University of London entrepreneurship

The University of London has a rich history in fostering the startup and VC ecosystem. This is largely driven by initiatives of individual member institutions, such as London Business School and UCL (University College London).

London Business School's entrepreneurial initiatives include the Deloitte Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, aimed at research, teaching, and practise in entrepreneurship and innovation. They also have an annual 'Entrepreneurship Summer School', giving students the skills and knowledge to develop their own startups.

UCL has its own Innovation and Enterprise division, which has supported numerous startups. Some examples include Swytch Technology, a startup specializing in e-bike technology, co-founded by alumnus Oliver Montague. Another example is Bloomsbury AI, a machine reading start-up that was later acquired by Facebook, co-founded by alumnus Guillaume Bouchard.

Moreover, the University of London has contributed significantly to the VC ecosystem. Many of its alumni have moved on to notable positions within the Venture Capital industry, such as Patrick Pichette, a former CFO at Google and now a partner at Inovia Capital, a VC firm focusing on early-stage startups.

The University of London hosts a variety of competitions and initiatives designed to promote and support entrepreneurship. These include the London Venture Crawl, an annual event that takes students on a tour of the city's top innovation hubs, and Enterprising UCL, a startup competition for UCL's student and graduate entrepreneurs.

In conclusion, the startup and VC ecosystem at the University of London is thriving, with numerous initiatives across its member institutions, as well as significant contributions to the industry from its alumni.