Student Founder Showcase 2026
A night of celebrating Southampton’s next generation of entrepreneurs
Innovation and entrepreneurship took centre stage at Turner Sims Concert Hall on Highfield Campus, as the University of Southampton Student Enterprise team welcomed guests to the 2026 Student Founder Showcase, an evening celebrating the creativity, ambition and achievements of Southampton’s student founders.
Student Enterprise supports students and recent graduates to explore their entrepreneurial ambitions through programmes, personalised one-to-one support, expert guidance and access to funding opportunities. The Student Founder Showcase is the annual celebration of the Foundership Programme, which takes place at The Junction each summer and supports students as they develop their ideas and grow as founders.
The evening brought together students, staff, local businesses and supporters from across Southampton’s entrepreneurial community to recognise and celebrate student founders from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds, from freelancers and social changemakers to start-up founders and tech innovators.
Attendees heard inspiring stories from the 2026 Foundership cohort, who reflected on how 10 weeks of funding, mentorship and dedicated support helped them develop their businesses over the summer. The evening also welcomed back Foundership alumni Jasmin Mason (founder of Karuna Canine Behaviour) and Arshia Tourani (founder of Allotrope), who shared their entrepreneurial journeys, the progress they have made since taking part in the programme, and the role Foundership played along the way.
A highlight of the evening was an engaging keynote from Tom Foster-Carter, former COO of Monzo and co-founder and CEO of Cherrypick, the smart grocery shopping assistant. Drawing on his experience building and scaling businesses, Tom shared insights from his entrepreneurial journey and the lessons he has learned along the way.
The Showcase concluded with networking, giving founders and guests the opportunity to continue conversations, make new connections and celebrate the achievements of the evening together. The evening also recognised the winners of the Pulse for Change competition, who were presented with certificates to celebrate their achievements.
From the newest ideas to established alumni ventures, the 2026 Student Founder Showcase highlighted the creativity, ambition and entrepreneurial spirit thriving across the University of Southampton, and offered an exciting glimpse of what could come next.
Feeling inspired to start something of your own? There’s loads more to get involved in with Student Enterprise and the Social Impact Lab.
Visit The Junction website to discover more about Student Enterprise and the Social Impact Lab, register your interest in our upcoming workshops and Sofa Sessions, and explore more ways to get involved. You can also join our mailing list to be the first to hear about upcoming funding rounds, opportunities and announcements!
It’s not too early to register your interest for the 2027 Foundership Scheme! It could be you up on stage next year celebrating your own business success. Check out the Foundership page to find out more.
Alternatively, book a 1:1 with a member of the team to see what Student Enterprise can offer you!
Book a 1:1