5 Our first years Contents Foreword from UCL President and Provost 5 Introduction from UCL’s Vice-Provost (Enterprise) 7 Overview from UCL Advances’ Director 9 UCL Advances’ activities 11 UCL Advances by numbers 13 An amazing 48 hours for UCL Advances 15 Directory of programmes 17 Our first five years 29 Entrepreneurial alumni 48 Press coverage 50 Our team 54 Planned UCL Advances Programmes 56 Partners and Funders 57 UCL is committed to: becoming a global leader in enterprise and open innovation, supporting and promoting effective knowledge exchange, entrepreneurship and collaboration with commercial and social enterprises. Key Strategic Aims UCL Council White Paper, 2011–2021 “The UCL Bright Ideas Award equipped us not only with the capital we needed to get to the next step, but gave us access to some of the fantastic opportunities available for small businesses at UCL, such as HELO and the SMILE network. We are exceptionally grateful to UCL for providing our business with the support we need to succeed in an ever-competitive market. I would strongly recommend that all entrepreneurs consider applying to the Bright Ideas Award, as it will prove to be a great learning opportunity regardless of the outcome.” Raoul Tawadey, CEO and Founder, Circalit, and 2011 Bright Ideas Winner (Natural Sciences, BSc, 2009) 4 Foreword from UCL President and Provost Professor Malcolm Grant UCL President and Provost Staff, students and alumni at UCL have an outstanding record of academic achievement, often developing new innovations that have gone on to transform society, be it in medicine, technology or social development. Many of these incredible accomplishments could not be achieved without the backing of a university that works hard to engender an atmosphere of entrepreneurial activity and support for enterprise. The impact Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have on the UK’s economy is considerable. They currently account for more than 99% of businesses in the UK and generate almost 50% of total private sector turnover, making it vital for UCL to work with this element of the economy. SMEs are currently facilitating many of the technological and innovative advances that are already prominent in our daily lives, and so for UCL to be working with these businesses puts us at the forefront of innovation, and feeds back into much of our research. The entrepreneurial history of UCL is impressive. Notable alumni range from Edwin Waterhouse, one of the founders of Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Colin Chapman of Lotus Cars, Andrew Jacobs of Giraffe Restaurants, and Nadhim Zahawi of YouGov, and the current cohort of students are set to continue UCL’s enterprising tradition. Promoting entrepreneurial ventures is a key priority at UCL, and we encourage our students to develop their ideas throughout their degree and beyond. Over the last five years, UCL Advances has developed our support for the next generation of entrepreneurs, helping them secure finance, training and connections to networks they need to start and prosper. Despite the economic climate, our students have managed to secure loans and funding for their business ideas and have gone on to have great financial success. 5 This is indicative not only of the strength of their planning and perseverance, but of UCL’s dedication to innovation and enterprise. UCL Advances has done much in its first five years to build upon the heritage of entrepreneurship that has been so well established, building valuable links with local companies and potential investors, as well as supporting students throughout the early stages of their business endeavours. This enables students to seamlessly make the transition from university to business, and leave UCL equipped with a wealth of knowledge and guidance to draw upon. It also helps existing small businesses from outside of UCL to make the journey inwards, benefitting our core mission of research-led teaching and maximising the impact UCL’s capability can have in society. It is my pleasure to introduce this five year review of UCL Advances, and I look forward to its continued success. “The UCL Advances Hatchery is a fantastic environment for student start-ups, where advice and support is at hand whenever it might be required. This is critical at the early stages when companies are experiencing rapid changes and growth for the first time.” Chester Mojay-Sinclare Founder, Charity Checkout (Philosophy, BA, 2011) 6 Introduction from UCL’s Vice-Provost (Enterprise) Professor Stephen Caddick Vice-Provost (Enterprise) Since its foundation in 2007, UCL Advances has been a pioneer among UK universities. Having established itself as a national leader in the field of entrepreneurship, it forms part of the aptly named UCL Enterprise, and has continued to propel UCL to the forefront of entrepreneurial activity within the UK’s Higher Education sector. Over the past five years, major projects such as the university-business collaboration initiative HELO and business mentoring scheme SMILE have enabled UCL Advances to cater to a broader audience than ever before, whilst encouraging entrepreneurship in every corner of UCL. Would-be entrepreneurs from disciplines as diverse as archaeology, philosophy, geography, science and technology studies, mechanical engineering and brain sciences have flourished under the guidance of UCL Advances’ business advisors, indicative of the increasing communication between UCL Advances and the entire academic spectrum at UCL. The immediate impact made by UCL Advances extends to a multitude of universities, start-ups and SMEs across London, as well as schools in local communities. Beyond London, the development of partnerships between Advances and enterprises such as Goldman Sachs, NACUE, Santander and Microsoft have been fundamental in creating a status that is recognised across the UK. Many of the operations UCL Advances is now involved in have also created global connections, such as the China UK Challenge and a Fulbright scholarship in entrepreneurship, indicative of its evolution in the last five years and appropriate for a university such as UCL with a global reputation. 7 With exciting new projects in the pipeline such as the digital enterprise support initiative UCL DECIDE (Digital Enterprise: Collaborative Innovation, Development and Evaluation), the world’s largest ‘living lab’ for media and digital start-ups, there is much to be looking forward to over the coming years. As more UCL students take advantage of the array of services provided by UCL Advances, we will continue to adapt to meet their needs and transform the way students engage with business and society. The transformation of UCL Advances from an idea, the first of its kind in the UK, to a globally recognised leader in entrepreneurship could not have been achieved without the hard work of the UCL Advances team, and I would like to thank them for their commitment and dedication over the past five years. Of 25 participants in the first cohort of the London Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Programme, three offered internships to UCL students, one has applied for a KTP with UCL and 14 have taken mentors from the SMILE programme. 8 Overview from UCL Advances’ Director Timothy Barnes Director, UCL Advances UCL Advances is the centre for entrepreneurship and business interaction at UCL. Its primary role is to promote a culture of entrepreneurship on campus and engagement with entrepreneurs and small businesses beyond UCL’s boundaries. It began in August 2007 as a sister unit to the new academic department of Management Science and Innovation (MS&I). Inspiration for UCL Advances was drawn from a variety of sources including the Technology Ventures programme at Stanford University and the Rice Alliance at Rice University in Texas. I am a UCL alumnus and was recruited from the private sector to lead UCL Advances from its launch and reshape these ideas for a British educational and entrepreneurship context. The development of the two units was a response to the observation that after many years of effort, UCL was improving its performance in working with established, larger businesses, but was still struggling to engage effectively with entrepreneurs, small and medium-sized businesses. The changes were intended to produce a new atmosphere in which entrepreneurship would be welcomed and UCL would be set on the path to a global leadership role, in keeping with its status as one of the world’s top universities. In 2009, UCL Advances moved from within UCL’s Faculty of Engineering to become a unit of UCL Enterprise, underlining its role in servicing the needs of all of UCL’s entrepreneurs, whatever faculty and department they might be affiliated to. It helps to push out new entrepreneurial ventures and pull in external new businesses that could benefit form UCL’s skills, talent and know-how. The development of the two units was led by Prof Steve Currall, head of department for MS&l; Prof Bernard Buxton, Dean of Engineering; Prof Mike Spyer, Vice-Provost (Enterprise); and Dr David Chapman, Director of the Centre for Enterprise and the Management of Innovation, a pre-cursor to the new activities. Other universities were experiencing many of the same problems in understanding and delivering on the needs of smaller entities, but UCL’s response was unique. Framed by UCL’s location in London and partnership with the London Business School in place of its own business-focused academic activity, UCL elected to focus on academic research through MS&I and support for entrepreneurs inside and outside of UCL through UCL Advances. 9 24 directly employed members of full and part time staff supported by eight associate staff, who help deliver over 30 activity programmes. 10 UCL Advances’ activities UCL Advances provides three types of service to each of its audience groups of staff, students and external businesses. It is critical to our unique model that we undertake each of the services for all three of the audiences. By pushing out evenly in all directions, we have been able to establish economies and additional benefits for those we work with that would not have been possible if we delivered only a sub-set of activities. The three service areas are: Networking Bringing entrepreneurs, academics, students, funders, businesses, policy makers and the media together, in order to foster new relationships that might lead to new businesses. Training For staff, students and existing external small businesses and entrepreneurs, suitable for the separate stages of early company development from idea generation to accelerating growth of revenue generating businesses. This helps to address the skills requirements of start-ups. Support Providing direct business support, through assistance with finance, space provision, advice and problem solving for internal and external new businesses. This review covers our first five years and has been produced as a record of past activities and a guide to future plans. UCL Advances has grown almost eight-fold in its first five years, from four to 32 full and affiliate staff. It has demonstrated sustained value to the university, entrepreneurs and the UK economy, and, in doing so, has been transformed from an experiment in university-entrepreneur relations into a model that is inspiring other universities around the world. 11 UCL Advances delivered 2,500+ places on student programmes in 2011/12 with a target of 4,000 pa. by the end of 2014 /15. 12 UCL Advances by numbers Cumulative funding agreed for UCL Advances activities 2007 2010 2012 £600,000 £3,200,000 £7,000,000 Cumulative E-Challenge participants 2007 2012 2,000 5,000 UCL Advances mailing list 20072010 2012 1002,500 5,500 UCL Advances Twitter followers 2007 0 2010 2012 300 3,000 Staff numbers 2007 3.8 2010 2012 10 32 Student activity places provided annually by UCL Advances 2016 (target) 20072012 5002,500 7,500 External small companies engaged with each year 20072012 0300 2016 (target) 500 Student companies supported actively each year 2007 10 13 2012 50 2016 (target) 125 14 09:45 UCL nurtures, supports and links the best and brightest talent. That’s why I was delighted to hear that in this same weekend, former Bright Ideas Award winner, Chester Mojay-Sinclare, raised a six-figure sum for his business, Charity Checkout, after being connected with angel investors through UCL alumnus Andrew Jacobs, the founder of Giraffe restaurants. p hi rs w eu no g en re gin is pr L a an w s. tre C ch No sse en U e- . g ss lif es ce in ro g s c ot c in es su m a er in ur ro rise eliv bus n o o rp p d fo ter dy ing ild ns en ea ng bu tio ng alr ha to da di re d-c e un ed a rl im fo b e o t e em . W d w the Th r ce n 6 fo la s a :5 d p tie n 02 a in tuni r po op 15 48 12:21 The entrepreneurs and small businesses which we work so hard to support have had some tremendous successes, and show why marrying talented students and small business owners with the very best in advice, support and funding from our nation’s best universities is so important. 14 co :42 an nfe I’v in d re e r in nov an nce ece s flo pi at op . A nt od rin ion po sid ly r s g w an rtu e etu of a d n fro rn in s g ity m ed te se ro to t re e w s he fro st ing th ho p m – bo two from wca rese the th v th se nc C su ery e U e on pp d bo CL of se or iffe tto ’s the rva te re m w P tiv d nt u or ri e by b p, k m Pa UC usi wh in d e M rty L nes at rivi inis Ad s wa ng te r va es s nc att mo es rac st . tin g One weekend in October was to be an incredible success story for UCL Advances. Here Timothy Barnes feeds back to the UCL Advances team as events unfolded. October 8, 2012 s. hi f to o xt ne f d ne o t o re d as or ve an w oh eli st n – n c , d e th tto do me of l Su on m er e t L ra pi Jo rs rog re. cu by e fi s p the th e oc e led n s e th t t i es b s ep par sin uld wa onc en Bu wo ng c k ll ey isi pa ta ma th pr s ve S a ur up ha 0 de t s p- h ,00 o i os po hic 10 d n t m a w hs ha Ye – es ac I 2 ud ss S es. : 3 Clo ine an nc 17 he bus ldm va T o Ad e th e G CL th U by 18: 45 Through the undertaking of the programme, Joel has reaped the benefits that being part of the UCL community can provide – wider business support and helping set him up with an intern from UCL being just two examples. Being part of this community is why Joel, when he saw Jive Bike’s stand, worked out they were from UCL, went over to say hello, offered support and tweeted about it. su 19 c Dr ce :24 st s a u A g s Im Th de rt S on of t et eo nt ta ’s he th a v D o Aw Pa t O en en las se p ar hi xfo ka, . O t tw gu d tis rd 26 ld o ys an a U , B w o d nd niv an on ee n t ha D e d d ks he ve eb rsi his Ltd w S ha ora ty, w bu , t as un d h e si he on da su M re ne br o y. pp ea aw ss ai ur Th or de ar pa nch sc at t f n. de rt ild re ev e e ro T d ne m he £ r of ns nin bu y t 90 Kir Po as g, sin oo ,00 yl liti pa th es ha 0 i Ch cs rt e s s d n i yke Ph of tan ad w nv y D BB d vis on es uk st C ou or a tm , a ud 2’s t Li Bri en DP ent llia gh t f h n t I rom il Sh de ap as iro . An amazing 48 hours for UCL Advances A great 48 hours Timothy Barnes, Director of UCL Advances 17:01 The winner of last year’s London Entrepreneurs’ Challenge, Jive Bike, were there with a physical prototype for the world’s first carbon fibre, folding, electric bike. Their demonstration wowed conference attendees, including MPs and regular party members who represent the country as a whole. Marcin, the founder, ended up with a stack of business cards and made valuable contacts. “It really has been a phenomenal year for Teachus. From running the Summer Schools to being invited to sit on the Government Summer School Committee – all seems quite surreal. It would have been impossible without the support of Advances. So a huge thank you to you all.” Jay Ruparelia Co-Founder, Teachus (Statistics, BSc, 2007) 16 Directory of programmes The breadth of activities undertaken at UCL Advances can be seen here in a directory of our current projects. Our Student Ventures Programme encompasses a host of schemes to help familiarise students with the world of business and prepare them for their exploration of entrepreneurship. Training and networking activities are also geared toward researchers and business professionals, uniting students with those who can help them launch successful careers. As well as activities provided exclusively by UCL Advances, there are a number of programmes that run in conjunction with a variety of external partners. These help to foster networking opportunities, and there are many occasions where students can enter both national and international competitions that will enable them to boost their entrepreneurial profiles. For researchers and businesses, the projects run by UCL Advances are an ideal opportunity to take advantage of the pool of talent available at UCL. Excellent relationships have been forged through Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) and Knowledge Exchange Associate (KEA) programmes, and are mutually beneficial for businesses and students alike. A variety of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) options are available for those wishing to gain certification in a particular aspect of business management, and are all run through UCL Advances’ training centre. Guest lectures, boot camps and Technology Innovation Forums add to the variety of programmes on offer, to cater for all requirements and interests. 17 Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support Our programmes cover a wide range of disciplines and areas of activity. Each project has a key indicating the areas of activity and the type of service UCL Advances provides. Business Researchers Students Training Networking (Ad)Ventures (Ad)Ventures is a dining club that brings together those who founded a company during their time at UCL (as a student or a staff member) with those currently starting up a business whilst at UCL. Experience and wisdom will be shared to help foster the current group of UCL entrepreneurs. Support Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support BizSpark BizSpark is an innovative programme that unites startups with entrepreneurial and technology resources in a global community with a common goal of supporting and accelerating the success of a new generation of highpotential start-ups. BizSpark provides fast, easy access to current full-featured Microsoft development tools and production licenses of server products, professional technical support from Microsoft, and connections to a global community of business experts who can help guide you through the hurdles of growing your business. When start-ups enter into the BizSpark programme, they are included on the online start-ups directory MicrosoftStartupZone, given access to a united, global community of support resources, and connected with Network Partners who will manage their participation. UCL Advances has joined with BizSpark and are able to support start-ups as their network partner. Find out more at: www.ucl.ac.uk/advances/support/bizspark 18 China UK Challenge Business Researchers Students The Challenge consists of two strands: firstly, the Tomorrow’s Leaders Track revolves around student-led business idea entries. This encourages current students and recent graduates to explore new, international ventures. Secondly is the Innovative Business Track. This is for non-university business idea entries which would facilitate already established businesses to look into growth areas, new products and services. Training Networking Support The China UK Entrepreneurship Competition aims to encourage new business ventures between China and the United Kingdom and is intended to simulate the real-world process of entrepreneurs soliciting start-up funds from early-stage investors and venture capital firms. Find out more at: www.ucl.ac.uk/advances/support/ competitions/advances/support/chinaukchallenge Young people found that they had gained “a big interest in business.” Citrus Saturday Citrus Saturday, developed with inspiration from the nationwide project Lemonade Day in the US, has been set up to encourage entrepreneurial skills in young people and help them gain confidence in a working environment. Using a handbook called ‘How to be an entrepreneur’, pupils at local schools and youth groups were mentored by UCL students and then went on to market and sell their lemonade in prime locations across central London. At the first event run in London in 2011, over £1,200 worth of lemonade was sold by 28 participants serving from just eight stalls. Now in its second year ofOpenInnovation running in London, the Citrus Saturday initiative has spread to Edinburgh, Dublin and Somerset, and has been met with an enthusiastic response. Collaborate To Innovate When asked what they had learned from taking part in Citrus Saturday, young people found that they had gained “a big interest in business,” and one participant had “learned to be an entrepreneur and how to create my business.” One mentor had learned that with improved communication within teams, “anything is possible.” Find out more at: www.citrussaturday.org 19 Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support OpenInnovation Collaborate To Innovate Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support CleanTech Challenge The CleanTech Challenge (CTC) is a student competition jointly hosted by London Business School and UCL that was launched in 2009. The competition is a unique platform through which students can bring innovative clean technology ideas from the concept phase to a stage in which they could realistically expect to attract funding or be self-sustainable. Over 100 top business and technical/science schools are invited to participate and ten finalist teams are selected to compete in live ‘Boot Camp’ finals in London for £10,000. There are more than 200 ideas submitted to the challenge every year, and previous winners have included MBA, PhD and Masters students from locations as diverse as Germany, Sweden, China and the United States. Find out more at: www.cleantechnologychallenge.com Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support Communicating Science to Business This is a series of three workshops, focussing on the skills needed by academics and early career researchers. These skills can then enable researchers to maximise the benefits of presenting their academic research to business audiences. The 2012 workshops have been based around the topics ‘How to engage with business’, ‘How to become a more confident and effective networker’, and ‘Presenting to business’. These topics are able to cover the key elements that researchers and academics will face when beginning to approach businesses about sponsorship or potential collaborations. For participants that attend all three workshops in the same academic year, a CPD (Certificate of Personal Development) will be awarded to mark their achievements. “Really helpful, great speaker, engaged the whole time, will put into practice” stated one participant, while another found the sessions “useful to become more confident and learn new networking techniques.” Previous workshop leaders have included Alan Stevens, a media coach, professional speaker and writer, Sue Tonks, a professional speaker and trainer, and Jeff Skinner, a lecturer in entrepreneurship at London Business School and previously the Commercial Director of UCL. Find out more at: www.ucl.ac.uk/advances/researchers/ training/science-business 20 “The single most engaging and insightful workshop I have attended in my six years at UCL,” was a recent participant’s comment, and the boot camps have been highly recommended by others. One student said that the skills they had learned would “help me to get a competitive edge,” and further feedback described the boot camps as: “a new and refreshing way to learn about business and finance.” Enterprise Boot Camp Boot camps are offered to students across the whole of UCL as a means of learning basic business concepts, as well as gaining experience of real life business scenarios. The camps can help students from any academic discipline demystify the business world and acquire the knowledge that will make a career in business more accessible. They are run across three days and no business knowledge or experience is required. The boot camps have been a great success and feedback from students has been extremely positive. They typically cater to between 120 and 150 people. Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support Find out more at: www.ucl.ac.uk/advances/students/training/bootcamp Entrepreneurship Guest Lectures Business Researchers Students Each year, UCL Advances organises a series of guest lectures from leading entrepreneurs and investors. These inspirational speakers provide an insight into the highs and lows of being an entrepreneur and share advice for those wishing to start their own business or who have already embarked on this journey. The event is open to everyone including staff and students from UCL and the London Business School. Many guest lecturers are UCL alumni who have gone on to successfully found and run their own start-ups, as well as seasoned entrepreneurs with years of experience. The first guest lectures were held in 2008. They are a weekly highlight for students and staff wanting to learn about every aspect of entrepreneurial ventures, from finding initial funding, marketing new ideas, attracting investors, and the risks and rewards of developing a start-up. Guest lecturers from this past year have included UCL alumni Kes Thygesen, co-founder of RolePoint, and Robert Nichols, Director of Edmund Cude lettings agents. Other speakers have included Nicolas Hantzsch, Director of Groupon UK & Ireland, and Nick Jankel, Chief Executive of wecreate. Past lectures are available to view through the UCL Advances website. Find out more at: www.ucl.ac.uk/advances/training/entrepreneurshiplectures 21 Training Networking Support Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support OpenInnovation Collaborate To Innovate EPIC The European Pre-Incubation Consortium is led by UCL Advances and includes members from France, Scotland, England, Ireland, Germany and Belgium. It is designed to connect small businesses across North-West Europe that could be doing business together in the earliest stages of their development, when it can be difficult to find overseas customers and suppliers. In building new commercial relationships, many of these businesses will bypass the need for early external funding and have more sustainable long-term activities. Find out more at: 020 3108 3278 | advances@ucl.ac.uk 22 “10,000 Small Businesses introduced us to entrepreneurs and academics who’ve faced the same trials and tribulations. Together we’re helping each other plan a profitable journey of future growth for our businesses. It’s hard work and it’s exciting.” Daniel Fagerson Managing Director, Salt.TV “UCL Advances has provided the kind of high quality delivery that we needed in London to make the programme work and build a lasting community of networked small firms. We are seeing participating businesses transformed, creating the jobs and real economic value that the UK economy desperately needs. We could not have found a better partner to do that with.” Deepak Jayaraman Executive Director, Head of Corporate Engagement, Goldman Sachs 23 Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses programme is designed to unlock the economic and job creation potential of small businesses and social enterprises operating in the United Kingdom. The programme is based on the broadly held view of leading experts that greater access to education and business support services is the best way to address barriers to growth. The programme is designed for leaders of small businesses and social enterprises with clear ambitions to grow. They will benefit from targeted support and resources to help them define and achieve their business growth aspirations. Goldman Sachs and UCL have an extensive network of organisations and partners. The core workshops are delivered by a combination of practitioners and experts who have extensive practical experience working with, and understanding the needs of small business leaders. Find out more: 020 7679 4518 | www.ucl.ac.uk/10ksb Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support The Hatchery The Hatchery provides office space for start-ups run by current students or recent alumni, providing them with a valuable base for their business when in its early stages. Time is allocated in six month slots free of charge, and with the close proximity to the UCL Advances team, students can access support and guidance from the Student Business Advisors. There are currently 26 student businesses operating from the Hatchery. Currently based in the UCL Hatchery: “Being able to use the UCL Advances student Hatchery gave The Sport Review a muchneeded base from which we were able to successfully drive the business to the next level.” Martin Caparrotta Founder, The Sports Review (Italian and Business Management, BA, 2010) Find out more at: www.ucl.ac.uk/advances/students/hatchery 24 One client found that the HELO programme “helped us turn a product that would probably have been a good one into one that people love using.” Ian Collins of software company Screama HELO Initially funded by EU-ERDF, Higher Education London Outreach (HELO) is both a support programme for local businesses and a training opportunity for UCL students. Partner organisations help in identifying small businesses across London that would benefit from consultancy projects managed by UCL students. These students are then able to work alongside these SMEs to deliver realworld benefits. To date, the project has assisted over 150 companies with projects as diverse as developing marketing plans, solving complex technical problems in wireless devices, to prototype developments in 3D printing. Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support HELO can offer support in the following areas: Environmental and green projects Technical support with cutting edge and innovative projects Business development and marketing support Training and staff development “INTER-CEP will become a forum for sharing expertise, in the form of approved case studies, from both academic research and practitioner knowledge, leading to a better understanding of how public policy affects entrepreneurship and of how entrepreneurship can inform public policy debate.” Timothy Barnes Director UCL Advances 25 The projects are varied and include software testing and development, building prototypes and developing products, materials testing, market analysis, marketing research and business analysis. Each case is individual and unique and the team will get to take responsibility in developing the project and the delivery. HELO opens up entrepreneurial ventures to students across the entire breadth of academic disciplines, enabling them to get the hands-on experience that may not be available to them through their degree programmes. Find out more at: www.ucl.ac.uk/advances/business/support/helo INTER-CEP The International Centre for Entrepreneurship Policy is a new activity managed by UCL Advances and Georgetown University. Supported by the British Council, the objective is to bring together those interested in the public policies that govern and promote entrepreneurship to lead to more informed decision-making and communication of the best ideas across borders. As a forum for sharing expertise in the form of case studies, from both academic research and practitioner knowledge, INTER-CEP provides a bridge between knowledge-based organisations and potentially high growth business start-ups. Find out more at: www.inter-cep.com Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support UCL Advances provides training for businesses, researchers and students 5 Our first years Our first 5 years UCL Advances: 2007– 2012 and beyond The first five years at UCL Advances has seen the introduction of major new initiatives, the expansion of the team from just four to over 30 people, and an influx of over £7m in funding for UCL Advances’ activities. The first UCL Technology Innovation Forum in October 2007: “The Future of Imaging” There has been impressive growth in the number of students participating in the Student Venture Programme, as well as considerable increases in the number of researchers and businesses utilising the services on offer. This timeline gives an overview from the launch to today, and shows how far UCL Advances has come from its foundation in 2007 to being a leading centre for entrepreneurship and business interaction. 2007 2008 07 UCL Additions developed since the formation of UCL Advances Formation of UCL Advances August 2007 First Enterprise Boot Camps held October 2009 OpenCoffee Club moves to UCL March 2008 Communicating Science to Business CPD courses for UCL staff started in October 2008 Since June 2009, 1126 have registered for Enterprise Boot Camps The Student Internship Programme, launched May 2009 First KEA’s start Clean Tech Challenge launched with London Business School, October 2009 Higher Education London Outreach (HELO) programme announced April 2009 First UCL Awards for Enterprise held in May 2008 UCL Advances becomes a partner of Microsoft BizSpark, the first outside of the US, November 2008 2010 2009 08 09 China UK Challenge launched at UCL in October 2009 Over 100 students advised about their business ideas in first six months of AY2011/12 London Entrepreneurship Online launched October 2010 A dozen student companies funded between August 2011 and 2012 UCL Advances Summer Programme founded in 2011 First resident of the UCL Advances Hatchery, aliveandgiving.com, joined August 2010 The European Pre-Incubation Consortium (EPIC) launched August 2011 The first Citrus Saturday, held July 2011 November 2010, launch party of Selected Mentors and Interims for London Enterprises (SMILE) scheme 2012 Launch of the CPD training programme (Short Courses in Small Company Management) in summer 2010 UCL Advances reaches 10 people 2011 10 11 StartUp Summer started with YouGov Plc and Imperial July 2011 First KTP schemes run through UCL Advances in August 2011 Ten years since The London Entrepreneurs’ Challenge was launched by Timothy Barnes. Now the oldest continually running programme of its type in the UK with over 5,000 registered participants since its launch Over 4,000 regular recipients of UCL Advances’ email bulletin and more than 2,300 followers on Twitter UCL Decide (Support for Digital Enterprises) and the Enterprise Europe Network will be launched in January 2013 UCL Enterprise Society wins National Society of the Year at NACUE Awards, May 2012 2,000 lemons, limes and other citrus fruits squeezed for Citrus Saturday 2 on 7 July 2012 New phase of HELO begins August 2012 Inter-CEP launched October 2012 ERASMUS for Young Entrepreneurs (YELLOW), launches September 2012, attracting over 70 applications for placements by young entrepreneurs with EU host entrepreneurs Mobile Academy starts September 2012 Fulbright-UCL Technology Entrepreneurship Award, announced March 2012, to run in the academic year 2013/14 There have been 281 UCL participants on London Business School electives, arranged by UCL Advances, since autumn 2009 Over £7,000,000 of agreed funding for UCL Advancesled activities agreed since launch in 2007 from funders including HEIF, Goldman Sachs, HEFCE, Santander and European Union ERDF and InterReg programmes 2013 12 First cohort of 25 participants in Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses London start January 2012 13 UCL ADVANCES IS FIVE UCL Advances delivered 2,500+ places on student programmes in AY2011/12 with a target of 4,000 pa by the end of 2014/15 Open here UCL Advances provides support for businesses and individuals that want to grow and develop Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support Knowledge Exchange Associates Frequently PhD students in the final stages of their research are producing results that are utterly relevant at the time of publication, and it is therefore crucial that their knowledge is immediately utilised by businesses. The Knowledge Exchange Associates scheme places students in businesses where they will be able to turn their research into a product or a service which will have a lasting commercial impact. Tina Lui, a PhD student in the economics of logistics was placed with Drewry, a shipping consultancy company in Docklands, and said that “I could apply my knowledge and also learn the commercial and soft skills you don’t develop in academia.” The scheme has been beneficial for both parties involved. Find out more at: www.ucl.ac.uk/advances/support/kea Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support Knowledge Transfer Partnerships Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) supports UK businesses wanting to improve their competitiveness, productivity and performance by accessing the knowledge and expertise available within UK Universities. KTP will provide businesses with a recent graduate (Associate) who will enable the transfer of academic knowledge to the company based on their own area of expertise. The partnerships typically run from six months up to three years so companies are able to build up a working relationship with their Associate and subsequently gain a qualified member of the team who can head up new projects. “The KTP has been a great success for all involved.” Andrew Budgen, Partner at Spacelab “Already KTP has helped us develop a ground-breaking product for healthcare professionals.” Dr Marc Farr Head of Product Development at Dr Foster Intelligence Ltd Find out more at: www.ucl.ac.uk/advances/support/ktp 36 “The Entrepreneurs’ Challenge is a great way to meet other entrepreneurs and to gain access to a huge pool of talent and ideas.” Anthony Morris London Business School, 2003 “Winning the London Entrepreneurs’ Challenge was the initial kick off for our idea. It gave us the injection to go further with it.” Martin Poschenrieder CEO, Tipgain and winner of the 2011 London Entrepreneurs’ Challenge London Entrepreneurs’ Challenge The London Entrepreneurs’ Challenge is a workshop programme and business plan competition open to all members of UCL, Royal Veterinary College, Birkbeck, SOAS, and the London Business School that aims to show participants the process of starting a business by helping them do it for themselves. In the initial stage, participants are required to produce an executive summary. This is followed in the second stage by a more detailed business plan which is judged for the grand final at the end of the term. Throughout the process there are overall and category cash prizes totalling £15,000. Over the course of the challenge, workshops will be run by mentors covering topics such as intellectual property, funding a business and assessing what makes a good idea. There are also a wide range of networking opportunities between the participants and professionals interested in new businesses, as well as with other students. The 2012 E-Challenge winning prize went to Jive, which developed a folding electric bike with a smart phone application that would run and navigate the bike. Find out more at: www.londonentrepreneurschallenge.com 37 Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support OpenInnovation Collaborate To Innovate The Mobile Academy Mobile Monday London, the capital’s largest community for people involved in mobile technology, and UCL Advances have teamed up to launch The Mobile Academy, a practical, ten-week / 36-hour evening programme for anyone keen to start or continue their journey in mobile innovation. Unlike other courses, The Mobile Academy focuses on the business, design and technological aspects of developing successful mobile products, services and experiences. Amongst other things, it can help to transform the seed of an idea into a Dragon’s Den style pitch-ready presentation or an award-winning mobile campaign. Participants are encouraged to develop their own idea as they progress through the programme and can select from talks, workshops and clinics, all delivered by industry professionals from successful start-ups, as well as organisations such as Nokia, Samsung, Opera and Droidcon. A Certificate of Continued Professional Development will be awarded to those who complete the course. Find out more at: www.themobileacademy.org.uk Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support OpenCoffee Club The OpenCoffee Club was started in London in March 2007 to give people interested in business start-ups and entrepreneurship a chance to meet up and discuss ideas, and help establish important contacts and support to encourage business growth. It provides students and those already running their own start-ups with crucial networking opportunities and the potential to draw upon others’ experience. London already has an active members group so for anyone at UCL exploring entrepreneurship, this is a brilliant opportunity to expand their knowledge and meet like-minded people. The initiative has now gone global, and OpenCoffee Club meetings are being held in over 80 cities in the world. Find out more at: www.opencoffee.ning.com 38 “The Technology Strategy course that I attended last week was simply a first class joint effort between UCL, Dr. Andrea Masini and his guest speakers. The knowledge gained by the attendees through the facilitation of discussion of theory and practice, and with the practical exercises also set by the tutor, sent all of the attendees away on Friday afternoon with a distinct competitive advantage over their fellow students, businessmen and women. I only wish that I could return again on Monday morning for another week.” Peter Rosen Founder and CEO, Photoedge Limited 39 Short Courses in Small Company Management UCL Advances organises training for entrepreneurs, small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and UCL members. The Short Courses in Small Company Management are aimed at SMEs and UCL members who need extra training in specific business-related areas. The courses attract both academics and professionals creating a dynamic and interesting learning environment. UCL Advances short courses have been accredited by the CPD certification service. Courses have been designed to cater to different levels of experience, and are categorised as fundamentals, intermediate or advanced. A selection of the courses on offer includes technology strategy, entrepreneurial finance, an introduction to business law and the dynamic leadership programme. Find out more at: www.ucl.ac.uk/advances/training/short-courses Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support SMILE SMILE (Selected Mentors and Interims for London Enterprises) is an initiative developed by UCL Advances to help Londonbased SMEs grow and develop by analysing business needs and connecting them to business mentors. Businesses that have benefitted from SMILE include Teachus, a leading private tuition service which has now gone on to secure a major schools contract this summer, Fulham Hair & Scalp who are now exploring the introduction of a product line at Harrods, and photography company Peasy Photos who were able to refine their business model and take the business in an exciting new direction. “Universities are a great source of practical business support for small businesses, and SMILE is a perfect example of this.” Hitul Thobhani Co-founder, Kidz4Mation The relationships built through the SMILE initiative can be a long term benefit to an SME. The start-up publishing company for children Kidz4Mation nominated their mentor, Delwar Hossain for the Best Mentor award in 2011 after he helped them to develop their business, which he subsequently won. Find out more at: www.ucl.ac.uk/advances/business/support/smile Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support Student Business Advisors UCL Advances business advisors can provide students (undergraduate and postgraduate) and recent alumni with business support to help them start and develop their businesses. The advisors offer impartial, confidential advice that is grounded in practicality and based on guidance that reflects the students’ personal aspirations and goals. Advice can be provided on, amongst other things, business planning, cash-flow forecasting, competition analysis, marketing and promotion. The advisors have access to contacts and resources, and knowledge of initiatives such as competitions, mentoring, funding programmes and investment opportunities. “The strength of our trial and the amazing backing we’ve had from the team at UCL Advances has got us where we are today with the launch of Monstercard.” Alex Emms Co-founder, Monstercard (Civil Engineering, BEng, 2013) The UCL Advances Business Advisors can help avoid the pitfalls and traps experienced by many new entrepreneurs. They understand the complex processes that are part of setting up a business, and are able to identify the problems that are inherent in developing a business idea. Find out more at: www.ucl.ac.uk/advances/students/business-advice 40 “The UCL Advances internship scheme is the much needed bridge between university and the workplace as it provides the ideal chance to navigate from student life into the working world.” Issariya Udomritkul (Anthropology, BSc, 2009) Student Internship Programme The Student Internship Programme (SIP) is aimed at supporting interns while they gain valuable hands-on work experience. The intern is based within a micro, small or medium-sized enterprise to carry out a range of activities intended to help their host business to grow. This includes training, shadowing and work related tasks specified by the business. It is an eight week full-time programme for which the intern is paid a training allowance by UCL for their living costs. We ask small to medium enterprises to send us their internship opportunities and students to send us their CVs. We then match the students with the opportunities accordingly and monitor the internship until the end. The programme is mutually beneficial for both parties involved, and over the summer of 2012, UCL Advances was able to support fifty students in various internships. If student applicants are considered to be a good match for one of the businesses offering an internship, they will be required to attend the three day UCL Enterprise Boot Camp prior to beginning their placement. This is intended to give students the skills necessary to make the most of the opportunities on offer during their internship. Find out more at: www.ucl.ac.uk/advances/support/internship-progamme 41 Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support Technology Innovation Forums UCL Advances hosts regular Technology Innovation Forum events on a variety of subjects providing networking opportunities for businesses and investors to engage with the highest quality exponents of leading technologies. These events focus on science-led innovation and future technologies. The forums attract a rich mix of stakeholders, both in terms of fields of interest (industry or discipline) and perspectives (researchers, users, investors). The purpose of the events is to stimulate new interactions – particularly between communities that haven’t been engaged before – which may lead to new relationships, collaborations, and commercial products for the benefit of society. The first forum held back in October 2007 was based on imaging technologies. Previous forum topics have included the future of telecoms and convergent media, the future of sport, the future of finance and the future of medicine. As the forums are developed further from 2013 onwards, they will take on a tighter format, allowing for niche topic discussion tailored to specific interests. Find out more at: www.ucl.ac.uk/advances/networking/tif Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support UCL Additions UCL Additions is a social networking site that links communities of interest involving UCL and businesses, investors and entrepreneurs, in a forum where members can find potential collaboration partners and manage the development of projects. With UCL Additions you can strengthen existing networks, find new contacts and take your ideas forward in groups based around communities of interest. You can also access relevant job and funding opportunities, training and events. UCL Additions is a UCL Advances project that has been developed for UCL by MegaNexus. Development of UCL Additions has been part-funded by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) in recognition of its novel approach to opening university knowledge transfer opportunities. Find out more at: www.ucladditions.com 42 “The start-up summer school has been a fantastic opportunity for students to develop their ideas in a business environment. They have really risen to that opportunity. The way they have been putting into practice everything they have learned during their time on the scheme has really made us proud.” Dr Itxaso de Palacio Aguirre Teaching Fellow, Management Science and Innovation – one of the session leaders for students 43 UCL Advances Summer Programme The scheme runs over a period of seven weeks, allowing teams to develop their ideas and work closely with their mentors, ending with a Dragon’s Den style pitch to a panel of venture capitalists and angel investors in order to determine the winner of the programme. Student teams receive a £2,000 project budget and £10,000 worth of YouGov market research. In 2011 over 100 students from UCL and Imperial College London applied for the project. Five teams were selected on the basis of proposed business plans and then attended a series of master classes and workshops designed to enhance their entrepreneurial knowledge and skills. 2011 master classes were led by well known entrepreneurs including Martha Lane Fox, Margaret Heffernan and Brent Hoberman. The StartUp Summer initiative was introduced in July 2011 and forms part of a wider scheme announced by David Cameron called StartUp Britain, aimed at regenerating interest in small businesses and helping support potential new start-ups. UCL Advances have developed StartUp Summer along with Imperial College and YouGov Plc. Find out more at: www.ucl.ac.uk/advances/students/training/ summerprogramme Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support UCL Angels UCL Angels is an informal angels group that provides seed investment to student-led companies and other London SMEs engaged with UCL Advances programmes. UCL would like to facilitate a way for companies to access seed funding from individuals who believe in the business. This relatively small amount of funding would enable companies to develop proof of concept and progress their businesses significantly. Find out more at: www.ucl.ac.uk/advances/support/uclangels UCL Awards for Enterprise The annual UCL Awards for Enterprise honour the efforts and accomplishments of UCL’s innovative and entrepreneurial academics and students. The awards ceremony and reception highlight UCL as a leading hub of innovation and commercial activity, while bringing together academics with businesses and investors. UCL is the only university in the UK to celebrate enterprise and the entrepreneurialism of our staff, students and graduates on campus, and our commercial partners and leaders off campus, in such a high-profile manner. Over the last five years nearly 20 academics have been recognised for their achievements, as have nearly 20 businesses, and over 50 student businesses have been supported by our recognition and with monetary prizes. Find out more at: www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/about/awards 44 “It was an incredible opportunity which I totally recommend to new entrepreneurs that have just started or intend to start a business. Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs provides an opportunity to learn at an early stage the art of entrepreneurship and how to avoid risks. In the future, I hope that I will, in turn, become the host entrepreneur and return the favour to another new entrepreneur in the European Union.” Lucian Avadani New Entrepreneur, UK 45 YELLOW YELLOW (Young Entrepreneurs Living and Learning by Overseas Working) is an Erasmus scheme for young entrepreneurs that aims to foster entrepreneurship across Europe, by linking young and aspiring entrepreneurs with experienced entrepreneurs in another member state of the European Union. Young entrepreneurs can gain the necessary experience to establish their own business and create a portfolio of contacts. The host entrepreneurs also benefit in gaining new ideas and perspectives. Those who are firmly planning to embark on a new business venture or those who have already started a business within the last three years are eligible to apply, as well as experienced entrepreneurs who own or manage an SME in the EU. UCL Advances has bursaries for young entrepreneurs who want to visit another EU member state to gain such experience. Host entrepreneurs from high growth SMEs are also particularly welcome. Potential hosts are encouraged to register with UCL Advances if they are seeking new ideas from young and innovative entrepreneurs. Find out more at: www.ucl.ac.uk/advances/business/support/erasmus Business Researchers Students Training Networking Support UCL Advances helps you expand your network to meet the people and businesses needed to develop new ideas Entrepreneurial alumni UCL has a long history of outstanding entrepreneurial alumni, including those that developed their businesses prior to the launch of UCL Advances. This is just a sample of the many alumni that have gone on to have entrepreneurial success. Past Edwin Waterhouse (BA, 1860) founding partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers PwC is now the largest professional services firm in the world, and one of the ‘Big Four’ accountancy firms. Edwin Waterhouse went into partnership with Samuel Lowell Price and from 1874 was one of the founding members of Price, Waterhouse & Co., until the company merged with Coopers & Lybrand in 1998. He was president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants from 1892–4. Colin Chapman (Structural Engineering, 1948) founder Lotus Cars of At just 24, Colin Chapman founded the sports car company Lotus after leaving the Royal Air Force. Pioneering a new philosophy with regards to car design, the lightweight Lotuses would go on to win seven F1 titles between 1962 and 1978. Chapman was responsible for creating the worldrenowned reputation that the brand still retains today. Wayne Hemingway (Geography and town planning, 1982) co-founder fashion label Red or Dead Wayne Hemingway and his wife Gerardine began their fashion venture in 1982 by selling items from their own wardrobe at a stall in Camden. By the end of the year they were running 16 stalls. The brand grew from there on, as shops opened in Camden, Manchester and Soho, selling a combination of original designs and second hand clothes. Red or Dead is now stocked by major retailers across the UK and last year launched its own fragrance. Nadhim Zahawi (Chemical Engineering, 1985) founder of YouGov YouGov, established in the UK in 2000, is a market research agency open to anyone, and aimed at creating a network of communication between those with shared interests. YouGov is now a global enterprise since acquiring firms in Germany and the USA, and opening an office in Dubai. Nadhim entered Parliament as the MP for Stratford in 2010. Ali Parsa (Civil Engineering, 1987, 1995) founder of Circle, the largest clinical partnership in Europe Since the incredible success of developing and improving Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Cambridgeshire, once considered one of the area’s worst hospitals, Circle, established in 2005, has become the largest partnership of healthcare professionals in Europe. Circle works to provide hospitals where the owners are the employees, putting doctors and nurses directly in control of the running of the hospital. Ali Parsa is a recipient of UK Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and graduated with a PhD in engineering physics from UCL. Peter Williams (Economics, 1996) and Robert Shaw (Anatomy, 1996) co-founders of fashion label Jack Wills – University Outfitters Having set up the now widely sought after Jack Wills clothing line back in 1999, Williams and Shaw are now 70% shareholders in a company that turned a profit of £13 million in 2011 alone. Friends at UCL, the pair initially invested £40,000 of their own savings and have now launched a sister brand, Aubin & Wills, aimed at a more mature audience. Andrew Jacobs (Economics, 1991) founder of Giraffe Restaurants Launched in 1998 by UCL alumnus Andrew Jacobs along with Juliette Joffe and Russel Joffe, the Giraffe restaurant chain is now the fastest growing national restaurant group and is expanding overseas. Embracing music and cuisine from around the globe, Giraffe has been an overwhelming success and six new sites are being planned this year. Present Jay Ruparelia (Statistical Science, 2007) and Remal Tailor (Mathematics, 2007) co-founders of Teachus, a private and group tuition service based in London Both Jay Ruparelia and Remal Tailor worked for investment banking firms for two years after graduating from UCL in 2007 in order to earn enough money to start Teachus, a private tutoring company, in 2009. Teachus has now gone on to secure a schools contract in the summer of 2012, and Jay and Remal have now set up a summer school programme for 350 disadvantaged pupils in Brent moving from primary to secondary school. Kes Thygesen (SSEES 2007, MS&I, 2008) launched the start-up OVIAhr.com (now Wowzer) along with a partner in 2002 and went on to found Rolepoint, another recruitment start-up Rolepoint is a social networking platform that facilitates easier communication between candidates and employers, and enabling people to recommend others that they think would be suitable for a position. This is now Kes Thygesen’s biggest project since starting OVIAhr.com in 2002. 48 Raoul Tawadey (Natural Sciences, 2009) founder of Circalit, 2010 Raoul benefitted from using the Hatchery services at UCL Advances in the early stages of his business, and described it as “a game changer for my company”. Circalit is an online publishing platform for writers, and enables users to follow their favourite authors as well as post their own reviews, whilst building a readership for their own material. Raoul was one of the winners of the 2011 Bright Ideas Awards. Michael Langguth and Oyvind Henriksen (both MSc Technology Entrepreneurship, 2011) founders of Poq Studio, and previous residents in UCL Advances Hatchery Founded by UCL students Michael and Oyvind along with Jun Seki in 2011, Poq Studio creates branded shopping apps for fashion, jewellery and beauty companies. Michael and Oyvind are also members of the Microsoft BizSpark programme. Chester Mojay-Sinclare (BA Philosophy, 2011) founder of Future Winning both the London Entrepreneurs’ Challenge and the UCL Bright Ideas Award, www.charitycheckout.co.uk is a charity search engine and comparison site. Founded by Chester Mojay-Sinclare, a Philosophy graduate from UCL, and co-founded by Melissa Johnson, also a UCL graduate, Chester has developed Charity Checkout which reached the final of NACUE’s (National Consortium of University Entrepreneurs) National Varsity Pitch Competition in 2011, in the Social Enterprise category. Bond Ltd., 2011 Alive and Giving and Charity Checkout Ashton King (MSc HumanComputer Interaction, 2011) founder of TigerSense/Captain Conversion TigerSense, now called Captain Conversion, is a user experience agency based in London. It works to create instinctive user experiences, which help companies and organisations deliver successful products, such as websites, by making them more user friendly. Ashton received the London Entrepreneurs’ Challenge 2010 Innovation Central Bursary. Ashton has recently worked with UCL Advances in the redevelopment of the website having completed his master’s in Human-Computer Interaction at UCL in 2009. 49 Artsiom Stavenka (PhD Politics and Energy Dialogue) founder of Old Art’s firm, Old Bond, attaches strips of LEDs to the spokes of bike wheels to display computergenerated images. Old Bond is the first of its kind in utilizing bikes for mobile advertising, and it is this innovative idea that secured him a £7,500 loan from UCL’s fifth annual Bright Ideas Awards. The company is currently based in the UCL Advances Hatchery. Daniel Abluch (MSc Technology Entrepreneurship), founder of WeLikeShopping in 2012 UCL graduate Daniel Abluch and co-founder Phil Vengrinovich launched WeLikeShopping in early 2011. The website which helps consumers discover sales and new items in clothing stores across London was built via communication over Skype while Daniel and Phil were working on other projects in different countries. Daniel and Phil have been able to build up their team whilst being based in the UCL Advances Hatchery, and successfully launched their website in July 2012. Thomas Walczak (BSc Computer Science) founder of EventIgnite, 2012 UCL graduate and previous Hatchery resident Thomas has developed EventIgnite, an interactive, cross-device app for organizing events and conferences. The app connects all attendees through social media and enables speed networking at events. It also allows all content to be published to mobile devices saving money and the environment. Brian Hole (PhD Archaeology, current) and Tom Pollard (PhD Space and Climate Physics, current) founders of Ubiquity Press, 2012 Ubiquity Press was founded by PhD candidates Brian Hole and Tom Pollard at UCL and is now the largest open access publisher of UCL journals. The flexible publishing model makes journals affordable, and enables researchers around the world to find and access the information they need, without barriers. Ubiquity Press is currently operating as a spin-off company based on campus. Press coverage Universities and company founders boost student jobs “UCL Advances invited some of the capital’s most dynamic startups to bid for student interns, matched by the university to ensure they could hit the ground running and offer genuine benefit to the companies concerned.” Business? It’s easy peasy for youngsters “Citrus Saturday, an initiative set up by University College London to give young people a taste of selfmade business success, saw 40 students set up 10 lemonade stands across the borough.” Camden New Journal, 12 July, 2012 Financial Times, 21 September, 2012 50 Fledgling ventures flock to London for seed entrepreneurs “London has been crowned Europe’s capital for start-ups by some of the global technology industry’s leading players at a gathering to nurture some of the most promising upcoming entrepreneurial talent.” Financial Times, 8 September, 2010 51 British university blazes a trail in business start-ups UCL demonstrates how the “faces of campus enterprise reveal the risks – and rewards – as business incubators continue to spread across the academic world.” New York Times, 14 February, 2011 Bike wheels lead the way for bespoke advertising “One of ten new businesses run by past or present students of University College London to share £100,000 of low-cost loans for start-ups in its fifth annual Bright Ideas Awards for enterprise.” Mail on Sunday, 20 May, 2012 Get smart with a student On KEA’s: “It brings benefits to both sides. ‘By putting Tina’s academic and intellectual rigour together with our practical knowledge and experience, we should come up with something new and interesting… and we give Tina operational and commercial knowledge of the sector.’” The Sunday Times, 4 April, 2010 52 UK to teach Americans about start-ups “American students are to be encouraged to come to the UK to learn about entrepreneurship, under a scholarship set up by the Fulbright Commission and University College London.” Financial Times, 1 April, 2012 The new route to a fortune British universities are now “offering money and advice to help would-be entrepreneurs. A pioneer in the field is UCL, which aims to create 100 new student businesses each year for the next five years.” The Sunday Times, 25 September, 2011 53 Our team Abigail Freeman Open Innovation Project Manager 020 7679 7525 abigail.freeman@ucl.ac.uk Gurpreet Jagpal Deputy Director 020 7679 7520 g.jagpal@ucl.ac.uk Alastair Moore DECIDE Project Lead 020 7679 4599 a.moore@cs.ucl.ac.uk Hannah Pope Project Assistant 020 7679 9151 hannah.pope@ucl.ac.uk Anna Thomlinson SMILE Services Assistant 020 3103 3286 a.thomlinson@ucl.ac.uk Helen Anderson Admin and Finance Assistant 020 3108 3278 h.anderson@ucl.ac.uk Chris Rayner Student Business Advisor 020 7679 4879 christopher.rayner@ucl.ac.uk Jack Wratten Citrus Saturday Manager 020 7679 4599 j.wratten@ucl.ac.uk Claire Arbon Knowledge Transfer Partnership Manager 020 3108 3290 c.arbon@ucl.ac.uk Krista Macmillan Database and Website Manager 020 3108 3285 k.macmillan@ucl.ac.uk Deepa Visavadia Departmental Administrator 020 3108 3280 d.visavadia@ucl.ac.uk Laura Connor Training Manager 020 7679 4518 laura.connor@ucl.ac.uk 54 Lillian Shapiro Student Business Advisor 020 7679 7544 l.shapiro@ucl.ac.uk Sangeetha Agalakotuwa Training Assistant 020 7679 4518 s.agalakotuwa@ucl.ac.uk Melissa Lamptey Multimedia and Web Assistant 020 7679 4887 m.lamptey@ucl.ac.uk Shauna Kearney PA to the Director 020 3108 3283 s.kearney@ucl.ac.uk Natalie Scanlon Training Assistant 020 7679 7494 n.scanlon@ucl.ac.uk Steve Dabson Finance Administrator 020 3108 3279 s.dabson@ucl.ac.uk Nicolas Ulloa Olguin HELO Service Assistant 020 3108 3287 nicolas.olguin.10@ucl.ac.uk Timothy Barnes Director 020 3108 3282 t.barnes@ucl.ac.uk Ruth Hou SMILE Project Manager 020 3108 3288 r.hou@ucl.ac.uk Wendy Tester Events Manager 020 3108 3284 w.tester@ucl.ac.uk Samuel Sheppard Inter-CEP Project Assistant 020 3108 3283 samuel.sheppard@ucl.ac.uk 55 Planned UCL Advances Programmes UCL Advances will continue to develop new programmes as the needs of our audiences develop and funding changes. The following schemes are examples of new activities we are hoping to implement in the coming year. Fulbright The 2013/14 academic year will see the introduction of a Fulbright Scholarship opportunity for one student to undertake a year-long MSc in Technology Entrepreneurship in the department of MS&I. As part of a global programme aiming to foster leadership and understanding between cultures, Fulbright grantees are offered a number of cultural events, organisational memberships, and networking opportunities during the exchange. The MSc in Technology Entrepreneurship will introduce students to the challenges they face when starting their technology enterprises and give them the skills and academic knowledge they will need to succeed. They will attend guest lectures from entrepreneurs and experienced professionals in the field through UCL Advances, as well as attending the London Entrepreneurs’ Challenge. The dissertation students produce in their third and final term will give a detailed plan of their new technology enterprise. UCL DECIDE DECIDE (Digital Enterprise: Collaborative Innovation, Development and Evaluation) is a ground-breaking programme to help SMEs achieve pre-commercial validation of new products and services. This includes platforms to support digital development – including the UCL App Store for mobile testing and collecting first user data – as well as access to content for exploring new business models – for example, UK terrestrial TV programming. DECIDE will also help support physical systems deployment like m-payments or loyalty cards to help road-test offerings. Student Venture Fund UCL Advances is currently planning to launch a small venture fund for investing in student-led businesses. It is intended to be the world’s first truly student-run investment operation. It is hoped that this will be ready for launch in 2013. Alumni Business Club Besides the currently offered services to the UCL Alumni that have been involved with UCL Advances during their studies, an Alumni Business Club will provide valuable networking opportunities to UCL Alumni that have started businesses since graduating. Benefits will include priority access to mentoring and training schemes, discounted CPD courses, the use of UCL Advances’ incubation space and early invitations to relevant events. In becoming a member of the Alumni Business Club, UCL Advances can extend the network of alumni involved in start-ups, enabling them to further their professional connections and get in touch with others in similar stages of their careers, or with mutual interests. 56 Partners and Funders UCL Advances is funded by a core allocation from UCL’s HEIF allocation, with the majority of additional resources coming from external contracts to provide training and business support services. UCL Advances receives no direct support from UCL’s core teaching and research funds. The partners and funders shown here are a selection of those we have worked with since 2007 in funding or delivering activities. 57 UCL Advances is affiliated with UCL Enterprise, which provides UCL’s structures for engaging with business for commercial and societal benefit. UCL Enterprise Enterprise is important to all universities, but resonates particularly with UCL. From our inception we were created as an enterprising institution, with a bold ambition to create a University dedicated to the greatest good for the greatest number. This principle has underpinned the evolution of modern-day UCL, a confident and enthusiastic community of enterprising researchers, educators, and scholars, working together for the immediate, medium and long-term benefit of society. UCL Enterprise provides UCL’s structures for engaging with business for commercial and societal benefit. It includes three units: UCL Advances, UCL Business and UCL Consultants. Together, they provide access to the capabilities and resources of the UCL community to help businesses start, grow and develop. UCL Advances The centre for entrepreneurship at UCL, UCL Advances, offers training, networking and business support for staff, students and external entrepreneurs to encourage and enable new enterprises to get going. Unique in the UK Higher Education sector, its primary role is to promote a culture of entrepreneurship on campus and engagement with entrepreneurs and small businesses beyond UCL’s boundaries, and currently delivers over 30 activity programmes. www.ucl.ac.uk/advances UCL Business UCL Business is a leading technology transfer company, which supports and commercialises research and innovations arising from UCL, one of the UK’s leading researchled universities. UCLB has a successful track record and strong reputation for identifying and protecting promising new technologies and innovations from UCL academics. It invests directly in development projects to maximise the potential of the research and manages the commercialisation process of technologies from the laboratory to be market ready. UCLB supports UCL’s Grand Challenges of increasing UCL’s positive impact on and contribution to Global Health, Sustainable Cities, Intercultural Interaction and Human Wellbeing. www.uclb.com UCL Consultants UCL Consultants Ltd was established by UCL to bring its academics together with national and international clients, providing access to UCL’s leading-edge expertise and world-class facilities. UCL Consultants offers a one-stop office for academics wishing to carry out consultancy work, providing comprehensive contractual, tendering and administrative support, enabling UCL staff to ensure timely, high-quality delivery to meet clients’ requirements. It has extensive experience in working with a wide variety of clients including multi-national, governmental organisations, space agencies, international companies and SMEs. www.uclconsultants.com UCL Advances www.ucl.ac.uk/advances advances@ucl.ac.uk 1st Floor 90 Tottenham Court Road London W1T 4TJ