An equity-free student incubator that has created 400+ startups since 2019, whose founders raised over £355M.
- Location:
- London (King’s Cross), United Kingdom
- Duration:
- 104 weeks
What you need to qualify
- You are a current UCL student, or you graduated from UCL within the past 2 years.
- Your company must be registered as a legal entity with Companies House before you apply.
- At least one team member must commit to attending all induction programme sessions, which run for the first 8 weeks.
- You should attend one of the online information sessions before applying, to check that your business is at the right stage for the programme.
Eligibility
- Eligible stages
- All stages
- Countries
- Global, subject to the provider’s eligibility and approval
How to apply
- 1
Register your company with Companies House
This is a precondition, not a formality: the company has to be a registered legal entity before you submit the application, so allow time for the incorporation to complete.
- 2
Attend an online information session
UCL asks applicants to attend a session before applying, to confirm the Hatchery is the right stage of support. The session for the October 2026 cohort was held on Monday 17 August 2026; sessions are listed on the programme page ahead of each intake.
- 3
Download the application questions and prepare your answers
The programme page publishes the full question set as a downloadable Word document so you can draft offline before opening the form.
- 4
Submit the online application form
The Microsoft Forms application is linked from the programme page. It closes at 23:59 on the deadline date.
- 5
Deliver a five-minute pitch at interview
Shortlisted teams are interviewed in person and pitch for five minutes, covering the problem, the solution, the team and your motivation. Interviews for the October 2026 cohort are on 16 and 17 September 2026.
- 6
Start the eight-week induction
Successful teams launch on Thursday 15 October 2026 and finish induction on Thursday 3 December 2026. Expect one in-person workshop on a Thursday evening plus at least two virtual sessions each week, then two years of membership.