The LSE Generate Fellowship is our flagship programme for founders. Through tailored support, expert guidance and a community of ambitious entrepreneurs, we'll help you take the next step in building your venture.

Whether you're exploring an idea or growing an existing business, the Fellowship provides practical support to help you make progress faster.

Applications open four times each year.

What is the Fellowship?

The Fellowship is a structured founder support programme designed to help entrepreneurs develop their ventures and strengthen their entrepreneurial skills.

Each Fellowship cohort brings together a small group of founders who receive:

One-to-one coaching
Peer learning and accountability cohorts
Connections to mentors and experts
Access to the wider LSE entrepreneurial ecosystem
Opportunities to showcase their venture
Equity-free funding for their business

The programme is full online, allowing founders from anywhere in the world to participate.

What does the programme involve?

Over the course of the Fellowship, you will

Meet with an Entrepreneur-in-Residence

Receive personalised support from an experienced entrepreneur who will help you navigate challenges, test ideas, and make strategic decisions.

Learn alongside other founders

Join cohort sessions with fellow entrepreneurs facing similar challenges, creating opportunities for peer learning, problem-solving and support.

Access mentors and experts

Be connected with relevant mentors, advisers and members of the LSE network who can help you move your venture forward.

Build your venture

Use the programme period to focus on validating assumptions, developing your product, finding customers and growing your business.

Showcase your progress

Present your venture at Demo Day, where you'll share your progress, gain feedback and celebrate your achievements.

Access equity-free funding for your business

Each Fellow that completes the programm receives £1,000 (Ideation) or £3,000 (Acceleration) to support the progress of their business.

Which track is right for you?

Ideation Fellowship

Designed for founders who are:

Exploring a problem worth solving
Developing or refining an idea
Conducting customer research
Testing assumptions
Preparing to launch

You don't need a live business yet, but we want to see that you have a deep understanding of your customer, the problem, and are testing your assumptions.

Acceleration Fellowship

Designed for founders who:

Have launched a product or service
Have customers, users or traction
Want support growing their venture
Are working towards commercial sustainability

You should already be actively building and operating your venture.

Fellowship benefits

As a Fellow, you'll receive:

Dedicated one-to-one coaching
Small cohort founder community
Mentors and expert introductions
Publicity and promotion opportunities
Demo Day to showcase your business
Opportunities to connect with investors and partners
Access to the wider LSE Generate network
Cash prizes to support your next stage of growth

Who should apply?

We're looking for founders who:

Are committed to making meaningful progress on their venture
Have identified a genuine problem worth solving
Can demonstrate initiative, resilience and entrepreneurial drive
Are open to feedback and learning
Want to be part of a supportive entrepreneurial community

We welcome ventures from all sectors and industries.

We are particularly excited to support founders creating positive social and environmental impact, including ventures aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Eligibility

To apply, your venture must:

Have at least one founder who is an LSE student, graduate or member of staff
Be a commercial product or service
Be able to participate in the Fellowship programme

Previous applicants and Fellows are very welcome to apply again if you demonstrate progress since their last application.

How to apply

We run four Fellowship application rounds each year. Register your interest here to be notified when applications open.

Step 1: Submit your application

Complete the online application form and tell us about your venture, team, customers and progress so far.

Step 2: Interview

Shortlisted founders will be invited to an interview with members of the LSE Generate team and our Entrepreneurs-in-Residence.

Step 3: Selection

Applications are reviewed based on factors including:

Problem and opportunity
Strength of the solution
Customer insight and validation
Business model
Team
Potential impact
Founder commitment and resilience

Step 4: Join the Fellowship

Successful applicants will be offered a place on the appropriate Fellowship track.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be based in London?

No. Founders can participate from anywhere in the world.

Can I apply as a team?

Yes! At least one founder must have a qualifying connection to LSE. We also welcome solo founders.

Can I apply if I've applied before?

Absolutely. We welcome repeat applications and encourage founders to reapply as their ventures develop, and Ideation Fellows to return as Acceleration Fellows.

Is there a cost to participate?

No, the Fellowship is provided free of charge.

How much time does the Fellowship require?

Between Entrepreneur-in-Residence coaching sessions, cohort sessions, mentoring and other support, the Fellowship takes on average 2 hours a week. We recommend applying when you can actively engage with the support available.

What types of ventures do you support?

We welcome startups from any sector and business model.

Do I need to know if I'm Ideation or Acceleration stage?

No, our assessors will help you decide on the right track for your business in the application process.

Ready to take the next step?

Join a community of ambitious founders building ventures that create value, solve meaningful problems and make an impact.

Applications open four times each year.

If you have any questions, please contact the Generate team at generate@lse.ac.uk.

You can find the full Terms and Conditions for the Fellowship Startup Competitions here.