Be more entrepreneurial.
Open Innovation | Lean Startup | Business Entrepreneurship

What we do

Entrepreneurship Workshops and Bootcamps

Formulate and validate ideas, and experience the fundamentals of Lean and systematic entrepreneurship in 1-2 days.

Creation Hacks and Design Sprints

Tackle industry challenges or themes by designing, developing and testing your product or business propositions with real customers in 1-5 days.

Incubators and Accelerators

Validate market-fit to launch new products or businesses through our intensive and immersive 2+ weeks facilitated open innovation formats.

Our unique approach

Immersive, not Theoretical

You will “learn-through-doing” by working on real propositions to be tested with actual customers and guided by facilitators expert in venture development and experimentation.

Real, not Simulated

You will work on pressing business challenges that need to be addressed today — not complete homework exercises on hypothetical issues.

Open, not Closed

You will work in “blended teams” that combine domain-expert industry professionals with experienced startup founders — they provide challenge through their practical experience and share their entrepreneurial zeal.

Connected, not Alone

You will tap into our network of expert mentors, hundreds of cutting-edge startups from around the globe, technical specialists and world-leading universities to take your learning and proposition to the next level.

We have worked with

“Studio Zao facilitated an engaging Strategy Council Session for us, aligning 30+ TV industry senior members on the main advantages of the Lean Startup approach, and embedding members with TV-industry entrepreneurs so that they could reach consensus and identify innovative solutions to customer industry-wide challenges. Highly recommended!”

Richard Lindsay-DaviesCEO at DTG, Digital Television Group

“Studio Zao helped us identify consumer problems worth solving in order to design and deliver a rapid innovation sprint. They took us through a strategic and immersive venture building process, with 3 propositions going forward into pilots and a number of entrepreneurial talents recognised in the business”

Emily HaynesHead of Incubation, Pentland Brands

“If you want to better understand how to take an idea for a new product or service and make it real and are looking for a practical, hands-on approach, then Davide from Studio Zao is your guy. From programme design to delivery and coaching, Davide brings energy, passion and real-world knowledge and insights to everything he does.”

Ben Mumby-CroftDirector of Entrepreneurship, Imperial College London

“I wish I had attended a Studio Zao innovation sprint 30 years ago. It would have transformed the way I set up the business and avoided many of the disappointments – I would wholeheartedly recommend it”

Peter GrangerCambridge Researcher and Innovator

“Studio Zao’s expertise in the entrepreneurial process provided the structure and rigour needed for our teams to understand customer needs, develop value propositions and formulate their market validation plans. They have been instrumental in helping us design and facilitate our MedTech Challenge accelerator experiment.”

Hiten ThakarProgrammes Manager, MedTech SuperConnector

“For the first time I felt that taking a product or a service from an idea to a reality is actually something that I could do, and not limited to a selected few with a magic formulae”.

Andrea Guzzonifounder and CEO, Rentuu.com (backed by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, founder of easyJet and easyGroup)

“Studio Zao has organised an energising entrepreneurship bootcamp to help cancer researchers create new commercial opportunities based on their work. Overall feedback has been very positive, and it’s been great to hear attendees say that the bootcamp gave them courage to build their own company in the future”

Andy CarrBusiness Development Manager, Institute of Cancer Research

Our programmes

Lean Startup Weekend | Start a Business in 3 Days

July 30, 2019

An immersive weekend sprint from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon to make your business idea a reality. Expert venture builders will take you through a systematic venture development process. Join the next available weekend.

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Your Innovation Gateway to the NHS is Open!

June 1, 2019

Develop ground-breaking AI solutions to improve mental health and healthy ageing for the NHS during a one-week free-to-enter venture sprint in Cambridge, 2nd - 6th Sept 2019

Outdoor exercise next to swimming pool wearing new apparel

Join Pentland Brands to Shape the Future of Sports, Outdoor Apparel and Fashion

May 30, 2019

A unique opportunity for Entrepreneurs and Startup Founders with a track record and interest in Smart Cities, Retail, Fashion, Apparel and Sports to connect with Pentland, one of the key global players in UK.

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Studio Zao innovations ltd

Market Validation For Startups and Go-To-Market Strategy

April 13, 2019

A bespoke, multi-week programme for seed or venture funded startups seeking proof of market validation and a data-backed go-to-market strategy.

More info

If you’d like to have a chat about how we can help your organisation build entrepreneurial capabilities, please get in touch.

Open innovation programmes that develop entrepreneurial skills and propositions.

Design Sprints – Accelerators – Intrapreneurship

Business Entrepreneurship

Studio Zao design and run Open Innovation programmes, Lean Startup training, Business Entrepreneurship training programmes that develop entrepreneurial skills and propositions.

Be more entrepreneurial. Open Innovation | Lean Startup | Business Entrepreneurship