Innovator Networking

Join us for networking and a chance to pitch.

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Are you searching for a co-founder? Do you want to grow your network? Come along to our networking evening to join our vibrant community and potentially meet that person you're looking for! 

To start, we will ensure everyone mixes and connects with a fun icebreaker activity, followed by a talk and Q&A from an experienced entrepreneur in our ecosystem. Next, if you have an idea or startup, you'll have the chance to share it with the room during our open mic section. Finally, we'll wrap up the evening with some free networking.

  • Introduction to Edinburgh Innovations and networking
  • Open mic (if you'd like to show a slide, email it to Richard.Palmer@ei.ed.ac.uk no later than 1pm on 19th March)
  • Speed networking: a fun activity to get you mixing
  • Free networking
  • Guest Speaker: hear Yana Varankova, Founder and Senior Experience Strategist at the Latent Need
  • Launch Point winners announced
  • Free networking 

Next taking place: Friday 20th March, 2pm-5pm 

Bayes Centre, 47 Potterow, Edinburgh, EH8 9BT 

 

Who can attend?

We welcome all current students and recent graduates (within 2 years) from the University of Edinburgh, regardless of disciplinary background or level of experience.

To create a diverse network and build a strong community, we are delighted to invite students from other Scottish-based universities and colleges to join this session.  

Whether you come with a business idea or not, this is a relaxed and safe space to embark on your entrepreneurial journey. After all, creating an entrepreneurial ecosystem that helps solve some of the world’s biggest challenges requires connected communities. 

 

Guest speaker - Yana Varankova

Yana Varankova | Senior UX Strategist & Founder

Most startups fail not because they can't build the product, but because they build the wrong one.

Yana Varankova is a Senior UX Strategist on a mission to stop founders from wasting limited budgets on features nobody wants. With a unique background in Psychology, she helps tech and games founders decode exactly what their users need before a single line of code is written.

She specialises in de-risking the dream – helping founders distinguish between strategic truth and emotional convenience.

Based in Edinburgh, Yana blends the warmth of a mentor with the rigour of a scientist, helping you turn your first click into a loyal fan.

I like how interactive it is and the game was really nice. 

Loved the networking opportunities and the talk from the entrepreneur.  

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