Queen Mary University of London has partnered with the MassChallenge startup accelerator to offer a new route to impact for academic, student, and alumni entrepreneurs.
Originating at MIT, MassChallenge equips bold entrepreneurs to disrupt the status quo and create meaningful change by backing promising startups to scale up fast. The programme has been running for two years in the UK, based at the University of East London.
MassChallenge matches startups with large innovation companies including BAE Systems, Buhler, dsm-firmenich, Givaudan, Louis Dreyfus, Marriott Harrisson, Omya, Royal Docks, SIG, Sudzucker, Tate and Lyle, and Whitworth Brothers, who can be both mentors and possible early adopters. Target industries include climate, healthcare, security and resilience, and sustainable food.
Dr Phil Clare, CEO of Queen Mary Innovation, said:
"For any founder, identifying the business problem and how to solve it is key to generating revenue and investment. The MassChallenge market-first model of close collaboration with industry is therefore precisely the approach we want for our entrepreneurs."
"We have a growing pipeline of academic spinouts and student startups here at Queen Mary, and the training and relationships provided through MassChallenge will help our entrepreneurs jump the gap from idea to impact."
"We're pleased to be joining with UEL to embed and grow this programme in the UK."
Professor Matthew Bellgard, Pro Vice-Chancellor Impact and Innovation at the University of East London, a founding partner of MassChallenge UK said:
"Partnering with MassChallenge offers our aspiring student, staff, and alumni founders an unparalleled, fast-track route to scale, connecting their disruptive ideas directly with leading industry innovators who are ready to invest in the future."
The expanding partnership will embed MassChallenge within the British entrepreneurship scene by providing a pipeline of academic, student and alumni entrepreneurs. The Research England Development Fund is providing the initial funding to help attract more industry and university partners and to support entrepreneurs to prepare for the programme.
David Kinsella, Managing Director at MassChallenge UK, said:
"Universities bring a strong diversity of talent who can drive innovation, so we're delighted to be working with Queen Mary University of London and the University of East London to build on our successful track record in the United States and in Switzerland. We hope they'll be the first of many university partners here in the UK."
Recruitment for the next cohort begins in January, and the programme runs from June to October.
MassChallenge is open to everyone, not just entrepreneurs connected to Queen Mary or UEL. To be eligible, startups should be early stage (less than £3M capital raised and less than £3m in sales) with a concept that is viable, scalable, and has the potential to drive substantial economic growth and transform society.
