Unicorns to inspire the next space entrepreneurs
Some of the most ambitious and high value start-ups are likely to develop in space-related industries and the University of Leicester is showing student and graduate entrepreneurs how they could create their own ‘unicorn from space’.
It is organising an event to highlight how entrepreneurs can take advantage of the growing opportunities in space, in the week that it prepares to send a team of space scientists and business experts to the GREAT Festival in Hong Kong on 24 March, organised by the UK’s Department for International Trade.
‘Unicorns’ are privately-owned start-ups with a market valuation over $1 billion. In entrepreneurship, ambitions and risks are high, but it’s an exciting world of new possibility - and nowhere is that more true than the field of space entrepreneurship.
Tech moguls like Elon Musk, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Microsoft’s co-founder Paul Allen are gravitating towards private space exploration. At the University of Leicester’s business event ‘Calling all Space Entrepreneurs!’ they will be asking budding ‘astropreneurs’ whether the next unicorn could come from space.
The free event on Monday 19 March is being run by the Leicester Innovation Hub at the University of Leicester and organised by the University’s Space Industries Accelerator – an incubation initiative funded by the UK Space Agency. Attendees must register at https://callingspaceentrepreneurs19march18.eventbrite.com
It will explore what sort of business opportunities there are in space and support students and graduates to grow a business venture and become a space entrepreneur. Attendees at the University’s cutting-edge George Davies Centre will hear from an inspiring guest speaker working at the heart of the space industry. It will be followed by a Launchpad Weekend from 23 – 25 March where entrepreneurs can bring their ideas to life and turn them into a ready-to-launch business. Places can be booked at: https://sialaunchpadmarch18.eventbrite.co.uk
The University of Leicester’s leading role in space research and technologies will be represented at the GREAT Festival of Innovation from 21 - 24 March in Hong Kong organised by the UK’s Department for International Trade. Space science researcher and aspiring astronaut Dr Suzie Imber will join representatives of the University in talking about some of the latest exciting developments to come from space science and space-enabled technologies.
It will also be an opportunity for attendees to discover more about the University’s brand new Master’s degrees from its School of Business: the MSc Entrepreneurship and MSc Innovation Management in Organisations.
The GREAT Festival of Innovation will explore how innovation impacts the way we LIVE, WORK, PLAY and LEARN with an impressive line-up of thought leaders and entrepreneurs from business, education, culture, media and technology.