Virgin StartUp
Virgin StartUp is a UK not-for-profit, founded in 2013 by Sir Richard Branson, that serves as the British Business Bank's National Business Support Partner for the Start Up Loans scheme and supports UK early-stage founders with loans (£500–£25,000), accelerators (Momentum, Empower100), and a paid community platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Virgin StartUp does
Virgin StartUp is a UK not-for-profit, founded in 2013 by Sir Richard Branson and operating as Virgin Start Up Limited (private limited company, registered in England and Wales), with headquarters at Whitfield Studios, 50A Charlotte Street, London. It is the appointed National Business Support Partner of the British Business Bank's government-backed Start Up Loans scheme, under which it supports UK early-stage founders in applying for unsecured personal loans of £500 to £25,000 per co-founder (up to £100,000 per business) at a fixed 7.5% APR, with no early repayment fees and 12 months of post-funding support.
The organisation's core technology stack is a web-based platform that combines a Start Up Loan application system — routing applicants through online intake, British Business Bank credit check, business plan development, and panel review via assigned Business Advisors — with a separate Virgin StartUp Community membership platform hosted on Mighty Networks, plus dedicated programme tooling for two specialised accelerators: Momentum (for dyslexic and neurodiverse founders, launched 2025) and Empower100 (for Black, Asian and minority ethnic founders, women founders, and founders with a disability in Greater London, launched 2023). Free digital resources include the Playbook video series, three podcast channels (Founder to Founder, Changemakers, The Jump), founder guides, and a Start Up Directory of alumni businesses.
Its revenue mechanics blend government- and grant-backed managed-services income (acting as delivery partner for the British Business Bank, including administration of the £20m latest annual Start Up Loans pot), community subscription income (£20/month or £180/year Premium tier with Lite free), a one-off £50 'How to Build a Business' course, in-person event sponsorship (notably from Virgin Money), and an ecosystem of partner perks (Mailchimp, Sage Accounting, Notion, Virgin Money, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Voyages, Virgin Media O2, Virgin Wines, Fiverr, Dell, x+why). Customer segments are persona-based: the primary segment is UK early-stage founders; secondary segments include underrepresented founders, dyslexic entrepreneurs, and London-based growth-stage founders. The organisation has delivered over £100m in funding to more than 7,000 UK founders, with alumni having raised a combined £100m in follow-on funding.
Virgin StartUp firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Virgin StartUp
- Legal name
- Virgin Start Up Limited
- Website
- https://virginstartup.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Virgin StartUp is a UK not-for-profit, founded in 2013 by Sir Richard Branson, that serves as the British Business Bank's National Business Support Partner for the Start Up Loans scheme and supports UK early-stage founders with loans (£500–£25,000), accelerators (Momentum, Empower100), and a paid community platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Virgin StartUp industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Startup Funding and Founder Support Services
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- SIC
- Loan Brokers (6163), Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)
Keywords
Where Virgin StartUp is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Virgin StartUp business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Start Up Loans Administration: As a not-for-profit organization, Virgin StartUp does not generate revenue from loans directly. The organization acts as a National Business Support Partner for the British Business Bank's Start Up Loans scheme, providing application support, business advisory, and post-funding support services. The British Business Bank administers the actual loan funding.
- Community Membership Subscriptions: Virgin StartUp Community Lite is free. Premium Community membership at £20/month or £180/year provides access to 1:1 advisor calls, mentor office hours, peer groups, competitions, and exclusive events. Additional 'How to Build a Business Course' available as one-off £50 payment.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Start Up Loans - £500 to £25,000 per founder |
| Freemium | Monthly | Community Lite - Free membership |
| Subscription | Monthly | Community Premium - £20/month or £180/year |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | How to Build a Business Course - £50 one-off |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Virgin StartUp product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Virgin StartUp is a UK not-for-profit organisation that helps early-stage entrepreneurs start and grow businesses through government-backed Start Up Loans (£500–£25,000 per co-founder, 7.5% fixed APR), free accelerator programmes for underrepresented founders, a digital founder community with tiered membership, in-person events, and partner-backed perks. As a National Business Support Partner of the British Business Bank, it provides application support, business advisory, and post-funding mentorship rather than funding the loans directly.
Product overview
Virgin StartUp is a not-for-profit organisation founded in 2013 by Sir Richard Branson to support UK entrepreneurs. The company operates a multi-product ecosystem for startup founders: the core offering is the Start Up Loans programme (providing £500-£25,000 unsecured personal loans at 7.5% fixed interest via the government-backed Start Up Loans scheme administered by the British Business Bank); supplemented by two accelerator programmes (Momentum for dyslexic founders and Empower100 for underrepresented founders in London); the Virgin StartUp Community digital membership platform (with Lite, premium, and course tiers); the Tools and Resources hub (videos, podcasts, guides); Changemaker Series events; the Start Up Directory; and Founder Perks partner discounts. The offering integrates funding, mentorship, community, education, and networking to support founders from idea stage through growth.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Start Up Loans Government-backed unsecured personal loans for business purposes, ranging from £500 to £25,000 per co-founder (up to £100,000 per business). Loans carry a fixed 7.5% annual interest rate with repayment terms of 1-5 years, no early repayment fees, and include 12 months of post-funding support through partner organisations.
- Momentum Accelerator Programme A free 8-week accelerator programme for early-stage dyslexic founders in the UK designed to help founders harness their dyslexic thinking strengths (problem solving, big-picture thinking, creativity) through expert-led evening workshops, 1:1 neuroinclusive mentoring, and peer community support.
- Empower100 Accelerator A free 8-week investment-readiness accelerator for Black, Asian and minority ethnic founders, women founders, and founders with a disability in Greater London. The programme prepares founders for fundraising through workshops on growth strategy, brand building, sales, marketing, leadership, financial planning, funding landscape, and pitching.
- Virgin StartUp Community A digital membership platform offering UK founders connection, resources, and expert advice with tiered membership: Community Lite (free with digital resources, live events, partner offers) and Community Premium (£20/month with 1-2-1 advisor calls, mentor office hours, Power Hours, peer groups, competitions).
- How to Build a Business Course A one-off £50 course providing 12 topics of on-demand video content covering everything needed to start and scale a business, with downloadable tools and templates. Available as a standalone purchase or included in the premium Community membership.
- Tools and Resources Free digital resources for founders including the Playbook video series featuring founder interviews on startup topics, podcasts (Founder to Founder, Changemakers, The Jump), and founder guides covering product development, budgeting, marketing, team building, finance, purpose-driven business, wellbeing, and branding.
- Changemaker Series Events Monthly in-person fireside chat events held at Virgin HQ in Central London featuring successful founders. Events include Q&A sessions and networking. Past speakers include founders of NEOM, Wild, Too Good To Go, Joe Wicks, Simon Squibb, and Holly Branson. Free to attend for community members.
- Start Up Directory A curated online directory showcasing businesses funded and supported by Virgin StartUp across categories including food and drink, technology, fashion, beauty, hospitality, and social enterprise. Allows browsing by category or keyword search to discover founders, products, and services.
- Founder Perks Exclusive partner offers and discounts for Virgin StartUp community members, including Mailchimp (20% off marketing tools), Sage Accounting (3 months free), Virgin Money (free business banking), Notion (6 months free), Virgin Wines, Virgin Media O2 (6 months half price broadband), and x+why (20% off workspace).
Quantifiable outcome
- £100 million+ in funding delivered to small businesses
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Virgin StartUp
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Virgin StartUp technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability1 record
Feature3 records
Virgin StartUp partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- British Business BankcoreVirgin StartUp has been appointed as a National Business Support Partner of the British Business Bank's Start Up Loans scheme. The British Business Bank administers the Start Up Loans programme and Virgin StartUp provides application support, business advisory, and post-funding support services. This is a government-backed scheme supporting UK entrepreneurs.
- MailchimpminorMarketing automation partner offering Virgin StartUp founders 20% off Mailchimp marketing tools to help them move faster and market smarter.
- Sage AccountingminorAccounting software partner offering Virgin StartUp founders 3 months free access to Sage Accounting, with AI-powered tools for invoicing, payroll, and compliance.
- NotionminorProductivity workspace partner offering Virgin StartUp founders 6 months free Notion for Business plus Unlimited AI (worth up to $12,000).
- Virgin MoneyflagshipVirgin Money is a key sponsor of Virgin StartUp events including the Changemaker Series. Offers free business banking to Virgin StartUp founders. Collaboration built on shared ambition to help entrepreneurs thrive.
- Virgin AtlanticminorVirgin Group company providing partnership offers and benefits to Virgin StartUp founder community.
- Virgin VoyagesminorVirgin Group company providing partnership offers and benefits to Virgin StartUp founder community.
- Virgin Media O2minorTelecommunications partner offering 6 months half price on Virgin Media Business broadband and O2 SIM deals for founders.
- Virgin WinesminorVirgin Wines partner offering founders 3 bottles of wine for just £12 (save up to 69%) with free delivery and money-back guarantee.
- FiverrminorFreelance platform partner providing benefits and offers to Virgin StartUp founder community. Previously collaborated on Female Founders competition.
- x+whyminorFlexible workspace provider offering Virgin StartUp founders 20% off on meeting rooms, events space, and office memberships. Impact-driven workspace community.
- MBDminorPartner supporting the Momentum programme for dyslexic founders.
- UnituminorPartner supporting the Momentum programme for dyslexic founders.
- Virgin UniteminorVirgin Group charity providing mentoring platform and connecting Virgin StartUp founders with Richard Branson and business leaders (e.g., Necker Island experiences).
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Virgin StartUp competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Founders Factory: London-headquartered startup accelerator and venture studio that supports early-stage founders with capital, mentorship, and corporate partnerships. Closely comparable as a UK-based operator offering accelerator programmes plus corporate partner perks, although Founders Factory typically takes equity rather than providing government-backed loans.
- Antler: Global early-stage VC and accelerator with a strong UK presence that supports founders from idea stage through pre-seed funding with mentorship and community. Comparable in targeting aspiring UK founders with structured programmes and mentorship, but takes equity versus Virgin StartUp's loan model.
- Bethnal Green Ventures: UK-based accelerator backing early-stage tech-for-good startups with pre-seed investment and intensive mentorship. Closely comparable in mission-led, equity-light support for under-represented and impact-driven founders in the UK.
- Wayra: Telefónica's corporate-backed startup accelerator with active UK operations, providing funding, mentorship, and access to corporate customers. Comparable in being a corporate-affiliated accelerator offering programmes, partnerships, and ecosystem support to early-stage UK founders.
Broad incumbents
- Techstars: Global accelerator operator with UK programmes providing mentorship-driven cohorts to early-stage founders. Comparable as a structured accelerator platform with a UK footprint, but operates on equity investment versus Virgin StartUp's government-backed, non-dilutive loan model.
- Seedrs: UK equity crowdfunding platform enabling early-stage founders to raise capital from a large retail and professional investor base. Comparable in addressing the early-stage UK funding gap that Virgin StartUp also serves, but through equity crowdfunding rather than government-backed loans.
- Crowdcube: Established UK equity crowdfunding platform serving early-stage and growth-stage UK founders with community-driven capital raises. Comparable as a UK-based alternative capital provider for the same Virgin StartUp founder audience, but via dilutive equity rather than non-dilutive loans.
Emerging players
- Plexal: London-based innovation hub and startup support organisation offering workspace, accelerator programmes, and corporate innovation partnerships. Comparable as a UK operator aggregating founders, mentors, and corporate partners into a single support ecosystem.
- SeedLegals: UK startup legal and fundraising platform serving early-stage founders with incorporation, SEIS/EIS, and equity round management. Comparable as a UK-focused, mission-aligned enabler of early-stage founder workflows, though more transactional than Virgin StartUp's high-touch advisory model.
Others
- Virgin Money: UK retail and business bank and key Virgin StartUp event sponsor offering free business banking to founders. Comparable as a UK financial services provider within the Virgin ecosystem and a key commercial partner supporting Virgin StartUp's founder value proposition.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Virgin StartUp social profiles
Digital presenceVirgin StartUp financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Virgin StartUp leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Virgin StartUp funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Virgin StartUp M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments4 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Virgin StartUp
What does Virgin StartUp do?
Virgin StartUp is a UK not-for-profit organisation that helps early-stage entrepreneurs start and grow businesses through government-backed Start Up Loans (£500–£25,000 per co-founder, 7.5% fixed APR), free accelerator programmes for underrepresented founders, a digital founder community with tiered membership, in-person events, and partner-backed perks. As a National Business Support Partner of the British Business Bank, it provides application support, business advisory, and post-funding mentorship rather than funding the loans directly.
Is Virgin StartUp a public or private company?
Virgin StartUp is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Virgin StartUp founded?
Virgin StartUp was founded in 2013. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Virgin StartUp based?
Virgin StartUp is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Virgin StartUp make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Start Up Loans Administration is the primary driver. The others are community Membership Subscriptions.
Who are Virgin StartUp's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Founders Factory, Antler, Bethnal Green Ventures and Wayra. Broad incumbents are Techstars, Seedrs and Crowdcube. Emerging players are Plexal and SeedLegals. Virgin Money is listed as an others.
Does Virgin StartUp have an API?
No public API is recorded for Virgin StartUp.
What industry is Virgin StartUp in?
Virgin StartUp's product category is Startup Funding and Founder Support Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAHAD, Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs, with a secondary code of FSAKAGAI, SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans. Its NAICS code is 813410 and its SIC code is 6163.