I wanted to reach out to let you know that applications are now open for Conception X 2026, and we’re hosting an online Discovery Session on 30 October for PhD students, postdocs and early-career researchers interested in commercialising their research.
We’ve been following the impressive work emerging from your institution and are excited to reconnect again this year. As part of our ongoing effort to map the UK’s top STEM research hubs, your university stood out, and we’re now inviting your researchers to apply to Conception X from today. Applications close on 16 December 2025.
Since 2018, we’ve supported over 600 researchers at various stages in building deeptech companies from their discoveries. Participants join us from across the spectrum, from those just beginning to explore commercialisation to founders already building ventures and ready to move fast.
As a not-for-profit, we take no equity in the companies we support, and the programme is entirely free for researchers.
Many talented academic founders discover us through university newsletters and social media, so your help spreading the word would be invaluable. You’ll find key benefits listed below, but we’ve also made it easy with ready-to-use copy and visuals in our recruitment pack to help you spread the word.
Participants can expect:
- Part-time, flexible entrepreneurship training designed for scientists and engineers
- Access to Europe’s largest community of academic founders
- Top mentorship, coaching and direct access to industry decision-makers – our Industry Advisory Board includes NVIDIA, Unilever, AstraZeneca, Coca-Cola Europacific Ventures, EDF Energy and others
- No cost to scientists & no equity taken – we’re a not-for-profit
- Free legal advice and support from our partner Orrick
- A chance to be considered for up to £250k/ €350k in founder-friendly investment through the Conception X Angel Syndicate and our partner XTX Ventures
- Join as individual founders or teams of researchers
Interested students can join a Discovery Session to learn more, or can apply via the Conception X website when ready. Deadline: 16 December 2025.
We’re recruiting researchers from all scientific and engineering backgrounds, but I wanted to highlight three specialised opportunities we’re launching with select partners this year:
- In collaboration with the Henry Royce Institute, we’re offering 10 spots to PhD researchers working on materials technology challenges for hydrogen production, distribution, end use or sensing. Successful teams will benefit from the guidance of hydrogen industry experts and technical advisors, and could get the exclusive opportunity to pitch to the Royce Hydrogen Accelerator network of Industry Partners and Investors for additional investment and scale-up support.
- The Grantham Foundation is sponsoring 7 researchers developing technologies that reduce reliance on toxic chemicals in agriculture (e.g. biopesticides or RNAi/gene silencing), non-toxic alternatives to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and methods for removing toxins from the human body.
- We are also collaborating with TUM Venture Lab, BioInnovation Institute Quantum Lab, Quantum Launchpad, Quantum Delta NL and IX Campus to ease the path for quantum researchers to build startups – sharing resources, connections, mentors and support.