We support the commercialisation of academic research in STEM and Social Sciences. We work directly with mid-career and senior academics, as well as with institutions on improving entrepreneurial pathways.
University of Cambridge
The Borysiewicz Interdisciplinary Fellowship supports outstanding researchers seeking to shape the world for a better future. Sapphire & Steel work as business mentors to the Fellows, supporting their entrepreneurial and personal leadership journeys. Our work is focused on the development of Foresight Projects, which aim to tackle “future-orientated problems” and provide a workable solution and tangible output.
London School of Economics
The LSE has never lacked ambition and recognised that the social sciences have yet to provide clear entrepreneurial routes for academics to commercialise their research comparable with those for STEM subjects. Sapphire & Steel were commissioned to help senior and mid-career academics, including the Grantham Institute and The Inclusion Initiative, explore potential business models, industry partnerships and investment approaches.
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol was seeking to build on existing entrepreneurial provision to massively increase the number of spin-offs and start-ups coming out of the university, with an ultimate ambition to rank favourably against entrepreneurial leaders such as Cambridge and MIT. With this objective in mind, Sapphire & Steel were tasked with engaging stakeholders across the university and local startup ecosystem and to help establish the culture and principles for end-to-end entrepreneurial pathways for both students and academics.
University accelerators and incubators
We also work with incubators and accelerators sponsored by universities, including SETSquared Bristol and The Greenhouse at Imperial College London. You can find out more about our work with accelerators here.