Virgin StartUp launches new digital community for early-stage founders

Virgin StartUp, Virgin’s not-for-profit hub for UK founders, has launched a new digital community to help early-stage founders on their start-up journey.

The Virgin StartUp Community is open to any aspiring or early-stage business founder, offering a dedicated space for founders to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs and industry experts. Founders will be able to access 1:1 mentoring and advice, as well as online learning, workshops, and face-to-face events.

The launch marks 10 years since Sir Richard Branson founded Virgin StartUp to support new business founders. Over the past decade, Virgin StartUp has helped more than 40,000 founders and distributed £80m in Start Up Loans as a Business Support Partner of the British Business Bank.

Boasting one of the largest networks of business mentors in the country, with over 600 mentors, mentorship will play an important role in the new community. Founders can book free 1:1 advice calls, Power Hours, and Mentor Office Hours with successful entrepreneurs like Jamie Crummie, co-founder of Too Good to Go, and Emilie Vanpoperinghe, co-founder of OddBox.

Alongside the social platform and mentorship slots, community members will be invited to regular Power Hour workshops delivered by well-known brands and monthly face-to-face events with successful, purpose-led founders.

Andy Fishburn, managing director at Virgin StartUp, said: “In the past 10 years we’ve grown this amazing community of founders and mentors all over the country, in every imaginable industry and sector, including some incredibly successful entrepreneurs who have built category-defining brands. Many of these founders and mentors now want to pass on their learnings to those who are starting and scaling their own businesses. Now felt like the right time to take everything that we’ve learnt over the past decade and to create a new digital home that is accessible to all and brings our mentors and expertise into one place.

“We know that having the right advice and mentorship early on can make a huge difference to the survival rate of a new business. It’s one of the reasons that 74% of businesses we’ve funded are still trading after three years, compared with a national average of 54%. That’s what the Virgin StartUp Community is all about, offering founders access to expert knowledge and support that will help them build better businesses that are set up to thrive and stand the test of time.”

Genevieve Sweeney, founder of a sustainable knitwear company, said: “The Virgin StartUp Community has been invaluable, being able to share and learn about our experiences whilst motivating and supporting one another.”