King’s Entrepreneurship Lab (King’s E-Lab) and Founders at the University of Cambridge announce the launch of SPARK, an intensive residential summer incubator programme to help students, researchers, and alumni from across the University of Cambridge materialise their high growth, high impact ideas into action.
SPARK will act as a blueprint for enabling cross-collegiate innovation at the University of Cambridge, nurturing new high-growth businesses in the UK.
The programme will scout talent from the University’s 23,000 student and researcher population across 31 colleges and will run from 26 August 2025 for four weeks. The participants will receive specialised support to turn their concepts into investable ventures that can ultimately feed the pipeline of high impact businesses serving the UK’s long term economic growth.
Turning vision into venture
Both the King’s E-Lab and Founders at the University of Cambridge have been instrumental in inspiring students, researchers, and alumni across King’s College and Cambridge to explore how their ideas can turn into real-world impact.
King’s College and the King’s E-Lab have been at the forefront of collegiate entrepreneurship through the King’s Entrepreneurship Prize for the last ten years. Demand for the E-Lab has grown exponentially since its inception in 2021, hosting some of the biggest names in entrepreneurship and social innovation globally in their Speaker Series, as well as launching several programmes and residentials for young innovators.
Founders at the University of Cambridge bring a wealth of expertise in venture building, investment, and commercialisation. This strategic initiative by the University is delivered by its innovation arm, Cambridge Enterprise, as part of its suite of services. At the cutting edge of University innovation globally, Founders at the University of Cambridge has already launched two programmes: START (seed accelerator programme) and SYNC (co-founder matching programme for software and AI). The team has also cultivated a growing global expert community of more than 240 investors, industry executives, entrepreneurs and leaders, many of whom are University of Cambridge alumni.
By partnering to deliver SPARK, King’s E-Lab and Founders at the University of Cambridge will combine their extensive networks and expertise to address a critical gap at a University College level to drive innovation. Through SPARK, students, researchers and University of Cambridge alumni will be empowered to transform their ideas into valid market products, build sustainable business models, and attract the financing needed to accelerate their businesses and scale their impact.
Diarmuid O’Brien, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Innovation at the University of Cambridge commented: “The University of Cambridge is famous for producing graduates and Nobel Prize winners that have changed the world. SPARK 1.0 will be a key addition to the Cambridge innovation ecosystem, contributing to our transformative vision to double the number of unicorns over the next decade and accelerating significant growth for the economy. I am delighted to see King’s College and Founders at the University of Cambridge pioneering this cross-collegiate innovation programme to unlock the full potential of our student and alumni communities.
Kamiar Mohaddes, Co-Founder and Director of King’s E-Lab, commented: “To ignite economic growth, we need to ‘grow up’ our University talent and the next generation of entrepreneurs. The King’s E-Lab, since its inception 3 years ago, is modelling the kind of culture change seen at the likes of MIT and Stanford – where entrepreneurship is in the air. We are thrilled to have King’s E-Lab joining forces with Founders at the University of Cambridge to provide this new platform where both students and alumni can dare to dream big.”
Gerard Grech, Managing Director of Founders at the University of Cambridge, commented: “I’m delighted to see SPARK bring together Founders at the University of Cambridge and King’s E-Lab to unlock entrepreneurial graduate talent across the colleges and the University. Startup creation at UK universities is a vital driver of economic growth. This programme is about empowering founders and turning ideas into impactful ventures”
According to Gillian Tett, Provost of King’s College: “King’s College is known for alumni who have made an impact on the world like Alan Turing, Geoffrey Hinton and Hermann Hauser. The entrepreneurial talent we have today is stronger than ever, particularly in fields such as AI, life sciences and quantum computing. Through SPARK 1.0, we’ll be able to support an even greater number of students, researchers, and alumni to commercialise University-based research into innovative products and help their transition from idea into the marketplace. We also plan to support early and mid-career King’s alumni who want to develop and take their venture concept to market. The partnership with Founders at the University of Cambridge will foster new innovations and collaborations across Cambridge and beyond.”
Dr Jim Glasheen, Chief Executive of Cambridge Enterprise, said: “The partnership between King’s E-Lab and Founders at the University of Cambridge is a crucial step in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship within our University and alumni communities. By leveraging our combined networks and expertise, we are creating a platform through SPARK that will unlock the potential of our students, researchers, and alumni. This collaboration will drive the development of innovative ideas into market-ready products and extend the potential impact for the world.”
Eligibility and Scope
The programme is free of charge for final year undergraduates (graduating Summer 2025), postgraduates, post-docs, researchers, and alumni who have graduated in the last two years from the University of Cambridge, made possible by both the generous philanthropic support of a successful Cambridge entrepreneur together with funding from the University of Cambridge. It is also open to University alumni (more than two years-graduated) for a programme fee of £950. The cohort will include up to 40 participants, working in teams or individually, with ideas, early-stage products, or social ventures in any technology-led sector.
The programme combines the unparalleled networks of the King’s E-Lab and Founders at the University of Cambridge to deliver an intensive and structured four-week practical and applied curriculum covering market validation, product development, business strategy, and investor pitching. Participants will benefit from 1:1 mentorship from seasoned entrepreneurs. The programme culminates in a Demo Day where all participants have the chance to pitch to an audience of angel investors, venture capitalists, and industry leaders, with the potential to secure seed funding. Eligible participants will also pitch for two £20k investments from Founders at the University of Cambridge and Cambridge Enterprise Ventures.