Partner hubs

EarthScale is led by Imperial through a collaboration between Undaunted and the Imperial Enterprise Lab. 

Undaunted  

Undaunted is a hub for the UK’s climate innovation community, creating new routes into green entrepreneurship and supporting the acceleration of startups and SMEs tackling climate change. We envision a world with a healthy, global climate innovation ecosystem, with diverse innovators leading businesses of all sizes that are delivering significant emissions reductions and climate resilience sustainably and at scale. Since 2012, we have developed and refined our model for accelerating applicable, practical and adaptable solutions that make a difference on a global scale.

We’re a partnership between Imperial’s Grantham Institute and The Royal Institution, based in Scale Space within London’s White City Innovation District. This academic context is key. It embeds us within world-class facilities, expertise and networks, allowing us to embrace high-quality deeptech solutions and tackle harder-to-change sectors. It also means we keep climate and public good the core focus of everything we do.

Undaunted has supported over 175 companies from across the UK, who have raised over $1bn, created 2000 jobs and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 30MtCO2eq (by 2030).

 Imperial Enterprise Lab  

Imperial Enterprise Lab is a dedicated hub for innovation and entrepreneurship at Imperial College London – ranked 2nd in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2025. Based at one of the world’s leading STEM institutions, we empower the next generation of innovators to tackle society’s biggest challenges through entrepreneurship. Our commitment to driving real-world impact has seen us recognised among the top startup hubs in Europe by the Financial Times in both 2024 and 2025, rising to #25 in 2025.

We offer dynamic support for students, staff and alumni, including expert mentorship, training, community events, and access to funding and co-working space. The Lab’s vibrant network includes over 180 experts and mentors and an 800-strong investor community.

Flagship programmes – WE Innovate, the UK’s first university-based women’s entrepreneurship programme, and the Venture Catalyst Challenge, which boasts the largest prize fund of any UK university pre-accelerator – have supported over 1,000 participants across more than 10 years.

The mission is simple: to unlock entrepreneurial potential and help turn bold ideas into ventures that shape a better future for people and planet.

Cranfield University 

Cranfield is a specialist postgraduate university with globally renowned expertise in science, technology, engineering and management. We deliver applied research that has real-world impact – 88% of our research is world-leading or internationally excellent (REF2021).

Our innovative education is enhanced by large-scale facilities and global industry partnerships. Cranfield is one of the few universities in the world to have its own airport – our global research airport is a unique environment for research. We are a six-time winner of the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize, the highest national honour for educational institutions.

Cranfield formed in 1946 as the College of Aeronautics, the first postgraduate college of its kind. The School of Management was founded in 1967.

University of Derby 

Accelerating small-business growth, breaking down barriers and creating unrivalled opportunities for entrepreneurs to innovate and thrive. At the University of Derby, we are closing the gap between research and impact to make a real difference. We are right at the heart of the issues and challenges that matter – to our city, our region, to businesses and industry, partnering with sector-leading businesses to drive innovation and create a collaborative environment where research has real impact.

The Institute for Innovation and Sustainable Engineering focuses on sustainable engineering solutions across various business sectors. We aim to stimulate innovation in design, manufacturing, product lifecycle management and the application of new and smart materials, supporting skills development and industrial growth in the region. We are a place where you can access knowledge, funding, expertise and technology to help you research, develop products and processes, and drive innovation in your business – always with sustainability in mind.

University of Exeter 

Working with the University of Exeter gives you unparalleled access to the world’s top climate experts, helping you navigate complex sustainability challenges. We are home to 1500 climate and sustainability experts across 34 specialist environmental institutes and centres of excellence, including many of the world’s most influential climate scientists.

With a track record in supporting climate-related businesses, we will support and empower your organisation to accelerate and thrive in the green economy.

University of Leeds 

The Priestley Centre for Climate Futures is a world-leading climate centre based at the University of Leeds. From local to global, we ensure that climate action is informed by the latest research, collaborating with organisations and individuals to transform our expertise into real-world impact. We bring together a community of experts from across disciplines including engineering, environment, finance, health, economics, cultural studies, law, and atmospheric sciences. We connect these climate experts to businesses, policymakers, communities, and other researchers, working collaboratively in integrated networks to transform how we address climate change. Our experts have leading roles in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the UK Climate Change Committee, and provide independent, robust and timely evidence to support decision makers. 

The Centre actively promotes climate innovations and climate-related entrepreneurship in partnership with Nexus, The University of Leeds’ innovation hub, and brings together the ecosystem to accelerate regional climate tech. 

University of Nottingham 

The University of Nottingham, is a leading UK university with a global presence, including campuses in Malaysia and China. Known for its research-led teaching and international outlook, the University is a member of the Russell Group and is ranked among the top 20 in the UK. The University of Nottingham is a major international centre for energy research, with a reputation for excellence across a broad range of research and technology-based activities.

The University of Nottingham Energy Institute unites energy research across a range of disciplines, drawing on multidisciplinary expertise across our Faculties of Engineering, Science and Social Science.  An impressive portfolio of research, development and demonstration has been built up over 25 years, attracting significant funding from government and industry to deliver high profile impact. Energy activities are focused on the key societal challenges of ‘Transport and Mobility’, ‘Energy Generation and Management’ and ‘Communities and the Built Environment’.