Hands-on support that turns a single research project into a working venture
An extra expert on your TTO and knowledge exchange team — taking individual projects from promising idea to first pilot, first revenue and sustainable venture.
We work project by project alongside your team across the UK and Europe, led by a venture manager with sector expertise relevant to the work in hand.
What your team gets
De-risked projects.
Customer conversations and pilots test the riskiest assumptions before your institution commits resource or incorporates.
A clearer route to impact
Each project leaves with the commercialisation pathway best suited to it identified — licence, spin-out, partnership or social venture — not a default.
Capacity, not just advice
A venture manager extends your team’s capacity by leading venture development work and directly supporting high-value sales and partner conversations.
Ventures that last
The focus is a sustainable revenue model and a real customer pipeline, so projects survive beyond grant funding.
Kindling Ventures enabled us to explore an exciting new venture, considering value proposition, competitor analysis and operational planning. Their knowledge of both higher education and potential partners beyond was invaluable in quickly identifying targeted next steps.
University of Glasgow
Three packages to drive venture success
Early Stage
For a project to find its market.
Identify users, customers and beneficiaries, validate the idea with key stakeholders, develop an initial customer pitch and identify the commercial pathways available
Validate
For a project ready to test demand.
Structured market validation with 30+ potential customers and partners, leading to a secured pilot or first sales and a clear evidence base for the venture.
Market Ready
For a validated venture ready to scale
Identify users, customers and beneficiaries, validate the idea with key stakeholders, develop an initial customer pitch and identify the commercial pathways available
Tailored proof-of-concept support is also available, including funding-application support and roadmaps to sustainability beyond grant funding.
Trade and validate before incorporation
Ventures not yet ready to spin out can trade through Kindling's platform — building a customer pipeline, testing the offering and generating real revenue, all under your TTO's control.
Inspired by the University of Birmingham's operating division and piloted with five universities, it gives your team a flexible route to de-risk a venture before formal incorporation.
Retained earnings, your control
Ventures keep and reinvest revenue within the platform; your TTO controls when and how to spin out.
Risk-free market testing
Validate commercial viability with real customers and real revenue before committing to incorporation.
Flexible, simplified setup
Kindling handles contracts, invoicing and operational complexity. Pause, exit or proceed to spin-out at any stage.