PwC Cambridge is at the heart of a new global digital accelerator

PwC Cambridge’s new digital accelerator, a 12-week innovation programme backed by multinational corporations working with technology scale-ups, is up and running.

Last year, PwC’s global network invested $1billion in technology solutions and supporting programmes, positioning itself as one of the most cloud-enabled organisations globally.

This year, as part of its ongoing global technology transformation, the audit, consulting and tax services company has taken the next step – leveraging the innovative capabilities of its teams to deliver new solutions and enhance service efficiency.

The new initiative is headed up by Abhi Naha, who joined PwC as digital accelerator director in November. Mr Naha had been chief commercial officer at CW (Cambridge Wireless) since 2015.

In his new role, Mr Naha establishes and guides the entire new tech division within PwC. This division solves innovation challenges using the power of scale-ups and high-trust ecosystems for greater insights, impact, and value creation.

Abhi Naha, digital accelerator director at PwC UK, said: “I am thrilled to officially announce PwC’s new digital accelerator.

“With significant advancements in GenAI, digital sustainability, healthcare, and cloud computing, this innovative digital accelerator will combine world-class techno-economic thinking with strategic scale-up partnerships. Our goal is to deliver value and impact at scale and speed, particularly in high-growth markets.

“This marks the first time we are launching a global, three-month accelerator initiative within the PwC to assist scale-ups and start-ups in overcoming their challenges. Our people are empowered to identify areas where innovation can enhance efficiency.”

The digital accelerator is also not limited to a specific industry; instead, it targets digital scale-ups across various sectors, from healthcare to manufacturing.

Expanding beyond the vibrant tech ecosystem in Cambridge, PwC’s digital accelerator holds the promise of becoming a transformative force on a national and global scale. While the core team currently operates in Cambridge, a hub of technological innovation, the programme has the potential to extend its reach not just to national-wide, but also to global tech hubs from Barcelona to Bangalore.

PwC has a physical office in Cambridge to host the digital accelerators but also has the ability to host them in any of its regional offices globally. It has already started conversations with some scale-ups. The three-month programmes start whenever the client is ready to start them and will run in parallel as the programme is scaled up.

Simon de Young, PwC senior partner for Cambridge, said: “We are so pleased Abhi has joined us to lead this business. We are innovating and learning as we build the business.

“However, one of the key objectives for me is for PwC to support the growth of Cambridge as a centre for innovation by facilitating a trusted platform that allows our international network of clients to engage and collaborate effectively with start-ups and scale-ups through the digital accelerator programmes.

“This will enable the Cambridge businesses to commercialise their innovation at an early stage and therefore bring real value back into the wider business and local economic environment.”

To join a PwC accelerator, contact Abhi Naha at abhi.naha@pwc.com.