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King’s Entrepreneurship Institute

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Start-ups

Are you ready to take your start-up to the next level?  

Grow your venture, develop as a founder and supercharge your network with the support of one of the UK's leading university start-up hubs. 

We welcome ambitious founders who are committed to changing the status quo for the better. Have a bold and brilliant solution to a widespread and pressing problem? We want to hear from you!

King's Start-up Accelerator

A unique programme combining six months of immersive in-person workshops and sprints, with a further three months of follow-on support. Access an experienced team of expert mentors and coaches to help you and your venture thrive.

Founders typically launch their product, win their first customers, grow their revenue or lay the foundations to scale, within the first six months. 

Our community is at the heart of the accelerator. Fellow founders will hold you accountable, positively challenge you and support you when the journey gets tough!

We expect all participating start-ups to attend all scheduled sessions, represented by at least one founder per venture. 

King's Start-up Accelerator is an incredible programme for early-stage founders who are serious about building a purposeful, scalable venture. It offers a rare combination of strategic structure, expert mentorship and a supportive community of peers who are all navigating the same journey. Whether you're refining your idea, preparing to launch or setting the foundations for growth, the accelerator gives you the tools, network and mindset to move forward with clarity and confidence. It's not just about building a business - it's about growing as a founder.

Clarice Ng, founder of MUI

 

Applications for the King's Start-up Accelerator will open on 9th February 2026. Register your interest to stay updated.  

What's on offer?

Grow your venture
  • Six months of focused workshops and sprints to forward your roadmap
  • 1:1 access to Entrepreneurs and Experts-in-Residence who will challenge your thinking and offer operational advice
  • Access to office space for up to three team members in our central London co-working space in Bush House
Develop as a founder
  • Peer-to-peer learning and support in a tight knit community
  • 1:1 founder coaching led by your priorities
  • Founder-focused group sessions
Fundraising support
  • Dedicated fundraising support from our in-house Investor Relations Manager 
  • Curated engagements with King's Investor Network
  • Exclusive grant funding opportunities worth a total of £65K
  • Funding workshops on topics including investor relationships, funding options, negotiation, deals process and grant applications
Supercharge your network
  • Facilitated events and socials to grow your network
  • Access a community of diverse founders
  • Gain a strong network of industry, investor and founder contacts

FAQs

King's Start-up Accelerator is open to all King's students and alumni. At least one founder must be a qualifying student or graduate from King's. It's not necessary for all founding members to have a King's affiliation. Applicants must have full ownership of their intellectual property.

You will need to demonstrate a clear market gap, supported by evidence that you have validated the problem you're solving, the customer segment you're targeting and the solution you're working on. The application form will ask you about the methods (e.g deep dive interviews, pilots, surveys) and the scale of your validation (how many potential customers you have spoken to). We also expect some proof of traction (early customers or revenue, wait lists, customer engagement) and consideration to your business model (how you will make money).

Applications open: 9th February - 2nd March 2026. Shortlisting and interviews will take place between March - April, with online panel interviews scheduled between 13th - 23rd April. The accelerator commences 17th - 19th June with welcome week activities (mandatory).

Full commitment to the programme for the duration (17th June 2026 - end of March 2027), with availability to also attend our end of year pitch competition and graduation event in May 2027. Active in-person participation in all sessions, leveraging expert mentoring and coaching opportunities, active participation in the founder community and regular and ongoing communication with the Ventures Manager. Participation is regularly monitored and a persistent lack of engagement may result in ventures being withdrawn from the programme.

In exchange for our support during the programme and beyond, each venture who joins the accelerator pledges to give back to support the next generation of King's entrepreneurs (if and when they meet certain success criteria within five years of joining the accelerator). If a venture raises £1m or more of investment in one round of investment and/or generates revenue of £1m or more in one trading year, they agree to pledge 3% of their shares to King's College London. If ventures don't meet either of these criteria, no shares are allocated. The pledge applies to the venture that was accepted onto the accelerator and any subsequent pivots of that company. The pledge doesn't apply where a venture is closed down, or you start an entirely new company after graduating from the accelerator.

Apply via our online application form (which will go live on 9th February 2026). Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a panel interview between 13th - 23rd April, and will be asked to present their project, followed by a Q&A.

 

 

 

 

King's MedTech Accelerator

If you're a King's member of staff or a researcher, and have a venture that is related to medical devices and healthcare technologies, check out the King's MedTech Accelerator.