Routes to social impact
If your research is driven by a social mission, we can help you create a Social Venture or licensing project.
What is a social venture?
A Social Venture is an impact‑led company or project where delivering measurable social or environmental benefit comes first. Income is generated to sustain the work and scale that benefit to underserved communities or the wider population.
You may have heard of social enterprises, which are closely related - Social Ventures share the same purpose‑driven ambition, but operate with greater flexibility in how they grow and attract investment.
When is a Social Venture suitable?
Your research is grounded in social impact
If you want to commercialise an idea or research grounded in social or community impact, a Social Venture company or licensing project could be for you.
The idea is based on UCL intellectual property
This normally means you are a member of staff at UCL.
You want to start a charity
Social Ventures are for‑profit, financially-sustainable ventures. You still need a viable revenue model to operate, deliver and grow your venture and its impact.
If you are interested in Knowledge Exchange
This route is not designed for consultancy, policy engagement or other knowledge exchange activity.
10
active Social Ventures
£5m
granted in funding
19
departments represented
2
dedicated experts
Our active Social Ventures
Impact-driven companies currently in operation, supported by UCL Ventures
Social Ventures
TrimTots: fun family workshops enabling healthier lifestyle choices
Educating families with proven methods to reduce childhood obesity.
Social Ventures
ReadClear: restoring reading for those with visual impairment
An accessible digital tool designed to help people with neurological visual impairments read more confidently.
Social Ventures
Mapping for Change: research-led change for communities
Empowering communities to have their voices heard.
The right route and structure for you
Depending on what you are building, you might deliver impact through a spinout, a license, or a hybrid approach - there is no single model for impact.
Licensing | Social Venture Company | |
| Definition | Granting a suitable partner the rights to use your research in their business or organisation | Creating a company that licenses your research / invention Multiple options for company structure at incorporation, which all ensure your specific mission is protected |
| Benefits | Often a shorter timeframe to market Lower personal risk More time can be focused on teaching / research | You remain in control of where the research is taken and how it is applied |
| Challenges | You have limited control, beyond the agreement terms Success is based on finding a partner (licensee) | Often a longer timeframe to market Higher risk More time intensive for researcher Usually involves multiple rounds of funding |
| Best suited to | A defined product / software / therapeutic with clear application Where there is existing market or customer demand Researchers who are happy to be less hands-on | Entrepreneurial researchers Ideas that can shape a market or sector Researchers who want to remain closely involved and are able to dedicate time to the process |
| Time line | Quicker to reach market often months instead of years (excl. therapeutics) | Variable timeline - but this depends on the complexity of the research, how an idea develops e.g. measurable impact points, and market need |
Not sure if this is right for you?
Our dedicated team works solely on Social Ventures and are here to advise if this pathway could suit your goals.
Get in touchSpecialist support for Social Ventures
Helping you clarify your impact objective, stress-test the model and review your business plan.
Helping you identify the right early and follow‑on funding, and the support needed to apply (including HEIF support of up to £30,000 for early commercialisation activity such as development and legal costs, and routes such as UKRI or Innovate UK where appropriate).
Helping you apply for UCL Ventures’ £20,000 Proof of Concept fund, specifically for impact-driven Social Ventures – this is a competitive application.
Making introductions that match your venture: impact investors, partners and programmes.
Helping you identify and access impact-focused accelerator programmes.
Supporting you to build a strong founding team. Ventures with multiple contributors often progress further than solo efforts.
Staying involved after launch with hands‑on advice to support growth, including investment readiness and marketing.
If you’re a female founder, we can provide tailored guidance to help address known gaps in funding access and commercialisation experience, including for founders from social sciences, humanities and arts disciplines.
Other pathways and information
Your dedicated team
Social Ventures need the right support to get off the ground - our expert Business Managers can help you
Ana Lemmo Charnalia
Senior Business Manager
Ana managed the Health Social Innovators’ Programme at UCL Ventures, a partnership with THT Social Investments to support early-stage health ventures which received backing from Janssen Healthcare
Innovation and the Cabinet Office’s Social Incubator Fund.
Her current responsibilities within UCL Ventures include commercialising research from the Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts (SHAPE) as well as developing social venture opportunities (for profit, for purpose businesses) arising from UCL’s research base.
Prior to joining UCL Ventures, Ana provided funding and support to social entrepreneurs at UnLtd, the Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs in the UK.
She holds an MBA from Oxford University.
Dr. Christine Madla Angeles
Business Manager
Dr Madla Angeles supports the translation of cutting-edge research into high-impact social ventures. She works across a diverse portfolio spanning women’s health technologies, digital education
platforms, sustainable solutions, and patient-centred innovations originating from world-leading UCL research, driving both commercial success and scalable societal impact.
Christine holds a PhD in Pharmaceutics from the UCL School of Pharmacy, where her research focused on sex differences in oral drug absorption from pharmaceutical formulations.
She is the founder of Sex in Science, an initiative dedicated to addressing the persistent sex and gender gap in healthcare research.
Christine has consulted for leading pharmaceutical companies on the integration of sex as a biological variable in preclinical and clinical trial design, helping to advance more equitable and effective healthcare outcomes.
Common questions
Profit isn’t the primary goal, but it plays an important role because it ensures financial sustainability and enables scaling of impact. A Social Venture is a for-profit entity, with impact at its heart.
Most social ventures need a financially sustainable model to deliver impact and grow over time. We work with you to shape a model that balances purpose and practicality, so your venture can thrive.
Yes! This is the case for most of the academics, clinicians and researchers we work with, and continuing to do so is important to them.
It is important you understand what your role would be in any licensing project or venture - we encourage you to talk to our team about your research and goals to learn more.
Most Social Ventures are team efforts. While you may start with a single idea, building a strong, complementary team significantly improves your likelihood of success.
We can help you put the right structure in place as you progress.
You should expect a similar level of commitment as other commercialisation routes.
What’s different is the purpose driving the venture. It is about balancing academic responsibilities with the practical steps needed to build something sustainable and impactful.
Ready to create impact?
A Social Venture spinout or licensing project could be the right path for you... let's explore it together.
Speak to your Business Manager