Our 7 week investment readiness accelerator programme has been specially designed to help founders that want to create positive change in the world raise funding. We will cover and help you understand all the different funding options such as grants, tax credits, loans, crowdfunding and equity. We will then work with you to get you investment ready and pitch perfect to raise your funding round.

Virgin StartUp have worked with thousands of founders to help them develop the skills, confidence, contacts and networks to grow their businesses and thrive.

Our Collective Impact programme has been designed by funding and investment experts to help you:

• Get the necessary materials together for fundraising

• Understand the funding landscape and investor expectations

• Understand grant applications and what Crowdfunding entails

• Develop a strong pitch by practicing with actual investors

• Learn how to find and approach potential investors

That's great. Co-founders are encouraged to attend together, but it is recommended that the founder who will be pitching to investors attend most sessions.

We’ve designed our accelerator for founders who have done validation of the need for their product or service and have an MVP or early traction metrics such as waitlists, partners, customers, or sales revenue and are planning on raising their first external funding.

We're industry-agnostic, so are looking for ambitious founders from different sectors and backgrounds whose businesses make a positive impact in the world, to ensure a vibrant mix of experiences on the programme. 

To apply for the programme, you must be looking to scale your business, and raise investment, in the UK.

The programme is delivered primarily online with a mix of live webinars, interactive workshops, and one-on-one mentoring sessions, including with real investors. There are also 3 hybrid events: one meet-and-greet with the cohort, practice with a speaking coach and an in-person demo day at the end.

One day a week 9.30 am to 4.30pm  (Tuesdays and/ or Wednesdays). There will also be an additional 1-2 hours for your one-to-one session with the investor in residence and other experts.

You should expect to give 4 to 8 hours a week of independent work if you don’t have any investment materials at all, and 2-4 hours a week of independent work if you already have some materials and are working on refining them.

Subject to being offered a place on the programme, the cost is £2,750 (excluding VAT), which should be paid before the programme start date.

We do not take any equity as part of this programme. 

You start your application by clicking Apply on this page, where you'll be redirected to the initial application form. 

After applications close there will be 1 week for interviews and 1 week for payment. Successful applicants will be required to accept and pay the programme fee within a specified timeframe ahead of onboarding in order to secure their place

To apply, simply fill out the form at the bottom of this page, and we'll be in touch for final interviews if selected. 

The programme costs £2,750+VAT to take part and full payment is required ahead of the programme start date. 

Applications close: 21st January

Programme start date:20th February 2024

We encourage founders from a range of sectors and backgrounds to apply for the programme. It's suited for founders raising funding for the first time, and the selection criteria for the programme are based on:

• the quality of the startup’s business idea and positive impact
• the team's relevant experience and qualifications, and
• your product or service’s traction with users

To apply for the programme, your business must be based in the UK.

We can't guarantee investment after taking part, but you can be sure we'll give you the tools, skills, networks and support to give you the best possible chance. You got this. 

The programme will start on February 20th and finish with a demo day on the week of April 30th. There will be a 2 week break for Easter from Friday March 29th to Friday April 12th.