Kingston University has produced more graduate start-up companies than any other UK higher education institution for the last six years. The university provides extensive support to students through programs like the Kingston Entrepreneur's Society and business incubator, helping students launch over 300 new companies each year. Students praise the university's passion for entrepreneurship and access to funding, mentors, and networking opportunities. The diversity of the student body and London location also contribute to the university's success in launching new businesses.

1. At the head of entrepreneurs
By Georgi Dianov Georgiev
For the last six years Kingston University has produced more graduate start-up companies
than any other higher education institution in the United Kingdom while students all over the
country are “critical” of the level of entrepreneurial support at their universities.
“This is the best place to start your business,” says Hassan Waqar. “The amount of support
you get it is incredible once you join Kingston entrepreneur’s society because you just start
connecting with people gaining the knowledge that will help you start your business.” The
new Kingston Nest president has been in the society for two years and he has his own web-
design business started at Kingston, in the same way as a charity project supporting
entrepreneurs in Pakistan, his own country.
Graduates have an “appetite” for self-employment and more than 70 per cent of them feel
their university should have done more to support and encourage their potential, according
to a study made by PolicyBee. As one of the UK’s leading university for graduate start-ups,
Kingston is among the most successful universities in United Kingdom and is consistently
rated among the top entrepreneurs. The annual survey of Business and Community
Interaction shows that the university is paving the way when it comes to start-up companies
with the highest numbers.
“The university’s secret to be number one for six years is the passion, insomuch as we are
passionate about what they do,” adds Hassan confidently. “We are students and we think as
students and for the students.” Also, he specified that a group of pupils just came back from
the USA where they had a start-up weekend project. The purpose of it was to gain what
people’s idea of entrepreneurship was as it is much more “powerful” in the United States. “I
was working with a group of 15 year-olds and they developed a LEGO scientifically type
product,” said Hassan. “On the weekend, we helped them with their website and
presentations to sell 20 boxes, and they came third in a competition.”

2. But what should be pointed out from Kingston University is that some modules require
students to create products because is a part of their academics. Dennis B. Aguma,
business incubator manager in the faculty of business and law says that along the way you
may find a fantastic product and suddenly “boom!” the whole business was established
before even you know it. “The secret really is about leadership and the vision of the faculty
focusing on enterprise as a unique selling proposition influencing all the faculties,” reveals
Dennis.
He explains that there is no other active society that gets as much funding as they do. The
Kingston Entrepreneur Society runs lots of “bright ideas” events, competitions and
conferences nationally and internationally. Students get involved and inspired by working
very closely with external organisations, for example the Chamber of Commerce.
According to figures, Kingston helped its “business-minded” alumni get more than 300
companies off the ground this year. So if you have a business idea there is a possibility of
good funding, depending of what criteria you have and how you have been assessed to.
“There is no limit,” says Dennis. “We may not give you a million pounds, but we may put you
in the right direction. It depends on your particular issue and students have gone back and
forth for this particular kind of help. For instance, there is an entrepreneur from our faculty
called Ricardo who we have helped. He created his own organisation and subsequently has
been very helpful with the creation of our logo and with photography. It is like “two hands
washing each other”. This is the kind of ecosystem I am talking about, where students work
together.”
Ricardo is the founder of “Togada”, a video, design and photography company. Eight out of
the twelve members are from Kingston University. He describes that being able to do what
you love has now become a “privilege” since thousands and thousands of students are doing
exactly the same with the same technology. Moreover, connections are crucial inasmuch as
right connections are really the 60 per cent of the work and the 40 per cent remaining is
doing the job. “Time is a key factor,” he says. “With time you will transform the bad ideas into
good ones.”
The Italian entrepreneur believes the university’s secret is the entrepreneurial department.
The staff is working 100 per cent. “But help does not mean that they give you all,” he points
out. “Although they are not product centred, they help you only if you have initiative. In terms
of help we won a £500 prize, a registered office in the University, two mentors and
networking opportunities.

3. Why did he set up the business here and not in Italy? “Because of the bureaucracy, tax
difference and diversity,” Ricardo answered. “There is a world in here. If you are in London
you can have one person per different country. As we are a creative company, the more
diverse our group is, the better the idea will come up.”
The University’s head of entrepreneurship Dr Martha Mador emphasized that the breadth of
subjects at the University through to its close location to the business heart of London
contributed to the success story. She underlined that Kingston University has more than
23,000 students, including 4,000 international students from 150 countries. “Our commitment
is to equip graduates with the confidence to consider enterprise at an early stage.”
She highlighted some graduates from Kingston that have set up a number of prosperous
businesses. Successful graduate entrepreneurs included Neomi Bennett who is already
selling her product around the world. Her invention “Neoslip” consists of a life-saving aid for
people with mobility problems.
Among others it is worthy to distinguish team leader Shruti Barton who won the Entrepreneur
PEA Awards for the creation of Flower Pozzy, a reusable carrier to hold flowers; Britain’s first
pay-per-view online estate agency wesold.co.uk founded by Tom Harrington; the founder of
the mobile telecommunication company Lebara mobile or Property Flock, whose owner
has just raised over one million pounds in terms of funding.