Enterprise at Imperial

Enterprising minds

We help budding innovators turn amazing ideas into real products and startups that shake up industries and change lives. Whether you have an idea or just want to gain some new skills, you can access entrepreneurial events, co-working space and expert advice through the Enterprise Lab.

You can also take advantage of our prototyping facilities in the Advanced Hackspace, and pitch for funding to develop your product through our regular enterprise competitions.

Cai and Giovanni told us about their experience of using
our entrepreneurial services…

CAI, MOLECULAR BIOENGINEERING

The community and facilities at Imperial are quite unique. And so is the support – they really back you to explore and try new things – even if they don’t always work out!

Our idea was to design an animal-free growth formula that could be used by the clean meat industry to make real meat products in the lab at a larger scale, but for much less.

We did our lab work at the Advanced Hackspace and refined the business model in the Enterprise Lab, winning a few competitions along the way, going from an idea to a real startup – called Multus Media – with a real product.

We even received help and advice on the business and legal side of the startup as well. We had a business coach who we met once a month, as well as other experts who gave us legal advice, pitching tips, and guidelines to raise money.

We also took advantage of the Imperial Venture Mentoring Service, which is Imperial’s flagship mentoring programme to support innovators and entrepreneurs. It uses team-based mentoring, lending the mentor’s contacts and experience to the venture. This support was invaluable, as we had limited experience in this area of the startup.

It has also really helped having the ‘Imperial’ name behind us. With it being a global university, it has given us credibility and helped us to initiate conversations.

Likewise, with Imperial being in London, we’re in the best position to access resources, network with investors and attend conferences.

Want to know what’s on offer at Imperial Enterprise Lab? Find out about how we can support you.... @imperialcollege

Find out more about what’s on offer at Imperial Enterprise Lab and how we can support you.

Cai (molecular bioengineering) in Enterprise Lab at our South Kensington Campus

OLIVIA, MBBS/BSC MEDICINE

After finding out there was no sustainable way of disposing of sanitary products I came up with the idea for Planera – the world’s first flushable and biodegradable sanitary pad.

My co-founder Aaron and I applied to WE Innovate, Imperial’s dedicated programme for women entrepreneurs. We met advisors and mentors who helped us develop our initial idea into a real business.

We also joined a network of incredible women from across Imperial and all supported each other to further our individual projects.

WE Innovate concluded in the pitch final, which we were lucky enough to win, taking home £15,000 of funding which allowed us to kick-start our initial research and development. We then went on to win The Mayor’s Entrepreneur Competition in 2017.

Through WE Innovate, Imperial’s dedicated programme for women entrepreneurs, we got the support and funding to turn our idea in to reality.

As I and my co-founder haven’t come from entrepreneurial backgrounds, the support we’ve received from the Enterprise Lab has been vital in developing our startup. Not only did their encouragement to take part in WE Innovate allow us to pursue Planera full-time, they’ve provided continual support ever since.

We were enrolled on Imperial's Venture Mentoring Service and were mentored by industry experts and entrepreneurs with invaluable experience.

The Enterprise Lab also invited us to forums, such the World Economic Forum in China, which were fantastic for networking and learning about other startups in similar fields.

Oliva and Aaron, co-founders of Planera.

Olivia and Aaron are the co-founders of Planera - a startup that has developed biodegradable sanitary pads.

Olivia presenting at a female-led startups event.

GIOVANNI, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

I run a small startup which uses data analytics to help make poultry farming more efficient. The Advanced Hackspace gives me all the tools I need to create a high-quality product.

It's really got everything, from 3D printers to lathes, metal, wood, plastic, you name it – and it’s all free of charge! Normally, these things are very expensive to use, so this is something very unique to Imperial! The Advanced Hackspace really helped me to bring my idea to life and launch it into the real world.

Then the Enterprise Lab is great for the business side. They really helped me with the business aspects of the startup – they even had lawyers coming in to speak to us.

They have student competitions too, which I’ve participated in. They were a great way for me to meet and talk to other entrepreneurs – super interesting people from other departments that I would never meet otherwise.