Together we build: Supporting our alumni entrepreneurial community

Happy Entrepreneurship Week!

Entrepreneurship Week 2025, also known as Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), takes place from 17 – 23 November 2025. The theme for 2025 is "Together We Build," emphasising collaboration and the power of entrepreneurs working with peers, mentors, and partners to bring ideas to life.

This is exactly what Newcastle University’s START UP Team provides to students and recent graduates looking to be their own boss. START UP is a community of like-minded entrepreneurs and creatives, supporting those who want to be self-employed, full or part-time; whether that’s growing a business, freelance career or social enterprise. 

START UP has supported 230 businesses from our university community, which in turn have created over 1,200 jobs and amassed an annual collective turnover of £155 million!

Read on to find out more about how Newcastle University supports alumni entrepreneurs and hear advice from recent graduate Chirag Kumar, who has raised over £250k in investment for his new business venture Lumion.

“Our core belief is that batteries need intelligence to truly unlock the energy transition. AI has the power to make that possible, giving batteries the ability to make real-time, efficient decisions that improve reliability and resilience across the grid. We can use technology to accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels, reduce carbon impact, and make clean energy systems smarter and more dependable for everyone.”

Since being established in October 2024, Lumion has raised £255,000 from venture capital, angel investors and grants. Lumion is among 14 innovative AI startups selected for New York City’s leading accelerator, ERA, and one of 12 companies chosen for the 2025 Shell StartUp Engine UK programme. In addition, Chirag has been selected for the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Regional Talent Engine programme in Newcastle. Speaking on seeking investment for Lumion, Chirag said:

“Securing funding is never as smooth as it looks from the outside. When we first applied for funding, we were rejected by almost every accelerator and investor we approached. But all it takes is one yes, and for us that was Founder Labs Belfast. Their offer came with a condition: we had to move to Belfast. And we did, because we believed in Lumion’s mission.

 

“That move opened doors: we met great investors, learned the business side of building a company, and secured our first angel and local authority funding. That one decision changed everything for Lumion. And now we are looking for advisors, partners and investors in energy to unlock the next stage for Lumion.”

The pace of creation

Lumion isn’t Chirag’s first business venture and so being a leader comes naturally. Prior to moving to Newcastle University to complete his Master’s, he had built and sold a productised marketing business in India, as well as gained valuable experience working at early-stage tech and solar firms. Chirag said:

“My previous experience taught me how much impact small teams can create when they’re building something that doesn’t yet exist. Big companies have resources, but they move slowly. I’ve always preferred the pace of creation, taking an idea that lives only in your head and willing it into existence. That drive to build what has never existed before keeps me motivated. It's easier to work on big impossible things than on small things.”

Following the sale of this first business venture, Chirag began working in the solar sector and came to understand how crucial renewables would become in shaping the next decade. It was this realisation that led him to Newcastle University, where he undertook a Master’s in Renewable Energy, Enterprise and Management. Speaking on his decision to study in Newcastle, Chirag said:

“I wanted to move beyond the technical side and understand the economics behind it, why clean energy also needs to make business sense. The course at Newcastle made overwhelming sense because of its technical orientation while combining real life business cases into it.

 

“From my time at Newcastle, one session on energy trading really stands out. It showed how the UK’s system operator decides which wind, solar, or gas plant feeds electricity into the grid: it's not just based on price, but on real-time availability and system needs. We had to think like generators, making live bidding decisions and seeing how those choices shaped the grid every few minutes. It made the invisible electricity market suddenly tangible, something real: a complex, living system working behind every switch we turn on and use.”

The worst thing you can do is not try

It may still be early days for Lumion, but the team is already working with major renewable energy companies and making a name for themselves in the industry. These partnerships have been the highlight of Chirag’s entrepreneurial journey so far, with the biggest challenge being securing funding in a pre-revenue stage while dealing with a highly regulated industry.

Offering the advice he would give to any budding alumni entrepreneurs, Chirag said:

“The worst thing you can do is not try. If you have an idea that excites you, test it, even if it’s rough. You’ll either get closer to making it real or learn something valuable in the process. The downside is small, but the upside could change everything.”

How we help alumni entrepreneurs

Newcastle University Careers Service is open to alumni for the first three years after they graduate. Appointments are available in person or online, year-round, with the team offering award-winning advice on topics from prototyping an idea to seeking investment, as well as business accelerators: intensive packages of support for entrepreneurs involving coaching and mentorship, skills development and financial support. 

Regular community socials also provide budding entrepreneurs with an opportunity to connect, create and collaborate. Here, they can meet like-minded graduates, spark new ideas, and get inspired by the world of entrepreneurship.

The Innovation Fund, supported by donations from Newcastle University’s alumni and supporter community, stimulates entrepreneurial activity at Newcastle University and in the wider community. In the past year, nearly £400,000 has been donated to support entrepreneurial mentoring, prizes for innovation, and to help students access local internships. 

To discuss how you can support the Innovation Fund, please email aerian.rogers@newcastle.ac.uk