ICT-themed accelerator.

Six universities came together with industry experts and other local stakeholders to transform cutting-edge knowledge in cybersecurity into innovative new products, services and policy that better protect consumers, businesses and UK infrastructure.

We delivered a pre-accelerator programme to two cohorts of ‘Cyber Founders’. We left gaps between sessions to allow the participants to work with mentors from their universities and to engage with industry participants in order to resolve the key information gaps and build relationships that could lead to first revenues.

Over the course of the programme, participants progressed from working to address an un-met need to having a firm understanding of what their product / service offering would be, how this would be delivered to users, and who their first paying customers would be.

The programme ended with projects ready to apply for commercialisation funding, and with founders having added to their teams and having the confidence to approach the next steps.

Next case study: Accelerating the commercialisation of breakthrough biology