Amanda MacCannell's Story
Amanda MacCannell completed her PhD in 2023 at the University of Leeds, within the Faculty of Medicine.
Her research, funded by the British Heart Foundation, focused on the complications of obesity. Throughout her academic journey, Amanda developed a strong interest in how medical research can translate into real-world solutions. However, she soon identified a gap between academic expertise and the needs of early-stage businesses, particularly those trying to innovate without access to research-led insight.
Motivated by this disconnect between academia and industry, Amanda founded the platform, Pathways Open which connects start-ups and innovative companies with academic experts.
What began as a side project quickly gained momentum. The platform enables businesses to access specialist knowledge, collaborate with researchers, and uncover new opportunities for innovation. It has already supported a range of organisations, from helping Eppendorf identify key opinion leaders in proteomics to ensuring Bare Biology's products are grounded in science.
In 2024, Amanda was awarded the UKRI Women in Innovation Award, a prestigious grant that supports female entrepreneurs across the UK. Running through to November 2025, the award has provided essential funding and visibility, enabling the business to enhance its technology infrastructure and scale its matching system.
Looking ahead, Amanda aims to expand the platform nationally and then internationally. Her vision is to make collaboration between academia and industry more seamless—allowing businesses of all sizes to benefit from expert research, while creating new pathways for academics to apply their knowledge beyond the university.
“Spark has been an essential part of my entrepreneurial journey. They connected me with expert advisors who provided practical accounting and business guidance, support that would have been financially out of reach otherwise. Their help has given me the confidence and clarity to grow the business and take it to the next stage.”
Amanda and her team are now focused on developing new features that will make it even easier for businesses to find the right academic partners. Long-term plans include building sector-specific tools, forming strategic partnerships, and developing automated project scoping capabilities.
