Dr David Cleevely CBE FREng FIET has spent decades proving that serendipity doesn’t happen by accident. As a serial entrepreneur, investor, and policy adviser, he has deliberately created the conditions for breakthrough moments—founding or supporting over 60 companies, including Analysys, Abcam, and the globally acclaimed Raspberry Pi Foundation.

David’s approach to cultivating serendipitous connections has helped transform Cambridge into one of the world’s leading technology clusters. He co-founded Cambridge Angels, Cambridge Ahead, Cambridge Wireless, and the Cambridge Network—all designed to bring the right people together at the right time. His founding of the Centre for Science and Policy at the University of Cambridge created a pioneering model for connecting academics with policymakers, now replicated internationally.

From chairing the Raspberry Pi Foundation during its extraordinary global expansion to co-founding the Cambridge Science Centre—which has engaged over half a million people—David has consistently built environments where innovation can flourish. He currently chairs Chemify and Focal Point Positioning, and leads the Royal Academy of Engineering Policy Fellowships Working Group, a programme designed to forge strategic links between government and engineering.

Appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2013 for services to technology and innovation, David holds honorary doctorates from Bath University and Anglia Ruskin University. Through his work across entrepreneurship, public policy, and education, he has become a master practitioner in designing the networks and moments where serendipity thrives.