Sara AlMahri and Callon Peate, both Doctoral Researchers at the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), have been named as #21toWatch Top21.2026 winners under the awards ‘People’ category, which celebrates founders whose technical insight and entrepreneurial drive are helping to translate research into real-world impact.

The annual #21toWatch awards recognise the next generation of high-potential founders and technically ambitious ventures emerging from Cambridge and the wider East of England. The initiative highlights individuals developing deep-tech solutions to some of society’s most pressing health, climate and industrial challenges.

Building AI-powered intelligence for global supply chains

Sara AlMahri, a member of the Supply Chain and Artificial Intelligence lab (SCAIL), is co-founder of Mina AI, which is building an agentic AI execution layer for supply chains. The platform aims to shift the industry from passive information systems to active intelligence that can take action across procurement, logistics and compliance. The technology is designed for use by manufacturers, governments and ports, helping them operate more efficiently and respond to disruptions in global trade.

Sara says, “I’m honoured to be recognised on the #21toWatch list for 2026. We’re building Mina AI, the first AI-native workforce for port operations. Over 80% of global trade moves by sea, so helping terminal operations become more efficient and more resilient feels deeply important."

Turning concrete into a long-term carbon sink

Callon Peate, studying in the Fluid in Advanced Manufacturing (FIAM) Group, is co-founder of GreenMixes, a startup working to build a carbon-negative future for construction materials. The company is developing a drop-in cement admixture designed to provide one of the most scalable and cost-effective routes to fully decarbonising concrete, while enabling buildings and infrastructure to act as long-term carbon sinks.

“I’m really happy to be named on the 21toWatch list for 2026,” says Callon. “I’m grateful for the recognition of the work I’ve been doing and for the support I’ve received along the way.”

Recognising emerging deep-tech founders

The #21toWatch programme showcases founders building ventures grounded in advanced science and engineering, with the potential to create significant economic and societal value. The recognition highlights the growing role of Cambridge’s research community in developing solutions to global challenges.

Sara and Callon join a cohort of founders whose work spans sectors including AI, climate technologies, biotechnology and advanced manufacturing.

Find out more about the awards and all the winners: https://www.21towatch.com/21towatch-2026-winners-revealed-deeptech-founders-tackling-societys-toughest-health-and-climate-challenges