London City Incubator

London City Incubator recruits exceptional MBA, PhD, Masters and undergraduate students from City University London to accelerate businesses and new innovative ideas.

Its strategic mission:

• Works closely with City Tech Transfer team supporting the commercialisation of new technologies from City University London.
• Provide project resources for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
• Increase student employability by working on real life commercial projects.

Accelerate Commercilisation of Intellectual Property

We help and support the commercialisation of new ideas and technologies from City University London.

In 12 weeks we advise you on the best way to accelerate your idea and produce a detailed feasibility report. We analyse the market, competitors, partners, customers and the value proposition. The report will conclude with the next steps to commercialisation.

The key benefit is that you have access to the best students from City University London: MBA and Masters students from Cass Business School and PhDs from School of Mathematics, Computer Science & Engineering.

Working with SMEs

Combining the best of technical and business talent, LCI provides services in the following key areas to accelerate innovation:

• Idea generation
• Fund raising for start-up
• Interim management team

We focus primarily but not exclusively on high-growth sectors, including:

• Clean Technology
• Medical Devices
• Digital Media

Opportunities for start-ups

If your technology or business is based outside City, visit our Working with Start-ups page to see what we can offer you or complete our Incubator Programme Entry Form.

How we help

We manage a clear three-stage process for the projects that apply to enter the London City Incubator:

Initial Assessment: The project is scrutinised by our Assessment Panel. The panel then provides the entrepreneur with feedback on the project’s suitability for the Incubator, highlighting the technical and commercial issues the venture needs to address in order to secure investment.

Scope of Engagement: For those projects that enter the programme, we use the feedback information to derive a clear scope of work for our London City Incubator Associates. A core team with the appropriate mix of skills and international presence is appointed to execute the project alongside the entrepreneur.

Execution Phase: Once the scope of work has been defined, the newly-formed team starts executing the project. While each project is unique, and therefore has different requirements, the activities undertaken at this stage may include:

• Market research and IP protection
• Market-entry / market-expansion strategy development and business planning
• Preparation of fund-raising documentation

Global reach

Our multi-regional pool of consultants based in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, India and the US puts our projects in the best possible position to explore opportunities across the globe. In addition, the continuous support of our expert mentors and coaches all the way through to commercialisation gives our projects the best chance of success for growth and investment.

We are keen to engage with early-stage high-growth start-up businesses in our strategic sectors – Clean Technology, Medical Devices and Digital Media – to help them reach markets, increase growth and raise investment.
Whether by bringing you closer to key networks in your value chain, mentoring your management team, assisting you in articulating your business model or going out with you for investment, the LCI can make a tangible difference.