King's College London

The King’s Start-up Accelerator is the Entrepreneurship Institute’s (EI) flagship programme, supporting entrepreneurs from across King’s to grow their venture, develop as a founder and supercharge their network.

Over the next 12 months, the ventures will participate in an intensive programme to accelerate their growth. They’ll have access to practical workshops, deep dives, expert mentoring, coaching, desk space, peer support and investment opportunities, whilst also developing the Seven Skills of an Entrepreneurial Mindset.

Of the 15 ventures joining Cohort IX, 10 are founded by King’s students and alumni, who graduated within the last two years. Seven out of nine faculties are represented amongst the cohort, with most coming from King’s Business School, the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences and the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy. 47% of the ventures are women-led.

The EI received 101 applications for this year’s cohort. For the first time, all nine faculties were represented amongst the applicants. 49% of applicants were students (including seven PhD candidates), 46% alumni and 12% staff.

The accelerator has a history of supporting ventures to scale. Since 2016, over 160 ventures supported by the EI have collectively generated £103,385,585 in revenue, raised £107,719,713 in investment, £10,562,611 in grants and created 1,368 jobs. The business survival rate is twice the national average. 

Of the 18 ventures in Cohort VIII last year, 15 were yet to launch their minimum viable product (MVP) and were pre-revenue, at the start of the programme. By the end of the 12 months:

• 86% of the ventures had launched their MVPs

• 70% of the ventures had either become revenue generating for the first time, or had seen significant revenue growth

• 41% of the founders transitioned to working full-time on their ventures

• 58% of the ventures grew their teams

This year's cohort are innovating and creating sustainable impact across sectors, from health and wellbeing, finance and investment, to security and consumer services. They are leveraging AI driven technology to democratise access to education and automate in sectors including hospitality and beauty.

Meet the Ventures

Archif

A curated online marketplace to buy and sell vintage and pre-loved fashion in Lebanon.

Lead entrepreneur: Aya Safieddine (King’s student, International Development, Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy).

 

Artemis Analytics

A consultancy that turns data into defence. Our goal is to close the gap between risk, misinformation and institutional preparedness by helping governments, NGOs, and companies respond faster, stay compliant, and reduce harm.

Lead entrepreneur: Aleksandra Zubenko (King’s alumna, Science & International Security, 2021, Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy).

 

Footprints

Provides grieving youth and families with a digital platform that streamlines end-of-life logistics and emotional care into clear, actionable steps, with the ambition to build an enduring, category-defining brand in bereavement care and emotional wellbeing.

Lead entrepreneur: Jeremy Wong (King’s student, Economics, King’s Business School).

 

LockEyeGaze

Revolutionising authentication and deepfake detection using cutting-edge eye movement analysis. Our AI-powered system detects unique micro eye behaviours, creating secure, spoof-resistant authentication and unmatched deepfake detection.

Lead entrepreneur: Shijing He (King’s student, PhD in Computer Science, Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences).

 

London Student Network

Connecting 500,000 students across 40 universities to every student event, skill and career opportunity.

Lead entrepreneur: Josh Robinson (King’s student, War Studies & History, Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy).

 

MOMI hotels

Tech-enabled hospitality network that transforms small hotels into fully automated, sustainable, and guest-centric experiences.

Lead entrepreneur: Guido Filippetti (King’s student, MSc Strategic Entrepreneurship & Innovation, King’s Business School).

 

My Brain Health

Optimising the brain health of adults by providing virtual post-diagnostic cognitive care using an AI-driven Cognitive Care Companion.

Lead entrepreneur: Greg Kotzbauer (King’s student, PhD, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience).

 

PlanificAndo

An AI-powered investment platform that will promote financial health for the untapped market of Latin America, providing investment and budget planning.

Lead entrepreneur: Tiago Birenbaum (King’s student, MSc Finance, King’s Business School).

 

Project Kaizen

Uses smart AI to understand how you learn best and customises your learning experience to fit your unique style.

Lead entrepreneur: Dunia Mangal (King’s alumna, Biomedical Sciences, 2024, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine).

 

SenaSip

A smart mug for individuals with hand mobility challenges, integrating health tracking into stigma-free assistive design.

Lead entrepreneur: Pierrette Hebga Meinrad (King’s alumna, German with English, 2017, Faculty of Arts & Humanities).

 

StarShare

Unlocking a new era of industry disruptive music innovation, transforming fans and superfans into investors, empowering artists to fund their dreams through the passion of their biggest supporters in which passion becomes investments.

Lead entrepreneur: Roshaine Wright (King’s student, Philosophy, Faculty of Arts & Humanities).

 

Tekniti AI

AI Real Estate Intelligence that slashes deal analysis and due diligence from weeks to minutes for investors, private equity firms, and realtors.

Lead entrepreneur: Aamir Faaiz (King’s alumnus, Electronic & Information Engineering, 2021, Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences).

 

ToneMatch

An AI-powered beauty advisor that evolves with users, transforming skincare and make-up shopping with personalised recommendations tailored precisely to their skin, lifestyle, and environment.

Lead entrepreneur: Sofia Sergeeva (King’s alumna, International Management, 2023, King’s Business School)

 

TrueGreen

An AI-driven ESG compliance reporting and monitoring tool helping mid-sized companies stay compliant, boost sustainability, and enhance reputation.

Lead entrepreneur: Saifeddine Benamar (King’s alumnus, LLB Law, 2024, The Dickson Poon School of Law).

 

Tulah

Natural, Ayurvedic (Indian ancient medicine) inspired solutions for today's lifestyles, starting with our IBS-relief herbal shot.

Lead entrepreneur: Ria Walia (King’s alumna, Mathematics with Management & Finance, 2021, Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences).