Enterprise

At Imperial College London, we have enterprise in our DNA. Since we were founded in 1907, we have had a mission to offer the most advanced education and research, collaborate with other organisations, and apply our work to industry. Today, we have a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem: a home for businesses, researchers and the next generation of innovators working towards the UN SDGs.

The Enterprise Lab has a strong record of accomplishment in engaging with and supporting entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems; locally, nationally and internationally. Since inception in 2016 it has supported the creation of 209 student startups, employing 480 employees and collectively raising £50m+ in investor funding. This includes RFC Power, a group developing a low-cost, long-duration battery that will facilitate the transition to 100% renewable energy and is working on a project to improve access to clean, reliable and affordable energy in Sub-Saharan Africa.

 Our flagship WE Innovate Programme is a pre-accelerator programme, with one main goal – to increase the number of women in leadership positions, running startups and raising funding. In total 253 female entrepreneurs have been supported, 34 ventures have been incorporated and £3.2 million has been raised in funding.  Programme graduate Clementine Chambon launched Oorja Development Solutions, which is currently working in rural India installing pay-as-you-go community solar pumping systems, as an alternative to expensive and unreliable diesel irrigations pumps.

 In addition to the vibrant start-up ecosystem supported by advanced hackspace, incubation, acceleration and collaborative research space, the College is also one of the world’s most industrially connected universities with a range of industry-research centres working on sustainable development and the transition to zero pollution. This includes: the ABB-Imperial Smart Energy Demonstrator; The Leonardo Centre for Sustainable Business; the Syngenta-Imperial Agri-tech Doctoral Training Programme.

The Global Development Hub works with the Enterprise Lab to support the Venture Trek Programme. In July 2024, seven startups from Imperial working on innovative health and sustainability solutions visited Ghana to build connections in the country. Supported by the University of Ghana and Impact Hub Accra, the startups met with business support organisations, investors, alumni and other founders in Ghana’s capital, Accra.

The Hub and the Enterprise Lab has also collaborated on the Innovation for African Universities Programme, in partnership with the University of Ghana, Impact Hub Accra and with support from the British Council. The initiative aided students in building viable products and services, whilst simultaneously developing transformational business models for the future through technical assistance. The project provided an opportunity to support and encourage student innovators in both their professional and personal development, and prepare them for facing global challenges.