Vortex Chosen as First Company in Expanded AstraZeneca Exchange Programme
Partnership links the North of England with the Golden triangle to drive national economic growth
We are delighted to announce that our portfolio company Vortex, a leading oncology liquid biopsy company, has been selected as the first-ever participant in the prestigious AstraZeneca Exchange programme. This milestone recognises Vortex’s pioneering work in precision oncology and its potential to redefine how cancer is diagnosed and monitored.
The AstraZeneca Exchange: Science and Business Mentoring programme brings together AstraZeneca’s global expertise with high-potential biotech companies to accelerate the development of transformative healthcare solutions. Designed to connect leading innovators and established industry leaders, the programme offers scientific guidance, commercial insight, and access to AstraZeneca’s extensive R&D ecosystem.
Vortex’s selection as the inaugural participant represents a strong endorsement of the company’s pioneering work in precision oncology and its mission to shape the next generation of cancer diagnostics and monitoring tools.
Dr. Paul Reeves, Managing Director of Vortex, said:
“Being chosen as the first company to join the AstraZeneca Exchange Manchester programme is a huge vote of confidence in our science and the clarity of our vision.
“We are incredibly excited to collaborate with AstraZeneca, learn from their experience, and apply that insight to scale our impact. This partnership helps us move faster, transforming how precision medicine reaches patients and how we turn innovation into tangible health outcomes.”
Through the EMV Capital venture Building programme, we have supported Vortex since its early development, helping to shape the company’s commercial strategy and growth trajectory to commercialisation.
The AstraZeneca Exchange also forms part of the newly launched Cambridge x Manchester Innovation Partnership, a national initiative uniting two of the UK’s strongest science and technology clusters to drive regional and national growth. The partnership represents a collaboration linking the North of England with the Golden Triangle. It will fuel the commercialisation of start-ups, attract investment, and pilot new approaches to drive growth in a range of different sectors, from discovering new medicine to improving the resilience of UK infrastructure.
Nigel Brooksby, Non-Executive Chairman of Vortex, added:
“Vortex’s selection for the AstraZeneca Exchange programme showcases the quality of its team, technology, and ambition. This is a great step forward for UK biotech – and for the growing collaboration between our innovation clusters. Linking Manchester and Cambridge brings together world-class research, entrepreneurial energy, and patient capital to fuel long-term growth.
“These kinds of initiatives show how government, investors, and industry can work hand in hand to accelerate the scale-up of science and technology-driven enterprises across the UK. We are proud to support Vortex on this journey and look forward to the breakthroughs that will emerge from this collaboration.”
Together with the UK Government’s newly unveiled investment package for the Oxford–Cambridge corridor, these efforts represent a united approach to removing barriers, unlocking growth, and building a stronger framework that enables leading companies like Vortex to thrive.