Leicester Startups

What Leicester Startups does

Leicester Startups is a Community Interest Company (CIC) registered in England and Wales (company number 12210658) that provides community, mentorship, and workspace services to existing and aspiring entrepreneurs in Leicester and Leicestershire. Operated as a non-profit with a 'give first' ethos under founder Ben Ravilious, the organization runs a bundled offering that includes coworking days at partner venues, regular networking events and workshops (including the B I G Networking Breakfast series and annual Leicester Startup Week), mentor/expert/investor introductions via the Warmer Network platform, a book library, members-only WhatsApp groups, and a podcast. Primary customer segments are early-stage startup founders and a secondary cohort of students and unwaged individuals offered a 50% membership discount.

The business model relies on recurring monthly membership fees starting at £9+VAT per month, supplemented by sponsorship from institutional partners including The British Business Bank and The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity for 2025. Distribution is regional, delivered through physical workspace locations (Phoenix Yard Coworking and the new incubator at Workspace 10 in Canopy), multi-channel content marketing (website, weekly newsletter, social, podcast), and channel partnerships with the University of Leicester, Loughborough University, DMU, Business Gateway/Growth Hub, and Leicester City Council LCB Depot. There is no proprietary technology layer; the platform and service stack is community-oriented rather than AI- or software-driven, and revenue is not disclosed.

Name

Leicester Startups

Legal name

Leicester Startups CIC

Website

https://leicesterstartups.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Leicester Startups is a non-profit Community Interest Company providing community, mentorship, coworking, and events for early-stage entrepreneurs in Leicester and Leicestershire, funded by membership fees and institutional sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Community and Entrepreneurship Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAMAHAA

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Entrepreneurship & Business Enrichment

SECONDARYEDAMAHAC

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Entrepreneurship & Business Enrichment

Keywords

• Startup community
• Entrepreneurship support
• Startup mentorship
• Coworking space
• Startup incubator

Headquarters

HQ city

Leicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Monthly membership fees of £9+VAT provide access to coworking days, members-only chat groups, mentorship connections, workshops, library access, and promotional shout-outs. They are a non-profit organization with all proceeds going towards helping local startup founders.
2. Sponsorship: The organization receives sponsorship from partners including The British Business Bank and The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity for 2025 activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Leicester Startups is a Community Interest Company that organises and promotes mentoring, talks, advice, collaboration and workspace offerings for existing and aspiring entrepreneurs in the Leicester and Leicestershire region. It sells a recurring monthly community membership (£9+VAT/month) that bundles coworking days, members-only WhatsApp groups, mentor/expert/investor introductions via the Warmer Network platform, workshops and talks, a book library, promotional shout-outs, and representation for startup lobbying. It also runs a Startup Accelerator incubator program and supports an annual Leicester Startup Week celebration.

Product overview

Leicester Startups is a community interest company (CIC) serving as a nonprofit accelerator and support network for early-stage entrepreneurs in Leicester and Leicestershire. The organization operates on a 'give first' ethos and provides a bundled offering of community membership, workspace access, mentorship networking, events, and educational resources to help innovative, scalable startups at any stage. The core offering consists of coworking days, networking events (including the B.I.G Networking Breakfast series), mentor introductions via the Warmer Network platform, workshops and talks, a book library, and an accelerator incubator program. Membership starts from £9+VAT/month with 50% student/unwaged discount available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Membership
• Coworking Days
• Startup Accelerator / Incubator Program
• Networking and Educational Events
• Mentors, Experts and Investors Network (via Warmer Network)
• Leicester Startups Podcast
• Startup Book and Content Library

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• PredictivaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlum of the first Leicester Startups Accelerator. Builds AI models for financial analysis and autonomous trading. An active member of the startup community.
• Business Gateway / Growth HubcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGovernment-funded business support service providing direct business coaching, workshops, and signposting to other means of help for startups and SMEs.
• University of Leicester Services for BusinesscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorks closely with industry and start-ups to accelerate innovation through free or subsidised support. Connects startups with university expertise, equipment, and facilities.
• Leicester City Council – LCB DepotcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeicester's creative hub since 2004 offering workspaces, studios, and meeting rooms for creatives, artists, and designer-makers. Hosts networking events and leads creative initiatives.
• Commercial Lodge No. 1391minorOthersA masonic lodge that has thrived for 150 years, providing company directors and business owners a unique environment to practice their masonry. Welcomes members of all ages, races, religions, cultures, and backgrounds.
• Naked AccountingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCloud-based accounting and advisory firm using Xero - Xero Certified Chartered Accountants with offices in Leicester's West End. Provides accounting services to startups.
• Mission ShakthiSATminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpace mission partner ordering FIRSTCAM camera kits from Meridian Space Command startup associated with Leicester Startups community member Sam Richards.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Enterprise Nation: UK-wide community and support network for small business owners and entrepreneurs, offering events, mentoring, content, and policy advocacy — directly comparable to Leicester Startups in mission, structure (community-led, non-profit-leaning), and member offerings.
• Startup Grind: Global startup community with local chapters running events, mentorship, and networking for founders — the closest structural analogue to Leicester Startups' chapter-based community, event programming, and 'give first' ethos.
• Founders Forum: UK-based private membership community for tech founders and senior executives, providing networking events, dinners, and curated connections — analogous in offering peer-to-peer founder introductions and an exclusive community layer.
• Barclays Eagle Labs: Bank-backed network of physical startup hubs across the UK offering coworking, events, and mentorship — directly comparable to Leicester Startups' coworking-plus-community-plus-events model, with overlapping customer base of early-stage UK founders.
• Startup Coalition: UK-based network (formerly Tech Nation's startup programmes) that advocates for and supports early-stage tech founders through community, events, and policy work — comparable in its UK founder-community positioning and public-affairs remit.
• Hatch Enterprise: UK non-profit supporting early-stage and under-represented founders through incubator programmes, mentorship, and community — directly comparable in mission (community-interest / non-profit), structure, and target founder segment.

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Global accelerator operating structured mentorship-driven cohorts for early-stage startups — comparable accelerator programming to Leicester Startups' Startup Accelerator, but with vastly greater capital, network, and follow-on funding capacity.
• Seedcamp: London-based early-stage fund and accelerator running cohort programmes with mentorship and pre-seed investment — comparable accelerator structure targeting UK and European founders, but at meaningfully higher funding scale and brand.
• The Prince's Trust: Large UK charity supporting young people into enterprise through mentoring, training, and micro-grants — overlaps with Leicester Startups in the entrepreneurship-support and youth/skill-development space, but at substantially greater scale and brand recognition.

Emerging players

• Bethnal Green Ventures: UK early-stage accelerator for tech-for-good founders offering cohorts, mentorship, and pre-seed investment — comparable as a UK mission-driven accelerator serving founders outside the London premium segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LeicStartups
• YouTubeleicesterstartups.com/feed
• Facebookfacebook.com/LeicesterStartups
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leicester-startups

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Leicester Startups