We are based at The Deck in the Innovation Centre on Streatham Campus. The Deck is a collaborative workspace for student entrepreneurs to work on their business ideas or to meet a member of our team for 1-2-1 appointments. The space is also used for weekly startup workshops and classes for modules.
At SETsquared Exeter we help University of Exeter students become successful entrepreneurs through numerous activities and facilitating networking and collaboration opportunities.
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Open to students and graduates from all degree disciplines
Programmes delivered in Exeter and Penryn
Student Startups Programmes
Whether you want to launch a new app, start a social enterprise, develop an innovative new product or creative project, the Student Startups team are here to support your entrepreneurial ambitions.
Perhaps you have the seed of an idea and don't know where to start? Perhaps you have a side-hustle that you’re looking to consolidate and grow? Perhaps you’re considering an entrepreneurial path post-graduation and want to get started now? Wherever you are on your journey and whatever your ambitions, the Student Startups team would love to work with you.
Our programmes run throughout the year, are repeated termly and are designed to support you from idea to launch - through workshops, expert speakers, peer-to-peer network building, 1:1 advice, and access to early-stage funding.
You can also apply and take part in the programmes multiple times, with different business ideas.
Outside of our core programmes, we also hold regular drop-in sessions, workshops and events, that are open to all in the University community.
Please find further details of our programmes below.
Runs in the Autumn & Spring Term
What is it?
The Startup Pre-Incubator Programme is the first stage in building, testing and validating your venture. The 9-week programme covers important foundational groundwork, including business models, finances & revenue streams, market validation and pitching skills. The programme includes workshops, guest speakers, networking opportunities and access to workspace at The Deck on the Streatham Campus. You will also receive invites to additional events, introducing you to the wider Business Community in either Exeter or Falmouth.
At the end of the programme, you will have the opportunity to pitch for Market Validation funding of up to £500 to test and validate the viability of your idea.
Who can apply?
The Startup Pre-Incubator programme is open to all students, from all disciplines, and recent graduates (up to 2 years). To join the programme you should be able to:
- Identify why you are interested in exploring an entrepreneurial pathway.
- Articulate an entrepreneurial idea that you want to explore and develop further, or a problem that you actively trying to solve through an entrepreneurial solution.
- Explain what makes your idea different and what impact it could have.
Dates and deadlines:
The next Pre-Incubator programme you can get involved in is the Spring programme, starting in February 2025.
Pre-Incubator sessions run on Wednesday afternoons 3-4.30pm, in-person in Exeter and Penryn.
Applications for the Spring 2025 Pre-Incubator programme will open on Monday 16th December and close on 26th January. Please register your interest here and we will contact you when applications open. Following a successful application, the Spring Pre-Incubator programme will start on Wednesday 5th February and the final session will be 26th March.
Upon completion of the programme, you will have the opportunity to pitch your idea in June or July.
Runs in the Autumn & Spring Term
What is it?
The Startup Incubator programme is the second stage, designed to take you from validation to launch and to support you in building a viable and sustainable business. The 10-week programme covers topics including Go-to-Market Strategy, Branding, Sales, Digital Marketing, Raising Investment and IP & Legal. The programme includes workshops, guest speakers, networking opportunities and access to workspace at The Deck on the Streatham Campus. There will be demo events introducing participants to the wider Business Community in Exeter and Falmouth.
At the end of the programme, you will have opportunity to pitch for Startup funding of up to £1500 to further develop your venture.
Who can apply?
The Startup Incubator programme is open to all students from all disciplines, and recent graduates (up to 2 years out of university). Successful applicants should have completed the Startup Pre-Incubator programme and will be able present a viable and sustainable business idea.
To apply to the programme you should be able to:
- Evidence participation and completion of the Startup Pre-Incubator programme.
- Present a viable business idea and to outline some initial market validation and analysis to evidence the viability of your idea.
- Demonstrate commitment and entrepreneurial ambition.
Dates and deadlines:
The next Incubator programme you can get involved in is our Spring programme, starting in March 2025.
Incubator sessions will run on Friday mornings (10-11.30am) starting on 28th March. Please note that sessions on 28th March, 9th May and 16th May will take place in-person in Exeter. All other sessions will take place online.
Applications for the Spring 2025 Incubator programme will open on 27th January. Please register your interest here and we will contact you when applications open. Following a successful application, the programme will start on Friday 28th March and the final session will be Friday 16th May.
Upon completion of the programme, you will have the opportunity to pitch your idea in June or July.
Interested in the Student Startups programmes but don't have a business idea? Introducing Idea Generation Workshops!
Join us to explore practical, creative ways to generate new start-up ideas and to meet other innovators and change-makers.
Our idea generation workshop is designed to help students explore problems and challenges they are passionate about, and devise an entrepreneurial solution to positively impact the world around them.
- Meet the Student Startups team
- Explore our startup co-working space, The Deck
- Develop a new purpose-driven idea or venture
- Become a change-maker!
New workshop dates coming soon.
Got an early-stage idea and want some advice?
The Student Startups team host weekly drop-in Q&A sessions via Microsoft Teams for students or graduates to pop in and chat with us about their business idea. Anyone can join a drop-in session, regardless of whether you are currently enrolled on a Student Startups programme.
Drop-ins run every Tuesday from 2-3pm. Please contact the Student Startup team to request a link to access the session.
The Student Startup Inspiration Talks are curated to bring together a diverse line-up of entrepreneurs from across different sectors and at different stages in their journey. Each event will centre around a specific theme and we will invite guest speakers to give a brief talk about their startup story and then follow-up with a moderated panel-style discussion around the theme of that talk. There will also be opportunity for you to ask questions and dig deeper into individual stories and it’s a great opportunity to be inspired by a wide range of different founders and ventures.
Who can attend?
Inspiration Talks are open to all in the University of Exeter’s community– students, graduates, staff. You don’t have to be in one of our core programmes to join a talk and it’s a great place to dive in and get a flavour of who we are and what we do.
Upcoming events:
Our next Inspiration Talk will take place on Wednesday 22nd January. Keep an eye on our social media pages for further updates.
What is it?
The Summer Startup Bootcamp is an intensive 3 days, designed to equip you with the skills and resources required to go from idea to launch and to build a viable and sustainable new business’. The Bootcamp takes place in-person, in The Deck on the Streatham Campus and is packed with valuable workshops, activities and opportunities for networking and collaboration.
You will have opportunity to work with other like-minded people, to explore topics such as customer discovery, business models, revenue streams, market validation and pitching skills. You will end the Bootcamp more confident in being able to articulate your start-up idea to others, equipped with new skills and experience and with a clear plan of next steps on your start-up journey.
Who can apply?
The Summer Startup Bootcamp programme is open to all students from all disciplines, and recent graduates (up to 2 years out of university).
To apply to the programme you should be able to:
- Identify why you are interested in exploring an entrepreneurial pathway.
- Articulate an entrepreneurial idea that you want to explore and develop further, or a problem that you actively trying to solve through an entrepreneurial solution.
- Explain what makes your idea different and what impact it could have.
Dates and deadlines:
The next Summer Startup Bootcamp will take place on 28th-30th May 2025.
Additional opportunities
Below are details of other opportunities available to you on your Startup journey, through a range of partners we work with.
The ELEVATE EIBF Engineering & Sciences Pitching Competition is designed to support you in articulating and developing your idea, to enable you to make it happen.
At least £3,000 to £6,000 (the more participants, the higher amount of funding the EIBF provides) in prize money awarded at the local competition level each year!
£16,000 in prizes awarded by Engineers in Business Fellowship (EIBF) at the national Championships each year!
Entry requirements
- Applicants and any team members must be University of Exeter students or have graduated from Exeter within the past 3 years
- Minimum of 1 Engineering, Computing, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Bio Medical student per team
- Demonstrate commitment and entrepreneurial ambition
- Present a business idea/opportunity
- Solo and team applications welcome
Applicants apply, are accepted onto the competition, and work to develop and refine their business ideas. Students are provided with pitch-readiness training. Each applicant (solo or as a team) prepares a 6-minute pitch communicating their idea and how they would use funding to take their ideas forward. Students attend mandatory pitch rehearsals, before pitching their ideas to our panel of entrepreneurial judges.
This competition is funded by the Engineers in Business Fellowship and Sainsbury Management Fellows charity.
To apply to the competition please submit this application form detailing you/your team and the idea you would like to pitch.
Applications close at midnight on Sunday 10 November 2024.
Any questions, please email Amber Strong – EntrepreneurialEngineers@exeter.ac.uk
Enactus is Exeter University’s Social Enterprise society; just one of a larger network of student societies spread across Universities all over the world.
Enactus create projects that tackle global issues such as poverty, waste or homelessness. Enactus Local and International projects see a problem, use entrepreneurial action to find a solution and improve the lives of the individuals and communities that we work with.
Enactus society use The Deck space on a weekly basis and have launched numerous sustainable business projects including Urban Mushroom Co, Biosmart and Altr.d clothing.
Exeter Entrepreneurs is the University of Exeter's society for people that are business minded with an interest in entrepreneurial skills. Events run by the society give you the opportunity to network with top entrepreneurs and employers and develop a startup idea through skills workshops, mentoring, hackathons and pitch events.
Exeter's international Technology Entrepreneurship Bootcamp (TEB) provides an opportunity for innovators and creative thinkers to experience developing & launching a business.
In 5 days you’ll form a team, develop, launch and pitch your start-up to real investors, alongside Exeter’s leading engineers, entrepreneurs and technologists!
Learn from Gigi Wang, UC Berkeley Industry Fellow, the Silicon Valley expert who mentored Uber!
The next TEB will run in Summer 2025.