Anyone running a high tech or green tech business in Cambridge probably has heard about Allia Future Business Centre; there is an impressive list of companies resident here at the moment. My company has been a tenant, a virtual office user, and a visitor at the Allia Future Business Centre over the past five years or so. Throughout that period Allia have been very supportive and adaptable to our growing company’s needs.
LOCATION: For a new startup on a budget but wanting a professional-looking and well-run office space, Allia is incredible value for money. The Future Business Centre is located next to the Science Park but with significantly cheaper rental prices, yet still has close access to Cambridge Science Park and St. John's Innovation Park, as well as other local businesses, and Cambridge North train station is very close by too.
BUILDING: The building itself is modern, spacious and very well designed with lots of natural light and large offices. There are also lots of small communal areas for breakout spaces and networking. There are bookable meeting rooms and high speed secure wifi, as well as mailboxes for companies, postage services, franking, and support for courier services. There is a lot of parking (including parking spaces between Science Park and Cambridge Regional College, with electric charge ports available.
SUPPORT: The staff are friendly, supportive, highly professional, and work tirelessly to make sure that tenants can access all that they need. The reception team is very welcoming and have made every effort to accommodate our visitors to the building, as well as putting in huge personal efforts when things go wrong to make sure that tenants can keep working efficiently.
COMMUNITY: Allia run a lot of workshops, drop-ins, talks and other activities for business support, advice and access to their wider network. The staff also hold social events and encourage networking so that the building operates as a community of companies rather than as isolated entities sharing an incubator space. There are large established companies sharing with small new startups, so the networking potential is huge, especially for green tech and high tech teams trying to get a foothold in Cambridge’s tech ecosystem.
AMENITIES: The atrium on the ground floor at Allia has a very well-priced and well stocked café, essential in an area where it’s hard to find local food without having to drive or cycle along the busway to a cafe. There are also kitchenettes on each floor for tenants, all equipped with microwaves, fridges, kettles, coffee machines and dishwashers.
In short, it’s an outstanding office space at incredible value for money if you’re a new startup looking for a short-term place to incubate, or an established company looking for a welcoming office community.
