Universities are a hotbed for young talent, ideas and potential; they’re also an often untapped resource for entrepreneurship and sustainable solutions. Imperial College climate tech Pre-accelerator co-founders Filippo Varini and Elliot Queisser de Stockalper have set out to change this with the launch of a first-of-its-kind pre-accelerator for climate tech.
The pre-accelerator aims to help students launch their entrepreneurial ideas before the pressures of needing to earn an income and repay student loans immediately after graduating prevent many would-be founders from getting started. It offers a complete support system for helping students validate and test their ideas, build a team and network, and pitch to institutional investors.
“From our experience, universities are the best place to launch a startup,” says Filippo Varini. “You have access to world-leading experts who can support your project – Imperial College has some of the world’s leading experts in climate change, and their support greatly benefits your project.
“You also have access to resources such as research facilities and incubators, but also networking opportunities. Universities are a hub of innovators, and it is the best place to meet entrepreneurs and investors.
“We particularly believe in cross-university interaction. Each one has their own strength and community and by joining forces we can increase the support to student founders,” says Varini.
“We wanted to set up something that will be heard,” says Queisser de Stockalper, “but also something that will inspire people and give clear opportunities and possibilities at the end. That’s how we came up with the pre-accelerator to help student founders get investment-ready and validate their idea.”
Full story: Why Imperial College Launched A Climatetech Pre-Accelerator
