# Virgin StartUp

> Virgin StartUp is the Virgin Group’s UK not-for-profit company for entrepreneurs, founded by Richard Branson in 2013. It helps early-stage founders access government-backed personal Start Up Loans, business planning advice, mentoring, a founder community and selected growth programmes.

- **Founded:** 2013
- **Headquarters:** London, United Kingdom
- **Founders:** Richard Branson (Founder)
- **Products:** Start Up Loans, Virgin StartUp Community, Momentum, Collective Impact, Empower100
- **Notable:** Passed £100m in cumulative Start Up Loan funding by March 2026., More than 7,000 founders supported, reported in March 2026., Announced £20m of lending capital available for April 2026-March 2027.

## Products & services

- **Start Up Loans** — Government-backed unsecured personal loans of £500-£25,000 for business purposes, with business-plan support and up to 12 months of free mentoring. New applications from 6 April 2026 carry 7.5% fixed annual interest.
- **Virgin StartUp Community** — UK founder membership offering peer connections, events, learning and advisory or mentoring access; free and paid options are advertised.
- **Momentum** — Free eight-week online accelerator for UK dyslexic founders, with workshops, mentoring and flexible application formats.
- **Collective Impact** — Historical investment-readiness and equity crowdfunding programme for purpose-led businesses, developed with Crowdcube; not presented as currently open.
- **Empower100** — Growth and investment-readiness programme; a seven-week 2025 cohort was publicly advertised.
- **Changemakers** — Founder interviews, events and a podcast with practical lessons from entrepreneurs.

## Achievements

- Passed £100m in cumulative Start Up Loan funding by March 2026.
- More than 7,000 founders supported, reported in March 2026.
- Announced £20m of lending capital available for April 2026-March 2027.
- Made a 50:50 pledge in 2019; March 2026 company reporting said women represented 46% of funded recipients over the preceding 12 months.
- Launched Momentum in 2025 and advertised a second cohort in 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — Announced a £20m 2026-27 lending allocation after passing £100m in cumulative loans; more than 7,000 founders supported.
- **2026-04** — Government scheme rules changed: 7.5% fixed annual interest for new applications and first-loan eligibility extended to businesses trading for less than five years.
- **2026-04** — Momentum applications promoted for a second cohort, with an 8 May deadline and flexible submission formats.

## Links

- Website: https://www.virginstartup.org/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/virgin-startup/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/virginstartup
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virginstartup/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/virginstartup
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@virginstartup

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/virgin-startup
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-08