Funding & support

Proof-of-Concept (PoC) can be awarded at any stage of research development.

PoC is usually short, fixed-term funding for 6-9 months to support market research, business model development and pre-commercial evaluation for UCL IP, technologies, or even a critical experiment. 

PoC awards - up to a maximum of £75,000 - are made in a discretionary basis to projects that UCL Ventures is already working with, and are usually recommended by their assigned Business Manager. 

If you have an idea, invention or technology that might have commercial potential, it’s never too early to get in touch with us to explore its potential – we’re here to help.

To help UCL academics develop impact-driven ventures that focus on delivering social benefits, we have a separate Proof of Concept fund, which offers up to £20,000 and includes tailored business and IP support. 

For a no-obligation chat, complete this form and one of our dedicated Social Ventures Business Managers will get in touch with you.

Seed funding is investment offered to an early-stage businesses to help them reach a point where they can prove their business model and investment-worthiness to external venture capital and other funders.

UCL Ventures can make discretionary seed fund awards up to £250,000 for promising for early-stage UCL spinout companies, with which we are already working. These investments are typically made alongside external investors, who will lead the funding round. 

UCL Ventures has worked with external partners and investors setting up a larger Technology Investment Funds which provide more substantial, targeted funding to help establish and grow spinout businesses or licensing projects. 

UCL Technology Fund 1 & 2 raised over £125m from syndicates of external investors. This was then invested into promising technologies and businesses. These investments are managed by leading specialist venture capital management firm, AlbionVC, in collaboration with UCL Ventures. 

These Technology Funds support a range of projects and ventures including:

• Proof of Concept Projects for pre-commercial evaluation for UCL IP
• developmental funding for Therapeutic Licensing to enable UCL teams to complete pre-clinical work, and evaluate promising therapeutics
• and Seed Funding and ‘Series A’ funding for early stage and rapid growth spinout companies. 

Currently our Technology Funds have completed their new investments and are not taking on additional opportunities – but we are hoping to establish further Technology Funds to invest in the next generation of brilliant ideas to help bring them to life, and to market.

Apollo Therapeutics is a global biopharmaceutical company that acquires clinical-stage programmes which fit with their existing drug portfolio. Apollo uses its drug development capabilities to partner with researchers at UCL (and other universities) to advance scientific breakthroughs and create new therapeutics There is a focus on oncology, immunology and rare diseases. 

We can help advise whether this route might be right for you.

UCL’s Translational Research Office specialises in translating UCL’s emerging life sciences research into therapies, techniques and medical products.

Numerous steps are required to take medical research on the journey from pre-clinical to clinical trials, and then to approved use in the clinic. Translational research often focuses on conditions where there is an unmet need - that is, medical conditions where there is currently no adequate diagnosis, treatment or prevention method. 

The office supports this process and helps ensure that when the clinical trial stage is reached, a therapy has the highest chance of demonstrating safety and efficacy. 

UCL Ventures sits within UCL’s Innovation & Enterprise team. They work across the university with both students and staff to support a wide range of commercialisation activities – from partnerships with external organisations, to consultancy, training, and access to innovation and translation funding.

Your Business Manager will be able to advise on the processes for each grant. They can also share which are - or are not - suitable for you and your research.

Find out who your Business Manager - the commercialisation expert who knows your field of research - is here.

Earlier than you might expect...

If you believe your research has commercial potential, it’s worth starting the conversation early. We can help you explore funding options, shape your proposition and avoid common pitfalls - even before you’re actively seeking investment.

Part of our role is to help you understand what different funding options are designed for, what they can and can’t do, and whether they genuinely fit your idea and goals at this stage. Chat to our team of experts to learn more.