KQ Labs Cohort Seven graduates the programme in a successful Demo Day

On Tuesday, 3 June, KQ Labs, an accelerator programme for early-stage companies in data-driven health delivered by the Francis Crick Institute, held their Demo Day for Cohort 7. Graduating start-ups presented to investors and corporate partners, who attended both in-person and virtually.

Demo Day marked the conclusion of KQ Labs’ five-month programme, which began in January 2025. Throughout the programme, start-ups took part in weekly workshops, heard directly from programme alumni in interactive sessions, received mentorship from sector experts and business leaders, and engaged with corporates and investors via office hours and warm introductions. Each team also received £40,000 in funding from a convertible loan note.

This event allowed the cohort to showcase their innovations, which spanned a broad range of therapeutic areas from precision oncology, to mRNA, Cardiac AI diagnostics, fertility, longevity, mental health and AI in drug discovery. It was also a great opportunity for the cohort to network with industry experts and investors. Congratulations to all ten start-ups for their fantastic presentations.

Over seven cohorts, KQ Labs has supported seventy companies to develop and validate their ideas. The latest programme featured over 65 hours of curriculum content and over 50 guest speakers. Ongoing partnerships include an internship exchange with London Business School and a collaboration with Central Saint Martins, as well as the ongoing funding of a place for one oncology-focussed company from Cancer Research Horizons. Alumni from Cohorts 1 to 6 have collectively raised £219 million since joining the programme, according to sources like Beauhurst and PitchBook.

Applications for KQ Labs Cohort 8 close on Thursday 28th August. We are proud to partner with Medicines Discovery Catapult to deliver our eighth cohort, with funding for one oncology-focussed company from Cancer Research Horizons. Early-stage data-driven health start-ups interested in joining should apply, or, if they are interested in joining at a later date, register their interest on the KQ Labs website.

More information about the programme and eligibility is available at the KQ Labs website and our team is ready happy to discuss programme content and applicant eligibility. Please contact kq-labs@crick.ac.uk for more details.