Strathclyde Inspire Accelerator

Strathclyde Inspire Accelerator

Supports University of Strathclyde ventures through an accelerator that helps teams progress to investor-ready, mentor-backed operations.

The Strathclyde Inspire Accelerator is a 12–18-month programme offered by the Stephen Young Institute for Entrepreneurship at the University of Strathclyde, designed for academic staff and students at the university who are developing investor-ready ventures. Applications are accepted on a continuous rolling basis, without fixed cohort intake dates. The programme delivers a support package valued at up to £10,000, comprising one-to-one mentoring, £5,000 cash prize grants, customised training programmes, regular cohort meetings, access to commercial champions and the university's alumni network, industry and partner network connections, and virtual board support.

Participants also receive the opportunity to pitch at Inspire100, the Stephen Young Institute's biannual Dragon's Den-style pitching event, where prizes of £2,500 to £10,000 are awarded across two categories: Academic Spinouts and Innovation-Driven Start-ups. Past accelerator participants have included ventures working in robotics education, sustainable design, medical devices, mental wellbeing software, and electric vehicle battery technology — reflecting the broad sector scope of the programme. Eligibility is restricted to University of Strathclyde academic staff and students.

Interested applicants should contact the Stephen Young Institute at sy-institute@strath.ac.uk or by telephone at +44 (0)141 553 6132 to begin the application process. Given the rolling intake, ventures can apply at any stage of readiness, though the programme targets those approaching investor-readiness rather than very early ideation.