The latest episode of the Cambridge Tech Podcast features Tim Ansor, leader of the Intelligent Services Business Unit at Cambridge Consultants, discussing the rapidly evolving world of physical AI and robotics. If you're building in this space or investing in it, this conversation is essential listening.

What Is Physical AI, Anyway?

Tim cuts through the hype to define physical AI simply: AI that understands the physical world and its properties. Unlike ChatGPT or Claude which are trained on text and images, physical AI systems grasp that objects exist even when hidden, that some things are squishy and others hard, and that gravity works.

It's the missing piece that's making humanoid robots genuinely viable now, not just sci-fi fantasy.

What This Means for Your Team - New skills are coming. Future managers won't just lead people, they'll manage AI agents and robotic collaborators too. Education needs to evolve from "learn to code" to "be fluent with AI tools."

Listen now to learn more!

Headline sponsor Holden Polestar.

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Michael Meeks joins us the week to talk about competing with Microsoft, and why Open Source Wins. Some of the highlights of our conversation include:

• On organic growth: "Unlike many VC-backed companies, we're organic, we're profitable and we have a mission which is to drive open source."
• The business model is counterintuitive but brilliant. By giving away free software, Collabora builds massive brand recognition and deployment. Users try it at home, fall in love with it, and when they need enterprise support, they know exactly who to call.
• On digital sovereignty: In an increasingly geopolitical world, Michael argues open source is the only path to true sovereignty. "The only way to have true digital sovereignty...is to use open source because then it is for the world. It is both local and a collaboration internationally."
• One of the most interesting technical insights: Collabora keeps documents on the server rather than downloading them to clients. This enables server-side policy enforcement - no copy-paste, no printing, no downloads, plus watermarking for traceability.

Michael's remote-first approach is worth noting: rather than have some staff in an office and others remote (which creates two-tier communication), Collabora went fully distributed globally. They do maintain a Cambridge base with internships at Hills Road sixth form college, giving back to the community that shaped him.

Whether you're a founder wrestling with funding strategy, a VC evaluating open source investments, or simply curious about how to build a profitable, mission-driven company without VC pressure, this episode delivers real insights.

Ready to dive deeper? Download Collabora Office from your app store and listen to the full conversation on the Cambridge Tech Podcast. You'll leave thinking differently about competition, sovereignty, and what sustainable growth actually looks like.

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Welcome to Cambridge Tech Week Kickstarter, the event that's putting Cambridge firmly on the global innovation map. This year's theme? How Deep Tech Changes the World. If you're a founder, investor, or tech enthusiast, tune in to find out more about the week, and to hear the panel discussion at the kickstarter event.

The episode starts with updates from Kathryn Chapman (Innovate Cambridge), Rob Bridge (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority), Mike Short and Michaela Eschbach (Cambridge Wireless).

We then cover the highlights of the panel discussion that asks “What Does a World-Class Deep Tech Ecosystem Actually Look Like?”

Kathryn Chapman hosts, with panelists Professor Sir John Aston (University of Cambridge), Jo Slota-Newson (Almanac Ventures) and Lucy Yu (CEO, Centre for Net Zero, Octopus Energy Group).

Cambridge isn't just another tech hub. It's a deliberate ecosystem where world-class research, creative thinking, and bold partnerships converge. The government is backing it. The talent is there. Will you be there to hear more during Cambridge Tech Week this September?

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