UK Innovator Founder Forum

Posted anonymously by two_founders

Nationality: Indian. Currently outside the UK or inside the UK. Route: Innovator Founder (initial application).

Hi all, looking for shared experiences and discussion, not legal advice (we’ll engage a solicitor before filing). I’ve read the GOV.UK guidance and Appendix Innovator Founder, so I’m familiar with the basics: endorsement, the new/innovative/viable/scalable tests, B2 SELT, £1,270 maintenance funds, TB test, etc.

Our situation: my co-founder and I are building a tech platform in the e-commerce/creator tools space. Pre-launch but with a working product and a small dev team. A UK limited company is incorporated but has not started trading.

Questions for anyone who’s been through endorsement recently:

1. For those endorsed in 2025/26, how did you find the process at UKES, Innovator International, or Envestors? Number of interview rounds, how deep they went technically, and realistic end-to-end timelines?
2. If your business was in a category with established players, how did you present the “innovative” test so it landed? Did endorsing bodies focus more on proprietary tech, business model, or market approach?
3. Any co-founder pairs here who applied on the same business? Were you assessed jointly or separately, and did they scrutinise whether both roles were genuinely essential?
4. Did anyone get questions about the “new business” requirement because their UK company was incorporated (but not trading) before endorsement?

Also very interested in rejection stories and what you’d do differently — those are often more useful than success stories.

Will happily report back here on our own experience either way. Thanks in advance.