NEXUS Masterclasses are now open for registration
Two essential Startup Masterclasses are now open for registration, designed specifically for founders and business owners navigating complex innovation, IP, and immigration requirements. Each event offers highly practical insights from experienced experts to help you protect your innovation, strengthen your funding eligibility, and secure your long-term UK status.
MASTERCLASS 1: Innovator Founder ILR & Extensions – Avoid the Pitfalls Before You Apply
- Date: 26 November 2025
- Time: 2:00 PM GMT
- Cost: Free – limited spaces available
Founders on the UK Innovator Founder visa are invited to this focused legal and strategic session designed to help you avoid the most common errors when applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or visa extensions.
Hosted by leading business immigration barrister Tom Bradford, this live masterclass delivers insider guidance on what truly matters to case reviewers — and how to present your progress and documentation with confidence.
What you’ll learn
- Master the Milestones — How to demonstrate your ‘significant achievements’ and meet the “greater than mean” success test.
- Get Your Evidence Right — What proof is required for IP, R&D, and cumulative absences, plus how to avoid errors that cause refusals.
- Insider Guidance from Experience — Tom Bradford shares 20+ years of real-world insight to help you prepare a rock-solid case.
Who should attend:
- Founders on the Innovator Founder visa
- Advisors supporting ILR or extension applicants
- Scaleup teams preparing for long-term UK residency and investment
MASTERCLASS 2: How to Build Strong R&D Evidence through Patent Strategy (Chinese Speaking)
- Date: Dec 3rd 10am GMT
- Cost: Free – registration open
Hosted by Jack Zhu, co-founder of Bejing Crown & Rights Law as well as UK based startup Invention Village with 20+ years of experience in patent law consulting renowned companies such as Deutsche Bank, Nokia, Huawei, Sony, Microsoft and more. This expert-led masterclass helps startups and scaleups turn day-to-day R&D activity into robust, multi-purpose evidence that supports patent filings, government funding applications, and investor due diligence.
Attendees will learn how to connect technical documentation, patent feasibility, and R&D proof into one coherent strategy that drives both compliance and commercial advantage.
What you’ll learn
- Four Key Types of R&D Evidence — Which documentation carries the most weight and how to standardise it.
- Patent-Based Evidence Enhancement — How to use patent strategies to fill R&D documentation gaps.
- Multi-Purpose Strategy — How one evidence pack can serve both patent and funding claims.
- Innovation Patent Feasibility Analysis — How to assess whether your project is worth pursuing for IP protection and funding.
Who should attend:
- Chinese speaking Founders, CTOs, and R&D leads in early-stage companies
- Startups applying for R&D tax reliefs or innovation grants
- Product and IP managers seeking efficient documentation systems
Why these events matter
Together, these two masterclasses form a powerful double focus for innovation-led founders:
- Strengthen your technical and legal foundations through evidence and IP strategy.
- Secure your long-term UK presence by meeting ILR and extension requirements with confidence.
Both sessions are free to attend, offering startup leaders the clarity, frameworks, and expert advice they need to build enduring success in the UK innovation ecosystem.
