King's20 Accelerator opens up to all alumni
Applications to the Entrepreneurship Institute’s successful King’s20 Accelerator are now open to all King’s alumni, staff and students.
Previously only available to alumni up to 7 years after graduating, along with staff and students, the Equity free 12-month accelerator supports 20 high-potential ventures a year and offers office space, mentorship and practical support worth up to £60,000. The programme runs from 2 October 2018 – Sep 2019 with a Demo Day for 100 leading investors held in June.
Set up in 2016, the accelerator has seen some real successes, with ventures gaining investment of over £500,000 and founders winning high profile competitions such as Tech4Good, GradVenture, Capital Enterprise’s top 10 London entrepreneurs under 30, and featured in Forbes, Timeout and Cosmopolitan. In 2018-19, the programme includes:
-3 month intensive accelerator based around week-long sprint challenges
-9 months of follow-on including investor events every 2 weeks
-6 expert mentors (growth hacker, designer, technologist, investor, & 2 leadership coaches) & regular external mentors
-Access to £130,000 grant funding
-Desk space for up to 5 team members
-2 residential trips to learn leadership skills
A package worth £20,000 including 12-months free accounting, £15,000 cloud credits, Facebook credits, free marketing videos
Alumni from any year or faculty are welcome to apply with startup ideas from any sector. The accelerator is based in King’s new Bush House building, 30 Aldwych, with space for 5 team members per startup on a full-time or part-time basis.
“The Entrepreneurship Institute at King’s is a unique place to build innovative new ventures. King’s, based in the heart of Londno, has exceptional connections to London’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. We’ve made the decision to open up to all alumni in order to better harness the exceptional King’s talent out there, celebrate diversity and grow our community. Ed Halliday, Accelerator Manager at King’s20 Accelerator.
"My cofounder and I wouldn't have been able to get this far without the 'culture of nurture' at the Entrepreneurship Institute. It's one thing to teach people how to scale which is common amongst other accelerators, but here the focus on resilience, peer to peer support and guidance both personally and professionally has been immense." Dr Bhavagaya Bakshi, Cofounder, C the Signs, King’s Alumni 2011
"The King’s20 Accelerator changed my life forever. Honestly, I was directionless before I had applied but, after getting accepted I developed not just my product but myself, month after month. Thank you.” - David Wexler, Founder & CEO, GripBeats
Online applications are open 16 April – 17 June 2018. APPLY. If you have any questions please email Edward.halliday@kcl.ac.uk http://www.kcl.ac.uk/accelerator