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Run by: Imperial College London·Backed by: Imperial College London
£100K prizes — no equity
Seed-stage startups with deep technology from Imperial College London research or the broader Imperial ecosystem. Focus on hard science and engineering.
3-month programme (Aug-Nov 2026) for Imperial students/alumni/ECRs; 25 teams; £100k prize fund
Run by: Innovate UK
Up to £150K per spin-out — no equity
Funder: Innovate UK. Backs deep-tech university spin-outs created in the last 24 months that have completed ICURe; IP from a UK research org.
Run by: Conception X·Backed by: XTX Markets, Barclays
TBD for TBD
PhD researchers and postdocs building deep-tech ventures from their research. AI, quantum, advanced materials, synthetic biology, or computational science.
9-month programme; ~100 PhD founders/yr; 191 deeptech companies built; 3 exits
Run by: Oxford University Innovation·Backed by: University of Oxford
£10K for 5% (Phase 2)
Startups licensing or spinning out University of Oxford research and IP. Any sector — typically deep tech, biotech, medtech, or AI.
Incubator for Oxford spin-outs and founded IP; 350+ companies created since 1987
Run by: ProVeg International·Backed by: ProVeg International
Free — no equity
Alternative protein and sustainable food startups. Plant-based, cultivated, or fermentation-derived food products with scalable business models.
Two cycles/yr (Mar-May, Sep-Nov); 130+ startups since 2018; alumni raised €250M+
Run by: SETsquared / Innovate UK·Backed by: Innovate UK
Up to £35K — no equity
Researchers from UK universities ready to validate the commercial potential of their research through customer discovery. UKRI-funded research preferred.
3+ month customer-discovery programme; lean start-up methodology; Innovate UK funded
Run by: Zinc VC·Backed by: British Business Bank (BBB) £28M
Varies (venture builder model) for ~15%
Mission-driven individuals passionate about solving major social challenges in health, education, or sustainability. No existing company needed — Zinc helps you build one.
12-month Venture Builder; programme starts Oct-Nov or Apr-May; up to £250k initial investment
Run by: University of Cambridge / Cambridge Enterprise·Backed by: University of Cambridge
£30K-£100K for SAFE (20% discount)
University of Cambridge students and researchers exploring entrepreneurship. Very early stage — idea or research with commercial potential.
Part of Founders at the University of Cambridge; £30k upfront + up to £70k match; alumni raised £14m+
Run by: Imperial College London·Backed by: Imperial College London
£30K prizes — no equity
Women and non-binary entrepreneurs from the Imperial community. Very early stage — idea to MVP. Any sector with technology component.
6-month programme (Jan-Jun 2026) for women-led teams; £30k equity-free prize fund