Entrepreneurship Support

Explore what’s on offer at Imperial

Imperial has a thriving entrepreneurship ecosystem bringing together a vast community of students, staff and supporters all striving to break boundaries and turn ideas in to impact. 

From competitions to speaker events and from hackathons to skills seminars, co-working space, and expert mentors we offer all the support you need, free of charge and accessible to everyone. So what are you waiting for?! Use the portal below to find the best support for you.

Who are you?

 

What are you looking for?

Space

Five people discussing a project at Imperial College Advanced Hackspace

Advanced Hackspace

Three purpose-designed prototyping and fabrication workspaces, supported by team of hacker experts and world-class equipment to help bring your ideas to life.

Course

Visualisation of human and robot fingers touching via a digital brain

AI Ventures

Over a series of 5 weeks, students will be exposed to key ideas, principles and frameworks from innovators and Imperial instructors who are leading the future of artificial intelligence.

Course

Two students working on a project in Enterprise Lab, with Imperial College Advanced Hackspace pull-up in background

Business Plan Basics

Being a postdoc is not a career. But being enterprising and being able to put together a reasonable business case will be part of the next career step: whether academic, industrial or the startup arena.

Course

Two people discussing, one with a pen in their hand

Change Makers Independent Project

Design and undertake a supported project to explore creating change in the world as part of Imperial Horizons or i-Explore.

Society

Climate Entrepreneurs Club

Climate Entrepreneurs Club

The Climate Entrepreneurs Club aims to inspire and support students in exploring the climate entrepreneurship space, providing informative content related to topics and advances in the space as well as guided workshops.

Programme

Climate Launchpad EIT Climate-KIC

Climate Launchpad

ClimateLaunchpad is the world’s largest green business ideas competition. The Boot Camp and coaching sessions will help you develop your idea to a rock-solid plan and the winners of will go on to compete in the Global Grand Final.

Event

Visualisation of dots and connectors

Community Collider

This is Imperial Enterprise Lab's monthly community get together where students from different departments and faculties across the college can come together, collide, and form interesting new pairings and connections!

Event

DeepTech Network

Deep Tech Network

The Deep Tech Network brings together Deep Tech industry, academics, students and startups to talk, share and collaborate to tackle global issues.

Expert Advice

Chemical engineering lab with Professor Jason Hallett

Department of Chemistry

Access the expertise and established know-how of Chemistry academics for idea generation and short term problem solving and state of the art facilities.

Course

A room full of people sitting at tables at a conference

Engage audiences, build confidence

In this workshop you will explore: overcoming nerves, assessing an audience and flexing our style, gaining authority and credibility, and handling questions with confidence.

Expert Advice

Three students on interactive table in front of Trik's Digitialised Drone Data screen

Experts In Residence

Get access to over 75 experts in 25 areas from legals to team building and marketing to IP to help push your business forward.

Programme

Faculty of Natural Sciences Make-A-Difference Competition 2022 Find out more at: www.imperial.ac.uk/fons-mad

FoNS Make-A-Difference Competition

Open to all UG students within the Faculty of Natural Sciences. Work on your project for 8 weeks over the summer and present your findings to compete for up to £7,000.

Programme

Global Challenge Lab 22 Climate Action

Global Challenge Lab

This 10-day programme of core and optional workshops, guest speakers and mentoring will help teams come up with and develop innovative ideas hat help achieve UN SDG 13: Climate Action, with the chance to win a share of a £20K prize fund!

Course

Five people around a desk discussing a project

Global Village: Innovating for Change

Explore a real-world distant community and design a targeted innovation - from technical specification to community engagement and implementation.

Expert Advice

Two people working on a lab bench in Imperial College Advanced Hackspace

Hack Surgery

Looking to make your idea a reality or take your prototype to the next level? Book a Hack Surgery for troubleshooting support, and guidance to get your ideas off the ground!

Programme

Advanced Hackspace Hackstarter, Kindly supported by Thermo Fisher Scientific

Hackstarter

Turn your inventive and entrepreneurial ideas into a reality, with a cash boost to get off the ground.

Expert Advice

Range of profiles in pink shading on dark blue background

How To Masterclasses

Learn the fundamentals of starting a business from experts in the field, from perfecting your pitch to making sure your idea is financially viable.

Event

Planets and spacecraft in liftoff mode

Idea Challenge

Up for a challenge? Fancy meeting new people? Then join us for an afternoon of brainstorming, problem-solving fun. You might win a prize too!

Expert Advice

Two people discussing a project around a 3D-printed bone structure

Idea Surgery

Got an idea but not sure what to do next? Maybe your business is up and running and you need a little help to figure out the next steps? Book an Idea Surgery and get the guidance you need!

Competition

Imperial College Business School Gandhi Centre for Inclusive Innovation Ideas to Impact Challenge, Transforming a million lives

Ideas to Impact Challenge

An annual competition hosted by the Gandhi Centre for Inclusive Innovation, the Ideas to Impact Challenge is aimed at student entrepreneurs who want to solve global challenges.

Space

Three students working on proposals in Enterprise Lab

Imperial Enterprise Lab Co-working Space

Imperial Enterprise Lab's dynamic co-working/event offers a friendly, creative relaxed environment where the Imperial community can work, book meetings, network or just hang out in the chill out area.

Expert Advice

Imperial Postdocs and Fellows Enterprise Network

Imperial Postdoc and Fellows Enterprise Network

IPFEN is for Early Career Researchers who want to know more about entrepreneurship and enterprise opportunities and activities, including talks, series, and hackathons.

Expert Advice

Person presenting their software solution in front of an audience

Imperial Venture Mentoring Service

IVMS provides you with up to 3 mentors that will work with you as a team for as long as it takes to get you up and running. It’s a unique opportunity for you – not just to get advice from the best, but to tap into their experience and network of contacts.

Space

Three people discussing at a drinks reception

Imperial White City Incubator

The Incubator provides companies with state-of-the-art wet lab and office facilities, training, support, and access to professional networks in order to help them grow and scale-up.

Course

Colourful umbrellas floating in a blue sky

Intellectual Property and Research

In this workshop you will explore: patents, copyright, commercialisation of inventions, licensing and spin-out companies, dealing with companies, and bridging the academia-industry divide.

Course

Advanced Hackspace graphic for Enterprise Lab style

Introduction to Advanced Hackspace

An introduction to Advanced Hackspace and how they can support postdocs and fellows

Event

Level Up Your Hack skills, know-how and raise your game

LevelUP

A series of pick-and-mix style introductory workshops, designed to boost your technical know-how and help you learn some of the hands-on practical skills, and approaches involved in rapid prototyping.

Course

Four people discussing their ideas in Enterprise Lab

MBA Entrepreneurial Journey

Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur or intrapreneur or want to find out whether the entrepreneurial life is for you, the Entrepreneurial Journey is a safe space to explore an actual business opportunity in a practical environment.  

Course

Winning group behind an Imperial College Business School competition winners' cheque

MBA Imperial Innovation Challenge

Working in groups, you will use business model innovation to create economic disruption with positive environmental and social effects. This is an opportunity to showcase the business knowledge you’ve developed during your MBA so far.    

Programme

MedTech SuperConnector

MedTech SuperConnector

MedTech SuperConnector (MTSC) is a six-month accelerator programme for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) including PhD candidates that provides funding, training, advice and access to industry networks.

Course

Four people with post-it notes on a wall discussing a project at Imperial College Advanced Hackspace

MSc Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Management

Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur or have intrapreneurial ambitions, MSc Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Management will prepare you for an exciting career as an innovator.

Course

People sitting around a meeting table in a white room with a large mirror

Personal Pitching

Using your research as a start, you will work on short pitches (oral, written, virtual communication methods) aiming to get people to want to know more about you/your product.

Expert Advice

Woman presenting in front of audience at Venture Catalyst Challenge final

Pitch Surgery

A Pitch Surgery is a practical session where you get to test your pitch and get feedback from Enterprise Lab coaches and peers.

Programme

Man sitting on tyre over skyline of a city

Retrofit Accelerator

The Retrofit Accelerator enables up to 10 businesses to address the climate crisis through their innovative solutions. The two-cohort programme is part-funded by the UK Government and Mayor of London's Better Futures programme.

Event

Imperial College Business School innovation competition participants

Social Impact Day

An annual event hosted by the Gandhi Centre for Inclusive Innovation, Social Impact Day consists of industry experts, investors, students and academics coming together to explore how we can achieve real social impact.

Programme

Circle of yellow-orange lines on a blue background

Summer Accelerator

The Summer Accelerator is a 3-month programme that helps fast-track the commercial development of your idea and gives you the chance to win £5,000.

Programme

The Greenhouse

The Greenhouse Programme

The Greenhouse is a 12-month programme for climate positive technology startups that offers early-stage entrepreneurs access to business coaching, a range of masterclasses, free workspace in central London, and equity-free grant funding.  

Programme

Multicoloured 'V' of Venture Catalyst Challenge

Venture Catalyst Challenge

3 months, 5 tracks and £90,000 up for grabs. The Venture Catalyst Challenge is Imperial College London’s flagship entrepreneurial competition.

Programme

Three people smiling at final of WE Innovate competition

WE Accelerate

A six-month business coaching and peer mentoring programme focused on helping women founders get investment ready.

Programme

WE Innovate

WE Innovate

WE Innovate is a six-month programme championing women-led teams with an entrepreneurial idea to explore through masterclasses, business coaching, peer mentoring and a £30,000 prize fund.

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