Fostering entrepreneurship, incubating innovations and building strategic partnerships between KU and industry
The Directorate of Innovation, Incubation and University-Industry Linkages is KU's engine for entrepreneurship and applied innovation. It fosters a culture of creative problem-solving among students and staff, incubates promising innovations into viable businesses, and builds strategic partnerships between the university and the private sector, government and investors.
Working closely with the DVC Research, Innovation and Outreach, the directorate supports the full innovation pipeline — from idea to prototype, commercialisation and market entry — leveraging KU's world-class research infrastructure and academic expertise.
Structured entrepreneurship programmes, bootcamps and workshops equipping students and staff with business skills and startup mindsets.
Providing workspace, mentorship, seed funding access and technical support to student and staff startups at all stages of development.
Supporting patent registration, intellectual property protection and commercialisation of innovations developed at KU.
Building and managing strategic partnerships with corporates, SMEs, government agencies and investors for research and innovation collaboration.
Connecting innovators with venture capital, angel investors, government grants and development finance for startup growth.
Facilitating the transfer of university research findings and technologies to industry for commercial application and societal benefit.
Dedicated workspace for incubatees
Industry and academic mentors
Labs & fabrication facilities
Investor & customer linkages
The directorate builds bridges between KU's academic excellence and industry's practical needs through several mechanisms:
Coordinating student and staff industrial placements with leading companies and organisations.
Co-funded research projects addressing real industry problems with academic rigour.
Negotiating and managing Memoranda of Understanding with corporate and government partners.
Phone: +254 709 722 000
Email the DVC Research office for innovation enquiries: dvc-rio@ku.ac.ke
