Startup Manufactory

What Startup Manufactory does

Startup Manufactory Limited was a UK-incorporated boutique consulting firm founded in 2013 in London by CEO Matt Kuppers, operating with a 1-10 person team across three service lines: Startup Consulting for founders and seed-stage startups (business model development, financial modelling, product roadmaps, team building, fundraising, and pitch training), Startup Training delivered via experiential workshops for groups of 5-20 participants to universities, accelerators, incubators, and embassies, and Entrepreneurship Ecosystems advisory for government-level organisations covering EU grant applications and policy advice. The firm monetised exclusively through professional services engagements with no disclosed pricing, while supplementing its funnel with free downloadable resources (pitch deck template, financial model, equity dilution calculator, business model/MVP guide) hosted on Google Docs/Sheets.

Over its eleven-year operating life, Startup Manufactory engaged 120+ clients, worked with 500+ startups, partnered with 12 accelerators, advised 10 governmental organisations, and delivered speaking engagements at 80+ conferences across Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia. A defining credential was its Independent Expert status with multiple European Commission Directorates General, advising on Horizon Europe grant applications and entrepreneurship policy, which gave the firm privileged access to EU-funded ecosystem work. Distribution was sales-led and direct, relying on conference speaking circuits, university teaching relationships, and inbound enquiry to its website.

The firm carried no proprietary technology stack, AI/ML capabilities, patents, certifications, or external funding, operating as a founder-led personal services practice. Startup Manufactory was discontinued in 2024, with no successor entity or continuing operations disclosed in available materials.

Name

Startup Manufactory

Legal name

Startup Manufactory Limited

Website

https://startupmanufactory.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Startup Manufactory was a London-based, founder-led boutique consulting firm (2013-2024) that advised seed-stage startups, delivered entrepreneurship training to universities and accelerators, and provided ecosystem development advisory to governments and the European Commission.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

Keywords

• Startup consulting
• Entrepreneurship training
• Business advisory
• Ecosystem development
• Startup mentoring

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Startup Consulting Services: Consulting services for founders and seed-stage startups including business model development, financial modelling, product development roadmaps, team building, route-to-market strategy, fundraising preparation, EU grant proposal development, and pitch training. Revenue is generated through professional service engagements with clients.
2. Startup Training Programs: Customised startup training programs delivered through workshops and experimental training classes to universities, accelerators, incubators, embassies, and public-sector organisations. Training covers business model development, product development, and entrepreneurial skills.
3. Ecosystem Development Consulting: Government-level entrepreneurship ecosystem development services including Horizon Europe grant applications, consortium building, EU project coordination, and policy advisory services. Serves as Independent Experts to European Commission Directorates General.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Startup Manufactory is a London-based consultancy offering startup advisory, customised entrepreneurship training, and government-level ecosystem development services. The firm coaches founders and seed-stage startups on business model development, financial modelling, fundraising, and pitch preparation, while also delivering experiential training programmes to universities, accelerators, and public-sector organisations.

Product overview

Startup Manufactory is a consulting firm offering three interconnected service lines: (1) Startup Consulting for founders and seed-stage startups covering business model development, financial modelling, product roadmaps, team building, fundraising, and pitch training; (2) Startup Training programmes for universities and accelerators delivered through experiential workshops with groups of 5-20 participants; and (3) Entrepreneurship Ecosystems advisory for government organisations covering EU grant applications and ecosystem development. The firm also provides free downloadable startup resources including a Pitch Deck Template, Financial Model, Equity Dilution Calculator, and Business Model/MVP Development materials. All services focus on building startup capacity through practical, interactive methodologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStartup Manufactory serves as Independent Experts to various Directorates General (DGs) of the European Commission, providing advice and opinion on Horizon Europe grant applications and associated entrepreneurial activities. The firm also assists the EC with improvement of existing Union legislation, Programmes, Entrepreneurship policies and Ecosystem development.
• International Partner Organisations NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilt a large network of international partner organisations including universities, research centres, consultancies, and investment firms. The firm collaborates with these organisations across its consulting, training, and ecosystem development engagements.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Mind the Bridge: Mind the Bridge is a global startup consulting firm (founded in Italy, operating in the US and Europe) that advises startups on scaling internationally and supports governments on innovation ecosystem strategy. It is the closest comparable to Startup Manufactory's government-level EU engagement and startup advisory model.
• Strategyzer: Strategyzer provides business model development tools, training, and consulting based on the Business Model Canvas. It serves a similar audience of founders, corporates, and educators with structured entrepreneurship training programs that mirror Startup Manufactory's methodology.
• Board of Innovation: Board of Innovation is a global consulting firm that helps corporates, governments, and ecosystems apply startup methodologies to drive innovation. It offers strategic advisory and training services that directly overlap with Startup Manufactory's consulting and experiential training offerings.
• Startup Genome: Startup Genome is a research and advisory organization that produces global startup ecosystem reports and advises governments on ecosystem development. It directly overlaps with Startup Manufactory's ecosystem advisory work for governmental organisations and policy bodies.
• Seedstars: Seedstars is a Swiss-based company running startup competitions, training programmes, and ecosystem development activities across emerging markets. Its training and ecosystem-building activities are highly comparable to Startup Manufactory's accelerator and government-facing offerings.

Regional players

• EIT Digital: EIT Digital is a European digital innovation organisation that runs accelerator programmes, masters programmes, and training for European startups. Its EU-focused startup training and ecosystem work is comparable to Startup Manufactory's European Commission and training engagements, though its primary geography is continental Europe.

Others

• Catapult Network: The Catapult Network is a UK government-backed network of technology and innovation centres that supports startup and ecosystem development in specific technology verticals. It overlaps with Startup Manufactory's government-adjacent innovation and ecosystem advisory work in the UK.
• Nesta: Nesta is a UK innovation foundation that conducts research and supports innovation ecosystems, with deep overlap in UK-based policy advisory for startups and ecosystem development. It is an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Techstars is one of the world's largest global accelerator networks. While it operates accelerators directly rather than as a consulting firm, its programming for founders and ecosystem development overlaps with Startup Manufactory's accelerator-adjacent training and consulting services.
• Impact Hub: Impact Hub is a global network of impact-focused coworking and innovation communities that delivers startup support programmes and ecosystem development. It offers overlapping entrepreneur training and ecosystem development services at a much larger global scale.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInch.linkedin.com/company/startup-manufactory

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Startup Manufactory