Macmillan Ventures: sparking a revolution in UK cancer care

News
Published: 21 May 2026
Michael talks about his excitement at the launch of Macmillan Ventures, and how the new fund will help push the boundaries of what is possible for cancer care in the UK.
A professional photo of Michael Stickland, Head of Corporate Partnerships and Philanthropy at Macmillan. He has short hair and is wearing a pinstripe shirt and brown blazer.

Michael Stickland Director of Corporate Partnerships and Philanthropy

Sowing the seeds of change

I couldn’t be prouder of my team for bringing the launch of Macmillan Ventures together. Or more grateful to the innovators who are already pushing the boundaries of cancer care, and those who are so generously helping to fund them.  

I looked around the room on our launch night, and I saw that we were already sowing the seeds of what we are so determined to achieve.   

In just one room we brought together people living with cancer, the healthcare innovators and thinkers working to improve cancer treatment and care, and the forward-thinkers who want to lend their support to making the brightest ideas in cancer care today become a reality for people living with cancer tomorrow. 


Crowded networking event with people in business attire talking in a modern indoor venue.
Image: Macmillan Ventures Launch 

How we are investing in the future of cancer care

Macmillan Ventures is a new investment fund.  It will be fuelled completely by donations from visionary philanthropists and organisations who want to transform treatment and care for people living with cancer in the UK. 

But it is about more than just the money. 

Macmillan Ventures is all about creating the conditions needed for new ideas, technologies and solutions to thrive - with the hope they can then be mainstreamed into NHS care.  

It is about charities, healthcare innovators, people living with cancer, and those who want their money to do some good in the world, coming together as trusted partners for governments and the NHS.   

We want to help develop, scale up and mainstream new ways of doing things to help the UK meet what is now an ever-increasing demand for world-class cancer treatment and care. 

The need for new technologies and new solutions

We have just 75 short seconds before the next person hears the words “you have cancer” in the UK[i].  And with 5.4 million people expected to be living with cancer in the UK by 2045 – a 58% rise on where we are today – things really do need to urgently change if demand for high quality cancer care is to be met[ii]. 

Right now, too many people are being lost in a cancer care system that is too slow, impersonal, and unfair. A system that needs to be made better, and fairer for all.  

Around half of the almost 3.5 million people living with cancer in the UK (47%) feel that the NHS is struggling to provide good quality healthcare[iii]. One in five people going through cancer treatment in the UK (20%) struggle with serious physical or emotional concerns for which they do not receive any support [iv]. 

That is why we have launched Macmillan Ventures. This is all about bringing together the right financial partners with the right healthcare innovators – all to help make sure no one with cancer is left behind. That any potential signs of cancer are picked up at the earliest possible opportunity. That everyone has the right support from day one, no matter who they are or where they live.   

What we hope to achieve

Our aim at Macmillan is, has and always will be better cancer care, for everyone with cancer in the UK. 

In 1911 we cycled to people’s homes to deliver coal. In the 70s we developed cancer nurse specialists. And in 2026 we are now applying that unwavering commitment to achieving better cancer care, for everyone, in a world that is being reshaped by digital innovation, AI-driven diagnostics and precision medicine.  

We know that UK cancer care can be better. It can be made fairer. What we need to do now is bring the right people and the right innovations together to help make that a reality. 

Macmillan Ventures has the potential to help transform what cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery looks like for the millions of people who will hear the words “you have cancer” in the future.  

It has the potential to rewrite the story of ‘what happens next’ for everyone living with cancer in the UK. 

Our launch night for Macmillan Ventures showed me that.  It showed me that if you get the right people together, then anything is possible.

Learn more about Macmillan Ventures

If you want to learn more about the wide range of new technologies and ideas we are investing in, please visit Macmillan Ventures.  

And if you’d like to explore more about how you can help support the new investment fund, please visit Venture Partners. 

References

  • [i] 75 second figure derived from the sources below. Figures include all malignant neoplasms excluding non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) (ICD-10 codes C00-97 excl. C44. Scotland does not use C97): NHS England - Public Health Scotland - Public Health Wales - Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, Queen’s University Belfast.
  • [ii] Macmillan Cancer Support. Cancer prevalence in the UK could increase by 58% by 2045, new Macmillan Cancer Support and Scottish Widows report suggests. February 2026.
  • [iii] Macmillan Cancer Support/YouGov survey 2,017 adults in the UK who have had a cancer diagnosis. Fieldwork was undertaken between 2nd Jan to 27th Jan 2026. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of people living with cancer in the UK (aged 18+). Survey question was as follows: 1) Thinking about your overall experience of NHS cancer treatment and care, to what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? Relevant answer option: “The NHS is currently struggling to provide healthcare to a good standard” Overall, 47% of respondents agreed with this statement. 
  • [iv] Macmillan Cancer Support/YouGov survey of 2,078 adults in the UK who have had a cancer diagnosis. Fieldwork was undertaken between 11th and 30th June 2024. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of people living with cancer in the UK (aged 18+).

 

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