Conception X
Conception X is a London-based not-for-profit venture builder founded in 2018 that runs the Venture Scientist 100 fellowship and Raise investment-readiness programme to help European PhD researchers commercialise deep tech research into startups without taking equity.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Conception X does
Conception X is a not-for-profit venture-building platform founded in 2018 and headquartered in London that commercialises deep tech research by turning European PhD researchers into founders. It operates two core programmes: Venture Scientist 100 (VS100), a selective 9-month part-time fellowship admitting approximately 100 PhD founders per cohort and delivering 18 expert-led co-building sessions covering customer discovery, business model design, IP strategy, hardware prototyping, team building and fundraising; and Raise, a 10-week investment readiness track for science teams preparing to raise pre-seed or seed capital. Both programmes are provided at no cost to participants and the organisation explicitly takes no equity in the companies it helps create.
The platform is anchored on a curated ecosystem of 1,500+ science founders, investors, mentors and industry decision-makers, supported by formal partnerships with leading European universities (UCL, Oxford, Cambridge, Manchester, Imperial, plus 15+ Irish institutions) and an Industry Advisory Board that includes NVIDIA, AstraZeneca, GSK, Unilever, EDF Energy, XTX Markets, Barclays, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Schott and IBM. Capital deployment for portfolio companies is facilitated through the Conception X Angel Syndicate and a strategic partnership with XTX Ventures, offering up to £300k in equity investment for top-performing teams at Demo Days attended by 200+ deeptech investors. Legal infrastructure is provided by Orrick. Since inception the organisation reports 700+ founders launched, 205 startups created, a combined portfolio valuation exceeding £1B, and three exits: Rahko (acquired by Odyssey Therapeutics in 2022), Kapacity (acquired by EnergyHub in 2024) and Humanloop (team acquired by Anthropic in 2025).
The business model is non-revenue-generating: programmes are free, no equity is taken, and the source material does not disclose programme funding sources beyond implied corporate partnerships. The go-to-market is community-led (university scouting, peer community) and event-driven (annual Demo Days, Slush and industry conference presence). With a lean 1-10 person team, Conception X functions as a capital-light platform intermediary whose economic value is captured indirectly through portfolio company outcomes rather than through direct monetisation of its services.
Conception X firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Conception X
- Legal name
- Conception X Limited
- Website
- https://conceptionx.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Conception X is a London-based not-for-profit venture builder founded in 2018 that runs the Venture Scientist 100 fellowship and Raise investment-readiness programme to help European PhD researchers commercialise deep tech research into startups without taking equity.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Conception X industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Builder / Startup Accelerator
- NAICS
- Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Venture Studios / Company Builders (FSANAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM), Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed) (FSANAAAA)
Keywords
Where Conception X is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Conception X business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Non-revenue generating (Not-for-profit): Conception X is explicitly stated as a not-for-profit organisation. The flagship VS100 programme is free for researchers and no equity is taken in the companies created. Raise is also free. Investment opportunities through the Angel Syndicate and XTX Ventures are separate from programme participation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Venture Scientist 100 - Free merit-based fellowship |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Conception X product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Conception X runs a 9-month part-time venture-building fellowship (Venture Scientist 100) for approximately 100 PhD researchers annually and a 10-week investment readiness programme (Raise) for incorporated science teams. The organisation provides structured co-building sessions, 1:1 coaching, legal support via Orrick, investor introductions to a network of 700+ investors, and Demo Day pitching opportunities, all free of charge with no equity taken.
Product overview
Conception X is a not-for-profit venture-building platform that operates two core programmes for PhD researchers: Venture Scientist 100 (a 9-month fellowship) and Raise (a 10-week investment readiness track). The platform provides access to a curated ecosystem network of 1,500+ science founders, investors, and industry experts, an Industry Advisory Board featuring partners like NVIDIA, AstraZeneca, and IBM, and investment pathways through the Conception X Angel Syndicate and XTX Ventures partnership offering up to £300k. The company has helped launch 205 startups valued at over £1 billion, with 3 exits including acquisitions by EnergyHub and Odyssey Therapeutics, and team acquisitions by Anthropic.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Venture Scientist 100 Selective 9-month part-time venture-building fellowship for approximately 100 PhD founders annually, designed to run alongside PhD research. Includes 18 active co-building sessions, investment and expert coaching for top teams, 1:1 coaching, access to Europe's largest peer community of science founders, and integration with the PhD timeline. Free of charge with no equity taken.
- Raise 10-week investment readiness programme for incorporated science teams preparing to raise pre-seed or seed funding. Includes personalized coaching, narrative and pitch development, fundraising strategy, direct access to a 700+ investor network, optional co-building sessions, legal support through partner Orrick, and the opportunity to pitch for up to £300k in equity investment from the Conception X Angel Syndicate and XTX Ventures at Demo Day.
Companies that use Conception X
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Conception X technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability12 records
Conception X partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- OrrickcoreTop-tier legal expertise partner providing support to programme participants on term sheets, fundraise structure, and IP guidance. Orrick has a proven track record advising innovative companies across Silicon Valley and Europe's tech ecosystem.
- University College London (UCL)coreKey academic partner with Professor David Barber serving on the Academic Advisory Board. Multiple founders from UCL have gone through the programme including Rahko (CX18) and TurinTech (CX19).
- University of OxfordcoreKey academic partner with Professor Ramana Nanda (Entrepreneurial Finance) on Academic Advisory Board. Notable alumni include Infinitopes (CX20, £27M raised) and GambitBio (CX23).
- University of CambridgecoreAcademic partner with Pam Garside (Partner at NewHealth & Fellow of Judge Business School) on Academic Advisory Board. Alumni include Nanomation (CX22) and ReactWise (CX24).
- University of ManchestercoreAcademic partner with Professors Aline Miller and Chris Taylor on Academic Advisory Board. Alumni include ARDHANN (CX25) and NeuWave (CX23).
- Imperial College LondoncoreAcademic partner with Professor Ramana Nanda on Academic Advisory Board. Alumni include Radiant Science (CX22/CX24).
- NVIDIAminorIndustry Advisory Board member providing access to industry decision-makers and potential investment or partnership opportunities for portfolio companies.
- AstraZenecaminorIndustry Advisory Board member with multiple representatives (Dr. Graham Clarke, Ryan Bate). Provides access to pharma/biotech expertise and potential commercial partnerships.
- GlaxoSmithKlineminorIndustry Advisory Board member (Dr. Uche Agwo, Director of Academic Liaison) providing biotech/pharma industry perspective and potential partnerships.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Conception X competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Antler: Global venture builder/accelerator running cohort-based programmes to help early-stage founders build companies. While broader than deep tech, Antler competes for technical talent and operates similar fellowship-style programmes with investor demo days.
- Deep Science Ventures: UK-based venture builder creating science-led startups across similar deeptech domains. Closest comparable to Conception X, also focuses on training scientists to become founders and operates cohort-based programmes with university and corporate partnerships.
- Entrepreneur First: Global venture builder specifically targeting technical talent (often PhDs and researchers) to form companies from scratch. Operates similar cohort-based programmes with a focus on first-time technical founders, comparable to Conception X's VS100 model.
- Creative Destruction Lab: Global deep tech accelerator providing objectives-based mentoring for science and technology founders. Operates similar cohort structures and supports ventures from lab to market, with strong university and industry partnerships comparable to Conception X.
Regional players
- SETsquared Partnership: UK university business incubator partnership supporting deep tech and science founders from member universities. Provides similar incubation infrastructure, mentoring, and investor access for academic spinouts.
- Pioneer Group: UK-focused deep tech accelerator and venture builder with programmes supporting science founders. Comparable mission of supporting deeptech ventures from universities with similar fellowship-style programming.
Others
- Octopus Ventures (Deep Tech): UK-based venture firm with significant deep tech investment activity and ecosystem programmes supporting science founders. While primarily an investor rather than builder, operates similar ecosystem-building activities and participates in Conception X-style demo days.
Broad incumbents
- Techstars: Established global accelerator network with multiple deep tech-focused programmes. Provides cohort-based mentoring, investor access, and demo days similar to Conception X's model, though operates as a for-profit entity taking equity.
- SOSV: Multi-stage venture fund operating multiple vertical-specific accelerator programmes (HAX for hardware, IndieBio for biotech) similar to Conception X's deep tech specialization. Competes for science founder talent and provides comparable demo day investor access.
- Y Combinator: Premier global accelerator with significant deep tech portfolio including AI and biotech companies. Operates a more capital-intensive model with equity participation, but competes for early-stage technical founder mindshare and provides comparable investor demo day access.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Conception X social profiles
Digital presenceConception X financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Conception X leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Conception X funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Conception X 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 Conception X
What does Conception X do?
Conception X runs a 9-month part-time venture-building fellowship (Venture Scientist 100) for approximately 100 PhD researchers annually and a 10-week investment readiness programme (Raise) for incorporated science teams. The organisation provides structured co-building sessions, 1:1 coaching, legal support via Orrick, investor introductions to a network of 700+ investors, and Demo Day pitching opportunities, all free of charge with no equity taken.
Is Conception X a public or private company?
Conception X is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Conception X founded?
Conception X was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Conception X based?
Conception X is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Conception X make money?
One revenue line is on record: non-revenue generating (Not-for-profit).
Who are Conception X's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Antler, Deep Science Ventures, Entrepreneur First and Creative Destruction Lab. Regional players are SETsquared Partnership and Pioneer Group. Octopus Ventures (Deep Tech) is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Techstars, SOSV and Y Combinator.
Does Conception X have an API?
No public API is recorded for Conception X.
What industry is Conception X in?
Conception X's product category is Venture Builder / Startup Accelerator. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAH, Venture Studios / Company Builders, with a secondary code of FSANAAAM, Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated). Its NAICS code is 54169 and its SIC code is 8742.