Envestors Webinar

Envestors, one of the Home Office endorsing bodies for the UK Innovator Founder Visa, explain how endorsement works: the three criteria, fees and timelines, one of the most common reasons applications are rejected, and what happens in the three years after. Doris Zhang (Director of Visa Endorsement Programmes, Envestors) and Michael North (Director of Partnerships and Growth, Envestors) walk through the endorsement process, then answer the questions founders submitted at registration and live in the chat. Moderated by Sebastian Guevara, Infinitum Education. Applying to Envestors? In the "Referred by" field, enter: Infinitum Education / Doris and Michael IN THIS SESSION What counts as innovative, and why "a consultant with AI" is not enough Whether you can apply with an idea, a prototype or paying customers Money in the bank, and one of the most common reasons for rejection Incorporating before or after endorsement The 12 and 24 month checkpoints, and what the 36 month settlement assessment asks for Co-founders, already-registered companies, and what happens if the business doesn't work out KEY FACTS (as stated at the time of recording, 17 August 2026) Endorsement takes around 4 to 6 weeks, and the endorsement letter is valid for 3 months Fees are set by the Home Office and are the same at every endorsing body: £1,000 for the initial assessment, £500 at each of the 12 and 24 month checkpoints, and £1,000 at 36 months (£3,000 over three years) CHAPTERS 0:00 Welcome 1:20 Who Envestors are 4:06 The two-stage process and timelines 7:05 The three criteria: innovation, viability, scalability 9:29 Settlement criteria 12:04 Two endorsed founders 15:00 Fees 16:14 How to reference this session in your application 17:19 What counts as innovative, and the AI question 21:00 Does innovation have to be technological? 22:00 Idea, prototype or paying customers? 24:34 Money in the bank, and a common rejection reason 27:05 Do you need to be incorporated? 28:06 What Envestors do after endorsement 31:52 Checkpoints in years 1, 2 and 3 34:14 Where preparation pays off, and whether some sectors are harder 36:03 Fees revisited, co-founders and equity 38:18 Moonshot or survivor: what if the business fails? 40:11 Memorable applications 42:31 Already-registered companies and dependants 43:59 Closing USEFUL LINKS Envestors: https://www.envestors.co.uk Envestors' free biweekly webinars on their application process: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/W... Innovator Founder Visa on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/innovator-founder-visa Official list of endorsing bodies: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications... FROM INFINITUM EDUCATION Not ready to apply yet? Our 8-week Innovator Founder Programme helps international founders build their venture, from idea to a live investor pitch: https://www.infinitumeducation.com/#innova... Subscribe for more sessions with founders and the people who assess them. This session is for educational purposes only and is not immigration advice. No applications were assessed during the session. Envestors is an endorsing body contracted by the Home Office, not part of it. Endorsement decisions are made by endorsing bodies and visa decisions by the Home Office. Infinitum Education's programme is run independently of Envestors and does not guarantee endorsement. Fees and timelines may change, so check GOV.UK and the endorsing body for current information. For immigration questions, speak to a regulated immigration adviser. #InnovatorFounderVisa #UKStartups #Envestors