Venture Builder Incubator

Name: Venture Builder Incubator
Availability: Apply Now

Transform university deep tech and data driven research into a thriving startup.

Welcome to the Venture Builder Incubator at the University of Edinburgh

Venture Builder Incubator empowers aspiring founders from Scotland’s universities to start or grow their tech business. Bridging the gap between research and entrepreneurship, Venture Builder Incubator gives you the tools, skills, and support to transform your deep tech or data-driven idea into a thriving startup. Through our ongoing partnership with Cancer Research Horizons, the Venture Builder Incubator provides tailored support to research staff and academics across the UK developing oncology-related data-driven innovations.

Scaleup Growth: Helping existing AI-driven companies reach global markets.

Ideation to Startup: Turning academic research into new companies.

164

Founders and companies supported since 2021

£58m

Grants and investments raised

36 entrepreneurs in the 2025 cohort.

Online Information Session 4

Join our Venture Builder Incubator 7.0 online information session on Wednesday, 8 July

Book here

Application Deadline

Venture Builder Incubator 7.0 applications are open until 20th July 2026, 9AM GMT

Apply now

Applications Open

Applications are open until 20th July 2026, 9AM GMT

Apply Now

What is the Venture Builder Incubator?

The Venture Builder Incubator empowers aspiring founders from Scotland’s universities to start or grow their tech business. Bridging the gap between research and entrepreneurship, Venture Builder Incubator gives you the tools, skills, and support to transform your deep tech or data-driven idea into a thriving startup.

Venture Builder Incubator is delivered for Scottish Universities in partnership with Techscaler and the University of Edinburgh.

Through our ongoing partnership with Cancer Research Horizons, the Venture Builder Incubator provides tailored support to research staff and academics across the UK developing oncology-related data-driven innovations.

Are you ready to tackle real-world challenges through tech innovation?

This five-month programme is designed specifically for students and university staff who want to explore the business potential of their research.

Through a mix of interactive online workshops and in-person events, you'll learn to navigate the startup world with confidence.

Participants of the Venture Builder Incubator will benefit from:

Key Skill Development - Build essential entrepreneurial skills to help you stand out in a competitive market.
Build Understanding - Better your understanding of key market dynamics and commercialisation strategies to navigate the start-up landscape with confidence. ‍
Access to Expertise - Learn first-hand from seasoned entrepreneurs and industry leaders and access the University of Edinburgh’s wealth of expertise and academic excellence.
‍Personalised Mentorship – Expert guidance from entrepreneurs-in-residence, National Robotarium collaborators, Cancer Research Horizons and our experienced programme team. ‍
Network Connections - Join a vibrant community of innovators, industry partners, and like-minded entrepreneurs, fostering meaningful ecosystem connections and unlocking new opportunities.
Access to funding: Access to a share of up to £90k in funding.
Community: Be part of the Bayes Centre, a leading innovation hub for Data Science and AI.
Equity Free Participation

What can you expect?

Venture Builder Incubator runs over five months, from late October to March, with a break in December. It’s designed to be flexible and fit alongside your academic commitments, requiring around 12 hours of your time per month.

Through a mix of interactive online workshops and in-person events, Venture Builder Incubator provides you with the skills, confidence and connections required to start or grow your tech business.

Online workshops: Take place twice a week via Zoom - every Monday and Wednesday from 16:00 to 17:30 - totaling 3 hours per week.
In Person Events: The programme hosts 3 in person event for participants including a welcome day, a team day and our cumulative programme showcase.

Milestone	In person	Online / Date
Application Deadline		20 Jul 2026
Programme Start		26 Oct 2026
Welcome Bootcamp	11-13 Nov 2026
Bootcamp	9-11 Dec 2026
December Break		14 Dec 2026–08 Jan 2027
March Showcase	18 Mar 2027
Programme End		Mar 2027

‍Please note that dates may change.

Who can apply?

Venture Builder Incubator is designed for ambitious postgraduate students, early career researchers and academics who are looking to transform their deep tech or data-driven research into a viable business.

We welcome applications from individuals or founding teams at any Scottish university who are passionate about creating innovative deep tech or data-driven solutions to address real-world challenges.

Through our ongoing partnership with Cancer Research Horizons, we offer tailored support for research staff and academics working on oncology-related innovations from universities and hospitals across the UK.

Discover more about Cancer Research Horizons