Over the years he has been involved in numerous licenses and spin outs including PolyMASC Pharmaceuticals PLC, one of the first university spin outs to float on the London AIM in 1995. Medic to Medic Ltd (creators of the Map of Medicine) founded in 2000 which was sold to Informa PLC in 2005 and Stanmore Implants Worldwide Limited which was acquired by Abingworth and MDY Healthcare in February 2008. In 2016, Cengiz led the creation of two unique university investment funds to operate alongside UCLB – the £50m UCL Technology Fund and the £40m Apollo Therapeutics collaboration.

Under his leadership UCLB grew to become one of the most successful and prolific university technology commercialisation companies in the UK. In the year he retired UCLB employed a team of 50 people, recorded a turnover of £25m, and three of its spin outs secured NASDAQ listings.

After retirement from UCLB, Cengiz established Tarhan Associates Limited (https://www.tarhanassociates.com/) to provide technology transfer and commercialisation advice to universities in the UK and internationally, He also set up AT8 Capital Partners LLP through which he and his partners provide support, advice and invest in new Start-up companies.

He has served as international mentor for WIPO for three years and carried out various projects including consulting for the Wellcome Trust and LifeArc and numerous universities.

He is currently on the investment advisory boards of O2h Ventures, University of Tartu Ventures and a board director of Conception X.