Student Startup Accelerator
The Student Startup Accelerator is a UK-wide, 8-week programme powered by UNiDAYS built for student entrepreneurs who have an idea and the drive to build it — regardless of where they study, where they're from, or what's in their bank account. We built this because talent is everywhere. Opportunity isn't. In a world where graduate unemployment is rising and the traditional path feels increasingly uncertain, this programme offers something different: real entrepreneurship experience, expert mentorship, and a direct route from idea to investor-ready pitch.
Why this is different
The accelerator is designed around real life. You can be a full-time student, working part-time, or juggling family commitments — the programme flexes around you, not the other way around. Content is self-paced and on demand. Expert mentoring is self-scheduled. The community is global. And the support is real. Mentors and coaches who have built companies, raised funds, and backed founders at every stage. Not theory. Not slides. Lived experience.
Delivered in partnership with Canopy Community
Canopy is a global community for startup founders, entrepreneurs, and innovators — established in 2016 and active across London, Lisbon, Boston, and Bangalore. Listed by the Financial Times as one of the Top European Startup Hubs.
They bring the curriculum, the coaches, and the mentors. A hands-on team of founders and operators who have built companies, raised funds, and backed startups at every stage. Not theory — lived experience.
2026 timeline
There are only 40 spaces available on this programme, delivered through a combination of virtual and in-person events from October through to December 2026.
Meet the top 10 of cohort I
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This is what pitch day looks like
Every cohort ends with a celebration. In cohort I, 10 student founders pitched live at Revolut HQ in front of investors and Simon Squibb, who gave away £18,500 on the day. Thousands watched online. They left with funding and partnerships, then rounded it all off with drinks, pizza, and a proper celebration of everything they'd built.