The number of startups formed by students and graduates from Leicestershire universities is at its lowest in a decade.
According to figures published by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), just 38 new companies were set up by students and graduates from De Montfort University, University of Leicester and Loughborough University combined in 2023/24.
This compares to 133 in 22/23, 153 in 21/22 and 175 in 20/21.
The previous lowest number of spin-outs coming out of Leicestershire institutions was in 2017/18 when 50 businesses were formed.
HESA describes student start-ups as “all new businesses started by students currently registered at the reporting HE provider or who have exited the reporting HE provider with an award within the last two years, regardless of where any IP resides, but only where there has been formal business/enterprise support from the HE provider.”
De Montfort University (15 student startups) dropped out of the top 10 universities in the country producing startups, something it had done in the previous couple of years.
Only Loughborough University’s numbers rose from 17 to 21 student startups.
University of Leicester managed just two.
The news comes as Universities UK – the organisation which lobbies on behalf of higher education – launches a new national campaign to show the impact universities have in helping support and motivate students to set up their own businesses.
An analysis by Universities UK has suggested that by 2028, about 27,000 new start-ups, with a predicted turnover of about £10.8 billion, could be established at institutions across the UK with the right support.