On Wednesday 11 March 2026, students from Brunel University of London took part in the annual London Venture Crawl, travelling across the capital to experience some of the city’s most innovative workplaces and entrepreneurial hubs.
The 10-hour event brought together students from 13 London universities, offering a unique opportunity to hear from inspiring founders, meet industry professionals and explore the UK’s vibrant startup ecosystem in a single day.
A group of 30 Brunel students joined our walking route through central London, gaining first-hand exposure to real-world businesses while building valuable networking and entrepreneurial skills. The packed programme featured workplace tours, live demonstrations and talks from founders and industry leaders.
The crawl began at the Santander Work Café, where students were welcomed into the co-working space and had the chance to network before hearing from Remy Foucher, Education & Social Impact Relationship Director at Santander. He spoke about entrepreneurship initiatives and the bank’s support for student innovators.
Students then continued to the Impact Hub, part of a global community that supports purpose-driven entrepreneurs and social innovators. Senior Programme Manager Mouli Chatterjee shared insights into how collaborative spaces and networks can help early-stage ventures grow and scale. Students also heard from social impact entrepreneurs Viviene Bish-Bedeu, who works with councils and agencies to support the development of young people and adults in the construction and engineering industries, and Louis Howell, founder and director of 7PK and Revolution Hive, who discussed their entrepreneurial journeys and the experiences that shaped their ventures.
The next stop on the crawl was the British Library Business & IP Centre, where students learned about the resources available to aspiring founders, including intellectual property advice, startup support and access to business expertise.
Later in the afternoon, the group visited Makerversity, a creative workspace at Somerset House that provides facilities for individuals and businesses developing physical, digital and even edible products. Charlotte Gilks, General Manager at Makerversity, introduced the organisation’s mission to support creative entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses, highlighting the value of access to workspace, tools and a collaborative community. Students also learned how Makerversity supports makers, designers and start-ups through mentorship, shared facilities and networking before touring the space to see members working on projects.
The event concluded at King’s College London with a live Pitch Off competition featuring a representative from each participating London university. More than 200 attendees gathered to network, celebrate innovation and support their university’s chosen entrepreneur.
Representing Brunel was current student Jawad Noori, founder of SunCircle, who delivered an impressive 90-second pitch showcasing his venture to the audience and was announced ‘Highly Commendable’ by the judges.
The London Venture Crawl once again demonstrated the power of collaboration between universities and industry, giving students invaluable insight into London’s thriving entrepreneurial landscape while inspiring the next generation of founders!
Photos captured: @LouisHitchPhotos