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King’s20 Accelerator

A tonne of ambition, a fun, supportive community and a team of experts-in-residence makes the King's20 Accelerator a unique 12-month experience for the brightest and highest potential ventures coming out of King's College London.  

 

The King's20 Accelerator is the Entrepreneurship Institute’s flagship programme supporting the brightest and highest potential ventures from across the King's ecosystem to reach their potential. 

Since 2016, we've seen 140+ ventures launch and take flight through our King's20 Accelerator. Our ventures have gone on to raise over £68 million in investment and generate over £52 million in revenue, as well as employing over 900 people. Check out our King's20 portfolio.

The King’s20 Accelerator is designed to take ventures to the next level. Applications are welcomed from ventures at various stages of development, from proven validation to an established user base and generating revenue - and is open to all King's students, staff and alumni.

Changes to the King's20 Accelerator

In true entrepreneurial style we’re making some changes to our King’s20 Accelerator in the run up to launching our eighth cohort to better optimise investment readiness amongst the cohort from June 2024. Our new timelines will favourably enable King’s entrepreneurs to scale their endeavours and leverage greater opportunities within the investment space, more successfully and earlier than ever before. Read more about the changes to the King’s20 Accelerator.

Applications for the King’s20 Accelerator will open in early 2024 and the cohort will launch in June 2024. Register your interest to hear more about the King’s20 Accelerator.

The Entrepreneurship Institute at King’s College London is a unique place to build innovative new ventures from an array of business sectors. King’s, based in the heart of London, has exceptional connections amongst the entrepreneurial ecosystem in London and beyond. Our programme enables King’s entrepreneurs worldwide to scale their innovations across the globe.

Holly Knower, Head of Ventures, King's College London

 

2024 will see the launch of a bespoke online programme, designed to further idea development through a series of recorded content, interactive worksheets and workshops – watch this space!

In the meantime, if you have an idea with potential, you can still take advantage of an array of activities:

  • Idea Feedback sessions: 1:1 support and advice from a member of the Entrepreneurship Institute team on a business idea.
  • Women Entrepreneurs Network: open to all students, staff and alumni at King’s, increasing your exposure to entrepreneurial skills, knowledge sharing and community.
  • Idea Factory: This will run twice a year from 2024.
  • Enterprise Award: a year-long learning journey exploring the 7 skills of an Entrepreneurial Mindset.
  • Events and workshops to boost your knowledge and skills.

King's20 Experience

 

King’s20 has been an amazing experience and the makings of our company. The community is the real strength whether it's the Entrepreneurship Institute Team, the Experts in Residents or our fellow start-ups. Having a team of people to support you and hold you accountable has been a real blessing. King's20 has driven us a lot closer to securing revenue and pre-seed funding.

Jamie Cartland, co-founder of Crossr.

 

 

My time at King’s20 in a word, would be impactful. It has provided us a supportive environment to learn and scale at a rapid pace. The Experts in Residents, workshops, and community have been invaluable, offering timely help and brilliant advice when needed. The Entrepreneurship Institute team is ever supportive and resourceful. I would do it all over again if I could!

Shreya Kalyanasundaram, co-founder of Coolzen.

 

 

"King's20 exceeded our expectations. The length of the programme (a comfortable 12 months) helps you find your feet, and you get access to top-notch Experts in Residence and staff. The network alone is spectacular. But the support, resources, and regular events - like the weekly 'All Hands' and educational seminars - give extra boosts to your venture. If you have a validated business idea you're passionate about, I highly recommend getting in touch with (and applying to!) the King's20 programme.

Onat Topal, Rorifer.

 

 

The King's20 Experience

My cofounder and I wouldn't have been able to get this far without the 'culture of nurture' at the Entrepreneurship Institute. It's one thing to teach people how to scale which is common amongst other accelerators, but here the focus on resilience, peer to peer support and guidance both personally and professionally has been immense.

Dr Bhavagaya Bakshi, Cofounder, C the Signs