Startups, Manufacturing, and Innovation - New IfM Students at Cambridge Kinetics

Last month, we welcomed four brilliant students from the University of Cambridge's Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) to explore and enhance customer journey within Kinabase. Their interest in bridging theory and practice brought us some invaluable insights - and it also reaffirmed why collaborating with academic talent is so important to us.

This month, we're delighted to share that we've expanded this collaboration by hosting two more IfM students: Joud and Thinley, both enrolled in the MPhil in Industrial Systems, Manufacture, and Management. Their arrival is another step forward in our ongoing mission to bring fresh perspectives to the dynamic world of AI and startup innovation.

Academia & Startups

One of the things we love most about working with the IfM is how seamlessly the academic rigour of its students can translate itself into practical, fast-paced solutions - especially in a startup environment like ours.

Joud and Thinley were keen to experience the pace of a startup environment firsthand:

"I've never had the opportunity to work in a startup-style ecosystem before," Thinley said. "I applied to get real-world experience in a software company that's always experimenting."

Joud echoed the sentiment, mentioning that her "really rigorous engineering background" had made her want to challenge herself in a workplace with more experimentation:

"It was amazing to see the software engineers going back and forth, developing code in real time."

Tackling Marketing Strategies and AI

Throughout their placement, Joud and Thinley focused on refining our marketing strategies and evaluating new AI tools to integrate with the marketing team. They dug into market trends, pinpointed ways to position our software for maximum impact, and highlighted the flexibility that's become a hallmark of both our company culture and our product.

Thinley spoke of "embracing being flexible - both in the company and in the software", while Joud noted how Kinabase maintains "a really strong position among competitors" today and for the future.

These insights are helping us shape upcoming enhancements to Kinabase, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of modern industrial practices.

A Shared Commitment to Innovation

Our founder, Jason Mashinchi - himself an IfM alumnus - often emphasises that experimentation and openness are core to Cambridge Kinetics' DNA.

For Joud and Thinley, this approach was especially clear:

"Whenever we needed to talk to someone, or had questions, it was almost instant," Thinley observed. "We felt like we were part of a truly open space."

Joud was also impressed by how immediately she could access data and resources through Kinabase, recalling her experience at more established companies where systems simply weren't in place:

"It was amazing being able to find and be provided with the data straight away."

Our Ongoing Collaboration with the University

Their arrival comes on the heels of our previous IfM students, whose work on customer journeys left a lasting impact. That ongoing partnership with the University of Cambridge fuels our commitment to empowering young innovators. Whether it's delving into marketing strategy or fine-tuning AI integrations, these collaborations enrich both the students' learning and our own roadmap for growth.

We're proud to see how quickly Joud and Thinley have adapted to the startup culture - and how their fresh thinking is already making a difference. By blending the prestige and depth of the IfM's MPhil program with the agility of our fast-paced environment, we're cultivating the next generation of tech-driven manufacturing leaders.

More Innovation to Come

In just a short span, these two IfM students have given us plenty to be excited about.

Their work illuminates new ways to utilise AI, streamline our marketing approach, and continue experimenting in our software.

We're continuing to strengthen the synergy between Cambridge Kinetics, the University of Cambridge, and the wider manufacturing industry - cementing our shared goal of innovation that benefits businesses everywhere.

We can't wait to see where Joud and Thinley's careers lead them, and we look forward to hosting more IfM talent in the future.

If you'd like to learn more about Kinabase, our collaborations with the IfM, or future opportunities at Cambridge Kinetics, we're here to chat. We’re always excited to explore new ways to empower teams and streamline operations.

hello@kinabase.com | 01223 626261