Arden Enterprise Incubator (AEI) offers a unique and immersive learning experience that empowers individuals to create and build competitive enterprises. Our meticulously designed programs and activities leverage your academic knowledge acquired through your coursework and provide real-world exposure through strategic partnerships.

Regardless of where you are in your entrepreneurial journey, AEI offers tailored support and progression opportunities:

• Setting up your business (S)​

This stage is opened to students with just an idea or to those who have little or no idea about entrepreneurship or business and are thinking about venturing into one. At this stage, the program will introduce the concept of entrepreneurship, spotting opportunities, creativity and innovation, Business Model Canvas (BMC), Minimum Viable Product (MVP), and more.

• Launching Your Business (L)​

This stage is opened to students who already have a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) or a developed idea and are at the point of starting their enterprise. At this stage, the program will introduce key concepts like patenting and copyrights, fund raising and marketing strategies, team formation and development.

• Growing Your Business (G)​

This stage is opened to students who have already established their businesses and are seeking ways to foster growth. AEI will introduce advanced concepts such as growth strategies (e.g., strategic alliances, franchising, joint ventures), Initial Public Offering (IPO), financial, client management and customer retention.

Our mentorship program is structured in a very simple format; mentees at the growing your business stage log onto our platform, look at the catalogue of mentors we have under different categories and apply to be mentees. The operations team then screen this application to ensure that the interest between mentors and mentees match (for the sole purpose of getting the best out of the relationship) and then the connection is made.

The Mentorship support is only for our students and alumni who are within the growing your business category. To access this support, you will need to firstly select the mentor you wish to be mentored among the list of our mentors and click on the apply button that can be found on the profile of your chosen mentor. We will then assess the availability of the chosen mentor and proceed with a chemistry match where you will meet your new mentor and discuss how you would like to meet and the support you need.

The system will automatically enrol you onto the relevant category/level after completing a short self-assessment question.

No; you won’t be able to automatically access any of the categories if you were enrolled on one. You can only do so by request and/having completed a set of activities.

You can do so by doing another self-assessment questions which is available upon request. You will be also required to submit evidence of your developed business idea in the form of a concept note or business plan.

You can do so by doing another self-assessment questions which is available upon request. You will be also required to submit evidence of your business registration and a one pager growth plan.

The main users of the AEI platform are:

• Students of Arden 
• Alumni

Other users include our:

• Mentors 
• Partners 
• Staff and 
• The Public

In each step of the way our students and alumni will be supported by a community of people going through, or having gone through, the same steps and can provide insight into the challenges you faced.​ This will be achieved by a combination of different activities including but not limited to monthly master classes, boot camps, podcasts, blogs, external events, and mentorship.

Our master classes are conducted every month for each of the categories.

To become a mentor, please send your profile and CV to aei@arden.ac.uk and a member of the team will reach out to you.

To contribute to the blog post please write to aei@arden.ac.uk and a member of the team will reach out to you.

Thank you for you for helping us improve the AEI platform for all. To report an error or mistake, please write to aei@arden.ac.uk and a member of the team will reach out to you.