Participating Universities
Imperial College London
The Founding Institution of WE Innovate
Imperial College London is the founding home of WE Innovate National, the UK’s longest-running and most impactful pre-accelerator for women-led ventures. With more than a decade of proven success, Imperial leads the national consortium and continues to deliver a world-class regional programme that empowers women founders across STEM, business, and innovation.
As the founding institution of WE Innovate National, Imperial sets the standard for excellence in curriculum design, founder support, and innovation leadership.
About the Imperial Programme
The Imperial regional programme supports women founders from across the university’s diverse community, including
- Undergraduate and postgraduate students
- Early Career Researchers
- Recent alumni (within two years of graduation)
- Interdisciplinary teams combining STEM, business, design, and humanities
Imperial’s world-leading research environment and entrepreneurial ecosystem make it a uniquely powerful launching pad for high‑potential ventures.
What Imperial Offers
Cutting-Edge Facilities & Ecosystem
- Access to the Imperial Enterprise Lab, a central space for early-stage entrepreneurship
- Direct pathways into Imperial’s accelerator programmes, including:
- The Venture Catalyst Challenge (VCC)
- MedTech SuperConnector
- Imperial Venture Mentoring Service (IVMS)
- The Greenhouse
- MedTechOne
- Connections to over 120 Experts-in-Residence
- State-of-the-art laboratories, maker spaces, and prototyping facilities
Expert-Led Training & Coaching
- Full WE Innovate curriculum delivered regionally on campus
- Monthly 1:1 coaching from experienced experts and Entrepreneur in Residence
- Masterclasses led by academics, practitioners, and industry specialists
Community & Networks
- A thriving, supportive community of founders
- Access to Imperial’s alumni network of global innovators
- Connections to London’s vibrant startup and investor landscape
Programme Delivery at Imperial
Imperial delivers its own full WE Innovate cohort annually, guiding up to 25 teams through:
- Phase 1: Foundations of Entrepreneurship
- Phase 2: Venture Development & Investment Readiness
- Phase 3: Regional Final & Showcase
All activity is delivered locally at Imperial, while benefiting from the shared expertise and network of WE Innovate National.
Imperial’s Impact
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More than 500 Women supported since 2014
More than £8m raised by alumni ventures
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%
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Startups emerging from health, sustainability, deep tech, materials, wearables, AI, and more
Notable ventures originating from Imperial include:
- FA Bio – climate-resilient microbial agriculture technology
- UnTap – water analytics and public health diagnostics
- Resting Reef, AiKNIT, Oshen, Sealeo, Carbon Cell – innovators across environment, deep tech, and materials
Meet the team
The programme is delivered by the Imperial Enterprise Lab, supported by expert coaches, mentors, and university leadership committed to advancing women’s entrepreneurship.
Sarah Ranchev‑Hale
Head of the Imperial Enterprise Lab
Nadia Ahrazem
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Manager
Laura Barclay
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Coordinator
Success Stories From Imperial
Startups emerging from health, sustainability, deep tech, materials, wearables, AI, and more
FAO Bio
UnTap
Resting Reef, AiKNIT, Oshen, Sealeo, Carbon Cell
A national network
Explore WE Innovate National's partners, chosen for a combination of proven entrepreneurial infrastructure, research intensity, and geographic reach, ensuring every one of the UK's four nations has a founder-facing hub.
Imperial College London
WE Innovate was launched by Imperial College London in 2014 and has supported over 500 women-led teams since its inception.
Swansea University
A research‑led, world‑class institution committed to developing transformative ideas and supporting entrepreneurial talent.
Durham University
A globally recognised research-intensive institution with a strong commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship, and societal impact.
Loughborough University
A dynamic innovation ecosystem that sparks student curiosity, develops world-changing research breakthroughs, and works with graduates, staff and partners to support start-ups.
Queen's University Belfast
One of the UK’s leading research-intensive institutions, with over 99% of its research environment rated world-leading or internationally excellent.
University of Glasgow
Innovation and entrepreneurship are at the heart of its strategy, translating world-class research into economic and societal impact.
Discover More From WE Innovate
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Advisory Board
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