Student Startups

Part 1: Startup Foundations (Exeter)

Previously the Pre-Incubator

Application deadline: Sunday 4^th October 2026
Programme starts: Wednesday 14^th October 2026*

Startup Foundations is all about exploring your idea and building the foundations for success. You'll develop the mindset, skills, and confidence needed to think like an entrepreneur, and learn how to validate your ideas and shape a compelling value proposition.

Working alongside other aspiring founders, you'll define the problem you're trying to solve, identify who your customers are, and test whether your assumptions match real-world needs. You'll explore different business models, discover how successful ventures create value, and gain practical experience in rapid prototyping and testing.

How it works

• Weekly in-person workshops, combining theory and hands-on application.
• One-to-one advice and guidance as you develop your idea.
• At the end of the programme, you will have the opportunity to pitch for Market Validation funding to test and validate the viability of your idea.

Eligibility

All participants start their journey at Part 1. To join the programme, you should be able to:

• Articulate an entrepreneurial idea that you want to explore and develop further, or a problem that you are actively trying to solve through an entrepreneurial solution.
• Explain what makes your idea different and what impact it could have.

*If you miss the Autumn intake or want to join the programme later in the year, please note that Part 1 will be repeated in an intensive 4-day format at our Startup Bootcamp (dates TBC).

Part 1: Startup Foundations (Penryn)

Previously the Pre-Incubator

Application deadline: Sunday 25^th October 2026
Programme starts: Wednesday 4^th November 2026

Apply here to the Penryn Startup Foundations programme

Startup Foundations is all about exploring your idea and building the foundations for success. You'll develop the mindset, skills, and confidence needed to think like an entrepreneur, and learn how to validate your ideas and shape a compelling value proposition.

Working alongside other aspiring founders, you'll define the problem you're trying to solve, identify who your customers are, and test whether your assumptions match real-world needs. You'll explore different business models, discover how successful ventures create value, and gain practical experience in rapid prototyping and testing.

How it works

• Weekly in-person workshops, combining theory and hands-on application.
• One-to-one advice and guidance as you develop your idea.
• At the end of the programme, you will have the opportunity to pitch for Market Validation funding to test and validate the viability of your idea.

Eligibility

All participants start their journey at Part 1. To join the programme, you should be able to:

• Articulate an entrepreneurial idea that you want to explore and develop further, or a problem that you are actively trying to solve through an entrepreneurial solution.
• Explain what makes your idea different and what impact it could have.

Part 2: Startup Validation

Starts: 10 March 2027

Startup Validation is all about testing your idea in the real world and building evidence that customers actually want what you're creating.

You'll get out of the building, speak to potential customers, conduct market research, and gather valuable feedback to help refine your product, service, or venture. Through experimentation and validation, you'll learn what works, what doesn't, and how to adapt your idea based on real insights rather than assumptions.

By understanding your market and responding to customer needs, you'll take meaningful steps towards achieving product-market fit and demonstrating genuine demand for your venture.

How it works

• Fortnightly progress check-ins to keep you on track.
• One-to-one advice and guidance as you develop your idea.
• Opportunities to attend relevant external startup and entrepreneurship events and build your professional network.

Part 3: Startup Launch

Previously the Incubator

Application deadline: 20th September 2026
Starts: Friday 2nd October 2026

To be eligible for the Startup Launch programme this Autumn, you must have completed the Pre-Incubator or Bootcamp programme.

In Startup Launch, you'll focus on taking your venture to market and building the foundations for sustainable growth. You'll develop a clear go-to-market strategy, learn how to attract and retain customers, and build practical sales and marketing skills that will help your venture gain traction.

You'll also learn the essentials of running a business, including financial planning, legal considerations, and venture formation, giving you the knowledge and confidence to launch successfully.

How it works

• Weekly sessions featuring experts and guest speakers.
• One-to-one advice and guidance.
• Opportunities to attend relevant external startup and entrepreneurship events and build your professional network.
• At the end of the programme, you will have the opportunity to pitch for a Startup Grant to further develop your venture.

Student Startup Drop-In Sessions

Got an early-stage idea and want some advice?

The Student Startups team hosts weekly drop-in Q&A sessions via Microsoft Teams for students and graduates to discuss their business ideas. Anyone can join a drop-in session, regardless of whether they are currently enrolled on a Student Startups programme.

Drop-ins run every Tuesday from 2.00pm to 3.00pm. Please contact the Student Startups team at studentstartups@exeter.ac.uk to request a link to join the session.

Student Startup Inspiration Talks

The Student Startup Inspiration Talks bring together a diverse range of entrepreneurs from different sectors and at various stages of their entrepreneurial journey. Each event explores a specific theme, with guest speakers sharing their startup stories before taking part in a moderated panel discussion.

There will also be opportunities to ask questions, explore individual experiences in greater depth, and gain inspiration from a wide variety of founders and ventures.

Who can attend?

Inspiration Talks are open to everyone in the University of Exeter community, including students, graduates, and staff. You do not need to be enrolled on one of our core programmes to attend. These events are a great way to learn more about entrepreneurship and get a flavour of who we are and what we do.

Upcoming events

Startup Bootcamp (Exeter)

What is it?

The Startup Bootcamp is an intensive four-day programme designed to equip you with the skills and resources needed to take an idea from concept to launch and build a viable, sustainable business. The Bootcamp takes place in person in The Deck on the Streatham Campus and is packed with valuable workshops, activities, and opportunities for networking and collaboration.

You will have the opportunity to work with other like-minded people and explore topics such as customer discovery, business models, revenue streams, and market validation and pitching skills. By the end of the Bootcamp, you will be more confident in your ability to articulate your startup idea, equipped with new skills and experience, and have a clear plan for the next steps in your entrepreneurial journey.

Who can apply?

The Startup Bootcamp programme is open to all students from all disciplines, as well as recent graduates (up to two years after graduation).

To apply to the programme, you should be able to:

• Explain why you are interested in exploring an entrepreneurial pathway.
• Articulate an entrepreneurial idea that you want to explore and develop further, or a problem that you are actively trying to solve through an entrepreneurial solution.
• Explain what makes your idea different and what impact it could have.

Dates and deadlines

The next Startup Bootcamp will take place in 2027.

You can register your interest in the Bootcamp here and you will  be contacted when applications open.

Boyden Innovation Awards

The 2026 Boyden Innovation Awards offer a unique opportunity for current Engineering students to bring their ideas to life and develop their entrepreneurial skills, with £500 in funding per team.

What's on offer?

• Up to 10 × £500 grant awards available each Autumn and Spring term, exclusively for engineering students at the University of Exeter, allowing you and a co-founder (from any discipline) to test and validate your business idea.
• Hands-on support to develop and refine your idea.
• Networking opportunities and termly social events.

Who can apply?

• Teams of at least two students (co-founders).
• At least one co-founder must be a current University of Exeter Engineering student (BEng, MEng, MSc, or PhD) and enrolled for the current academic year.
• Your business idea can be in, but does not need to be related to, the engineering sector.

How to apply

1. Identify a problem and form a team of two or more people.
2. entrepreneurialengineers@exeter.ac.uk.

What can the funding be used for?

• Prototyping, equipment, travel, subsistence, web development, focus groups, and other business development activities.
• Networking and personal development related to your idea.
• All spending must be pre-approved through a spending plan for successful applicants.

Elevate - Engineers & Sciences Pitching Competition

Exeter's annual ELEVATE EIBF Engineering and Sciences Pitch Competition is now open!

Have an innovative business idea or project with a positive impact?

Pitch your business idea in November for a share of £3,000 in grant funding and the opportunity to compete nationally for £16,000 in Summer 2027.

• Minimum of one Engineering student per team.
• Competition opens in September.
• Pitch training provided.
• Deliver your six-minute pitch on 24 November.
• Prize fund of up to £3,000.

See ELEVATE's previous winners

Eligibility

• University of Exeter students or recent graduates (within two years of graduation).
• Teams must include at least one student from Engineering, Computing, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, or Biomedical Sciences.
• Demonstrate commitment and entrepreneurial ambition.

How to apply

Apply to ELEVATE by submitting this short application form.

Applications close on 10 November.

Questions? Email a.strong@exeter.ac.uk.

The ELEVATE Engineers in Business Fellowship (EIBF) Engineering and Sciences Business Pitch Competition prizes are generously sponsored by the Engineers in Business Fellowship and the national Sainsbury Management Fellows charity and are led at the University of Exeter by Amber Strong-Yates.

Enactus Exeter

Enactus is the University of Exeter's social enterprise society and part of a global network of Enactus student teams operating at universities around the world.

Enactus develops projects that address global challenges such as poverty, waste, and homelessness. Through local and international initiatives, members identify problems, use entrepreneurial action to create solutions, and work to improve the lives of individuals and communities.

The Enactus society uses The Deck on a regular basis and has helped launch a number of sustainable ventures, including Urban Mushroom Co, Biosmart, and Altr.d Clothing.

Find out more >>

Exeter Entrepreneurs Society

Exeter Entrepreneurs is the University of Exeter's entrepreneurial society for students who are interested in business, innovation, and developing entrepreneurial skills.

The society runs a range of events that provide opportunities to network with entrepreneurs and employers, develop startup ideas, and build practical skills through workshops, mentoring, hackathons, and pitch competitions.

Find out more >>

Technology Entrepreneurship Bootcamp

TEB Undergraduate Bootcamp: 7 to 11 June 2027

Form a team, develop a business idea, and pitch it in just five days.

• Work in international and interdisciplinary teams.
• Develop customer-focused business ideas.
• Learn from entrepreneurs and industry leaders.
• Receive one-to-one mentoring from experts in the UK and Silicon Valley.
• Take part in pitch training and present your final pitch to a panel of judges. The pitch forms part of the programme assessment.

You will explore:

• Team development
• Entrepreneurial mindset
• Idea development
• Brand strategy
• Startup fundamentals
• The questions investors want answered

Open to innovative applicants from around the world and from any academic discipline, this fully in-person, intensive five-day venture bootcamp takes place on the University of Exeter's Streatham Campus. While having a startup idea is encouraged, it is not a requirement.

Teams are formed on the first day of the programme.

Submit an expression of interest for the TEB 2027 Bootcamp.

Enquiries: TEBbootcamp@exeter.ac.uk