Creative Business Accelerator: The Demo Day

The Careers and Employability team at UAL is dedicated to empowering the students and graduates to pursue their passions and make a living doing what they love. This has been highlighted in a recent Times Higher Education article which states that students at the University of the Arts London (UAL) created 431 start-ups in 2021-22 – three times more than in 2020-21, and more than any other institution. Programmes like the The Creative Business Accelerator equip students with the essential tools needed to develop a sustainable and thriving creative business while also establishing professional connections. This support helps foster their innate entrepreneurial spirit.

The 2022 Creative Business Accelerator programme has successfully culminated with a remarkable Demo Day celebration on 27 April 2023 held at The Trampery. The event was a grand spectacle that left the attendees in awe and wonder, and it showcased how this programme can provide the perfect foundation for businesses to succeed. The celebration also served as an excellent platform for the businesses that were a part of the 2022 cohort to share their progress and success stories.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise), David Mba, commented,

“Two weeks ago, we received fantastic news from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, which produces annual reports on start-ups, particularly in the tech sector, and graduate start-ups across the nation. It turns out that we were ranked number one in the country for graduate start-ups and businesses. This achievement can be attributed to our team and all of you who contributed to our success.”

The event kicked off with a warm welcome from Vicky Fabbri, the Enterprise & Events Team Manager, followed by some inspiring words from David Mba, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise). Emma Thatcher, the CBA Programme Manager, then took the stage to introduce and provide updates on each of the 2022 businesses. Throughout the evening, guests had the opportunity to network and gather more information on the businesses' progress and the support provided by the program. 10 businesses had their stands set up, and attendees could explore and interact with them to learn more about their work and accomplishments.

“Being present at this event and having the opportunity to share my story and experiences fills me with excitement! I'm grateful for this chance to expand my knowledge of businesses and their growth. It has been an incredible learning experience.”

– 2022 Co-founder of Reciprocal Space, Yaatzil Ceballos Fernandez

Originally developed by UAL Careers and Employability in partnership with Google for Startups, Creative Business Accelerator is open to all UAL graduates who have been awarded a Bachelor, Masters or PhD degree, and applications can be made up to 5 years after graduation. Over 6 months participants of the programme take part in a series of workshops with industry professionals and peer to peer mentoring to support them in taking their business to the next stage. They also benefit from mentoring from an industry professional.

You can find out more about the application process on the Creative Business Accelerator webpage.