Cambridge Tech Week 2025 was buzzing with ideas, innovation, and inspiration – and Green Custard was proud to be at the heart of it. Earlier in the week, we joined Showcase Cambridge Day on Monday, alongside our partners at St John’s Innovation Centre, where four tenant members shared fascinating insights into their businesses, how they are harnessing the power of AI, and offered advice for budding entrepreneurs. On Wednesday, we teamed up again to exhibit at Innovation Alley, showcasing cutting-edge solutions and connecting with the next wave of innovators.
We rounded off the week by hosting our own flagship session, "Connected Futures: IoT for People, Planet, and Purpose," which brought together brilliant minds from across the IoT and sustainability ecosystems.
Tech for Good with Aqua Libra
Noel Dickson, Managing Director at Aqua Libra, shared how the brand is disrupting the bottled water market with its smart, sustainable Flavour Tap. Designed with person-centred innovation, the tap makes healthy hydration easy while cutting plastic waste and transport emissions.
- Person-centred design is the foundation of our experiences.
- The value proposition is more important than the technology.
- In just 5 months, 16,146 plastic 500ml bottles were avoided at the AWS offices in London. That’s 355kg of packaging material saved!
With iconic workplaces like Google, Meta, Amazon, and Aston Martin already adopting the solution, Aqua Libra is proving that sustainability, technology, and user experience go hand-in-hand.
Raspberry Pi: Powering the Future of Industrial IoT
Roger Thornton, Director of Applications at Raspberry Pi, highlighted how Raspberry Pi has evolved from an education tool to a global industrial powerhouse. With 67 million units sold worldwide and trusted by OEMs across industries, Raspberry Pi is enabling scalable IoT solutions at the edge.
- Used in everything from agritech to aerospace, EV charging to healthcare
- Chosen by Heathrow Airport to power 3,000+ flight information displays
- Designed and manufactured in the UK, with low power use and long lifecycle support
Raspberry Pi is showing that affordable, secure, and flexible technology is the key to democratising IoT innovation.
KOKO Networks: Clean Cooking for a Cleaner Planet
Micael Da Costa, CSO & Co-Founder of KOKO Networks, delivered an inspiring perspective on how IoT is helping protect Africa’s forests while improving lives.
- Africa loses 5 million acres of forest annually to charcoal production
- Charcoal cooking causes 1 billion tons of CO₂ emissions and 600,000 deaths each year
- KOKO has built a nationwide clean fuel network in Kenya, serving 1.3 million households with safe, affordable bioethanol
By combining smart fuel ATMs, micro-tankers, and connected appliances, KOKO is demonstrating that tech-driven solutions can scale rapidly to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
AWS: The Digital Backbone for Sustainable Innovation
Mourad Alia, Senior Manufacturing Partner Solution Architect at AWS, brought the cloud perspective, showing how AWS IoT and machine learning services provide the digital infrastructure that powers innovation. From predictive maintenance to customer insights, AWS enables businesses like Aqua Libra to deliver connected, climate-friendly products that delight users.
A Shared Vision: People, Planet, Purpose
Our panel discussion tied it all together, reinforcing a clear message:
- IoT is an equaliser, making advanced tech accessible to more people and markets.
- Sustainability must be designed-in, not an afterthought.
Partnerships accelerate impact, and collaboration is essential to scaling solutions that matter.
From hydration to aviation, clean cooking to cloud, Connected Futures showed how IoT can drive meaningful change when people, planet, and purpose align. We left inspired and more determined than ever to keep championing technology as a force for good.
Got an idea you’re ready to bring to life? Whether you’re an innovator with a bold new concept or a business leader looking to harness the power of AWS, our Innovation Hub is here to help. From shaping early-stage ideas to scaling proven solutions, we’ll guide you through the technology and partnerships you need to succeed.
Get in touch today and let’s explore how we can turn your vision into reality.