At Imperial’s Department of Materials, students are encouraged to apply their learning to real-world challenges, including climate change and sustainability. Through initiatives like the Climate Entrepreneurs Club (CEC), students gain hands-on experience in developing ideas and pitching solutions. First-year Materials student Aarna Chugh shares her experience of participating in the Climate Pre-Accelerator programme, organised by the Climate Entrepreneurs Club (CEC), where her team was awarded Runner’s Up in the Ideator stream.
This is Aarna Chugh (aarna.chugh25@imperial.ac.uk), a first-year UG student:
Recently, I participated in the Climate Pre-Accelerator programme, organised by Imperial’s Climate Entrepreneurs Club (CEC). This 8-week programme culminated in a final pitch day, where teams presented their ideas to a panel of judges. I am proud to share that my team was Runner’s Up in the Ideator stream for our company Ventera and its product ICE, a sustainable and cost-efficient cooling system.
Achieving a podium position has motivated us to explore this idea further and potentially develop it in the near future. The programme helped us hone our entrepreneurial skills and showed me that good ideas can start from ground zero. I would encourage anyone interested in entrepreneurship, particularly in climate, to join CEC and take part in the Pre-Accelerator.
Shoutout to my teammate Kavish Khemka from Mechanical Engineering.
The programme was organised by the Climate Entrepreneurs Club (CEC). Materials students Li Zhen Ong and Annabel Tenagne Kassa, both in Year 2, are part of the organising committee.
The Climate Pre-Accelerator is an 8-week programme supporting students in developing climate tech ideas through workshops, mentorship and a final pitch event held at the Royal Institution. The latest cohort concluded in March 2026.