Based on 65 responses, 2025/26.
Superscript shows the year each school is entering with us.
Not on the list? Put your school on it ↗We turn up and run an assembly on what we do and how it works. If we haven't been to yours yet, you can tell us about it.
Not just a form. You pick a startup you like and answer some questions about it. We want to see how you think, not what grades you have.
Five days. In a team of around four you find a problem worth solving, talk to real customers, build a working app, make a deck, and pitch it.
Guest speakers all week. Laptop, travel and lunch covered.
You pitch at the end of your own week. The best teams from across the summer come back for the grand final, to a bigger room and, from 2027, a £4,000 prize.
You're in it whether you win or not. Alumni run trips and events, bring in people they know, and stay reachable to each other long after the week ends. The best organisers are the ones we pick for the paid helper roles the next summer.
●Get involved
The highlight for me was not just creating the prototype under tight deadlines, but the process of working together as a team to bring an idea to life. I’m especially grateful to our hosts. Their stories, advice, and openness added tremendous value and motivation to the week.
I spent this week being part of an amazing team at Youth Startups, where I’ve gained lessons of a lifetime. Thank you for hosting us and giving us this chance! Thank you to our competitors for making this week full of giggles. And thank you to my team for making this week an adventure of a lifetime!
During the five-day programme, I learned so much from founders and investors, met new people, and developed my skills. The energy, humour, and support made the week even more enjoyable and unforgettable. This experience pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I’m so grateful for every moment.
This was an experience I’ll never forget. What I’m taking away from this week is more than just the skills we learned. It’s the reminder that with the right people, support, and focus, you can achieve so much in such a short space of time. One week really can feel like months of progress. Once again thank you for making this possible.
Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to take part in the Youth Startups programme, and it has truly been a transformative 5 days, packed with innovation, teamwork, and stepping out of my comfort zone.
●Who comes in
Every cohort gets sessions with people who have built and backed real companies. Students can ask them anything.
Past speakers have included
Amar Shah
Cofounder of Wayve
UK's first multibillion self-driving car company
Sai Shivareddy
Cofounder of Nyobolt
Billion pound battery company
Shiv Sivakumar
Cofounder of Omni
UK's fastest growing pet brand
Riya Patel
Cofounder of All The Aunties
UK's fastest growing paneer brand
Khyati Sundaram
Founder of Applied AI
Sold for millions
Vivian Chan
Serial entrepreneur
Sold several companies
Shamik Parekh
General Partner at Haviland Health
£200m healthtech fund
Shruti Iyengar
Investment Manager at Future Planet Capital
Runs the UK's space fund
Plus many more including from HSBC, Barclays, Imperial.
We're Gurvir and Amardeep, the cofounders of Bae HQ. We've built one of the strongest networks in UK startups. Growing up, neither of us knew that world existed.
Gurvir grew up in Southall, Amardeep in Ilford. Youth Startups is how we open that network to students who are where we were.
