong outcome signals from Best Companies recognition, including published staff survey results on personal growth and manager approachability.
Cambridge Enterprise has public external validation via top-tier Best Companies accreditation and a top-10 national ranking in its size category, which supports the case for a healthy working environment over time.
The company does not publish early-career outcome data like promotion timelines for entry roles, 12–24 month retention, or conversion rates from junior roles into specialist tracks, which limits this pillar.