Virgin StartUp Empower100 Accelerator

Empower100 is a free seven-week accelerator by Virgin Startup, designed to help underrepresented London founders become investment-ready and scale. Funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the programme supports early stage, high-potential businesses with expert guidance, mentoring and connections.

What's included:

Expert-led workshops

Interactive weekly workshops covering growth strategy, sales and marketing, the funding landscape and pitching - delivered by expert facilitators.

One-to-one support and mentoring

Get personalised support on our Community Platform and book calls with 600-plus mentors, advisors and industry experts when you need it.

Investment readiness

Learn to navigate the funding landscape, craft compelling pitches and build confidence.

Community and networks

Be part of a diverse founder cohort. Gain visibility, share experiences, connect through curated networking events and 12-month access to Virgin Startup's online Community Platform.

Inclusive and impact-focused

We prioritise women, ethnic minority and disabled founders. 100-plus founders have been supported to date and more than £5.5m has been raised by alumni.

Apply for the August cohort now: 21 August to 2 October.

Applications close: 11 August 2025.

Eligibility requirements

We've designed our accelerator specifically for women founders, Black, Asian and minority ethnic founders; and founders with a disability.

To apply, you must meet the following criteria:

• Have a UK business based in Greater London
• Been trading for a minimum of 18 months
• Have at least 2 employees
• Have a minimum turnover of £50k per annum
• Have a strong underlying business proposition

We're industry-agnostic, so are looking for ambitious founders from different industries.