Venture Treks
Interested in growing your business outside of the UK? Ready to explore the investment landscape in another region? Apply to join a Venture Trek and open a world of opportunities for your startup.
What’s a Venture Trek?
Unlock a world of opportunity for your startup on an international trip to a global startup hub.
As part of our commitment to supporting our community to explore and grow in new markets, we’ll be selecting a series of Imperial founders to accompany us to global locations in 2025.
We’ll put together a series of meetings and events to help you make the most of the visit and you’ll be pitching at an Imperial event to an audience of alumni, investors, industry representatives and the local startup ecosystem.
You can read all about last years Venture Treks and the Imperial Global hubs here:
Before, during and after the trip, we will be posting on social media and sharing press releases that will profile your company. We will also provide training on how to make the most of the trip, with founders who have been on previous Venture Treks sharing their insights.
Imperial Enterprise Lab will cover your hotel, visa costs and £700 toward your flights. We will also cover any group travel and Imperial organised activities while we are there.
To join us on one of these trips, you must be available for the dates listed below and submit your application no later than Sunday 23 February 2025.
Who are they for?
Venture Treks are specifically for Imperial founders (staff, student or alumni) who have proof of concept or an MVP and sufficient evidence of traction. You must also have clear motivations to attend the trip, for example, you wish to launch in that market or seek investment opportunities.
Imperial will fund one representative from your startup to attend. That representative must have an Imperial connection (student, alumnus, staff), other members of your team are able to attend, but they will need to be self-funded.
You should have proof of concept or an MVP and sufficient evidence of traction and clear motivations to attend the trip (i.e. you wish to launch in that market or seek investment opportunities).
You must be willing to take part in publicity before, during and after the trip, and to give us feedback about your experience.
You must be willing to join a WhatsApp group for ease of logistics
You must be willing to pitch your startup at an ICL event and provide all materials in advance of the visit in the required formats.
Venture Treks 2025
Take a look at the upcoming Venture Trek opportunities below:
Bengaluru, India
Sunday 18 May – Friday 23 May 2025
Explore the dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem in Bengaluru, often referred to as the “Silicon Valley of India.” Meet innovative founders from prestigious institutions like the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB). Visit leading entrepreneurial hubs and discover what Bengaluru has to offer!
Located in South India, Bengaluru provides access to a rapidly growing market, making it an ideal launchpad for scaling businesses across Asia. Experience the vibrant energy of Bengaluru’s startup scene firsthand and unlock endless possibilities for your entrepreneurial journey.
We are seeking startups operating in, climate tech and smart cities.
Key Dates
| Applications open | Friday 7 February |
| Info session | Monday 17 February at 3pm (online) Email [email protected] to attend. |
| Applications close | Sunday 23 February 11:45pm |
| Interviews | w/c 3 March |
| Decisions communicated | w/c 10 March |
| Onboarding session | Monday 24 March (Provisional) |
Apply
If you would like to attend one of this years Venture Treks, fill in the application form by Sunday 23 February. If you have any questions, email a member of the team at [email protected].
Venture Treks 2024
See below, information about out 2024 Treks and keep your eyes peeled for future opportunities:
Accra, Ghana
Sunday 14 July – Saturday 20 July 2024
Read about he Ghana Venture Trek here.
We took five Imperial ventures to explore the thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in Accra, meet founders from the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the University of Cape Coast, visit entrepreneurial hubs and explore what Ghana has to offer!
Singapore
Sunday 28th July – Friday 2nd August 2024
Read about the Singapore Venture Trek here.
Five Imperial ventures with a focus on AI joined us in Singapore to explore the vibrant ecosystem and numerous opportunities for growth and innovation. Singapore serves as a gateway to Southeast Asia, offering access to a diverse market of over 600 million people. With its robust infrastructure, supportive government policies, and well-established startup ecosystem, Singapore provides an ideal environment for entrepreneurs to network, access funding, and collaborate with like-minded individuals and organisations.
New York City, USA
Monday 23 September – Friday 27 September 2024
Read about the New York Venture Trek here.
We flew five Imperial ventures out to New york for Climate Week, where we hosted an event welcoming guests from all over the world as part of the UN General Assembly and Climate Week. With access to top-tier accelerators like Techstars and Climate Tech to proximity to leading universities and research institutions, founders were able to tap into a wealth of resources to drive their ventures forward.
San Francisco, USA
Sunday 27 October – Friday 1 November 2024
Read about the San Francisco Venture Trek here.
As part of a suite of activities celebrating 10 years of WE Innovate, our programme for women led teams, we invited five female founders to join us on this exciting trip to launch Imperial’s new Global Hub in San Francisco.