The Ideas Incubator: A Business Crash Course for an Art Historian
Written by Ane Cornelia Pade
When I decided to revive the Dugdill lamp, an iconic example of early 20th century British industrial design, I did not know where to start. As an Art Historian, I had never written a business plan, done market analysis, or pitched to investors. I had yet to learn what a company deck was, what DTC (direct-to-consumer) and B2B (business-to-business) stood for, or, in fact, the meaning of much of the other jargon constantly circulating in the world of entrepreneurship. This, I knew, could all be learned. In search of a place to start, I contacted the King’s E-Lab. The E-Lab introduced me to Cambridge Enterprise.
Cambridge Enterprise is a large entrepreneurship centre located in West Cambridge that helps students and academics transform their research into spin-out ventures. Emma Salgård Cunha, Associate Director at Cambridge Enterprise, enthusiastically suggested I join Ideas Incubator. Incubator, like accelerator, is one of those start-up terms that no one explains, and I was initially sceptical. Looking back, I am glad I did not let my scepticism get the better of me!
Having an idea for a company is one thing; transforming that idea into reality is quite another. Before I joined the Ideas Incubator, I was focused on educating myself on British manufacturing. I met with manufacturers across the country, learning about manufacturing processes, lost wax casting, sand casting, fabricators, electric certifications, and machining. To make a product is, of course, not enough. To transform a product into a business is an entirely separate skill that I needed to learn. The Ideas Incubator was a crash course on the commercial side of starting a venture. The small cohort included PhD students, post-docs, and senior academics from different fields. The incubator cohort met weekly at Cambridge Enterprise’s buildings in West Cambridge. Emma and the Cambridge Enterprise team created a productive and friendly environment for participants to work on their projects and receive feedback from the get-go.
We were introduced to the program in the first week and mapped out our value proposition. We received on-the-spot feedback from entrepreneurs associated with the centre. In week two, we delved into market research. I cannot stress enough how helpful this session was. The Incubator team introduced the field of market research and gave us access to digital resources to aid in the process. The curation of resources and a university log-in (these services are costly) was extremely useful. In addition to the market research session, the Cambridge Enterprise team facilitated introductions to professionals with long-standing experience in the relevant market for each participating project. Having a team from Cambridge Enterprise contact and establish relevant connections to aid my project was a great luxury. It allowed me to validate my business model with people who could be buying and selling my product. The third session taught us about intellectual property rights, taxation, and company structures. As in the previous sessions, the Cambridge Enterprise team brought in experts and founders with relevant experience to give support and feedback. In the fourth session, former BBC Journalist and author Simon Hall gave a brilliant masterclass in storytelling for investor pitching. Simon and the Cambridge Enterprise team helped us compile pitch decks and develop our presentations. In the final session, each participating team presented their project and received expert feedback. In between the weekly sessions, the Cambridge Enterprise team was on hand to provide input, organise introductions, schedule calls, and look for new opportunities to take the incubator projects forward. The personalised assistance of the Cambridge Enterprise team throughout the incubator program has been an invaluable resource.
The Ideas Incubator and the Cambridge Enterprise team made starting my venture much more straightforward than it otherwise would have been. Of course, everything can be learned with dedication and time. The proper guidance can, however, make learning new things much faster and easier. This is what the Ideas Incubator provides. It is an efficient shortcut to knowledge and resources and an excellent opportunity to connect with industry professionals and researchers in other fields.
Throughout the program, I was struck by how willing people are to share their experience and expertise. Everyone, from manufacturers to architects and company strategists, has been incredibly generous with their time and knowledge. The Incubator gave me the confidence to reach out and ask for advice. Most people are happy to know that someone is genuinely interested in learning about their work.
I wholeheartedly endorse the Cambridge Enterprise Ideas Incubator for anyone aspiring to turn their research into a venture. Cambridge offers a wealth of assistance and resources to foster and support spin-out companies, a fact that, in my experience, is not widely known among students. The potential for research spinouts extends beyond the business school and STEM subjects. Cambridge Enterprise is equipped with the staff and resources to aid students and researchers in the Arts and Humanities. I sincerely hope that more students will tap into the opportunity the Ideas Incubator offers to extend the reach of their research beyond academia.
As for the Dugdill lamp, there is still a long way to go before the first lamps are ready to be delivered. I still have a couple of gaps to fill in my supply chain and many things to learn. Thinking back to where this project was just six months ago, I am encouraged to see how much progress has been made. I keep this in mind as I aim to produce and market the Dugdill lamp next year. For now, the strategy is simple: Just put one foot in front of the other.
[Cover photo source credit: Cambridge Enterprise]
Ane Cornelia Pade
Ane Cornelia Pade is a 3rd year PhD candidate in History of Art at King’s College and an associate of the King’s E-Lab, working to coordinate the humanities and social sciences offerings. Before her PhD, Pade worked as a project manager and educator for the Danish Design Museum and as a set designer for film, fashion, and music. Together with her business partner, Mikhail Traykovskiy (Kings, 2023), Pade also runs the heritage lighting company Dugdill. Dugdill is a British industrial design company specialising in producing high-end modular lighting. The brand and the design are revived from the expired patents of John Dugdill & Co. — A leading English lamp manufacturer in the first decades of the last century. Today, the Dugdill lamp is the only heritage lighting option on the market made in the UK.