UCL startup helps create stronger sustainability links between China and the UK

Arcas & Callisto Consulting supports Chinese and UK businesses to collaborate on developing and embracing the latest sustainable building technologies.

The sustainability-focused startup aims to make collaboration and communication easier between UK and Chinese businesses in the building sector. Entrepreneurship experts from BaseKX, UCL’s dedicated entrepreneurship hub in King’s Cross, have supported the business since 2018. 

Facilitating cross-cultural collaboration

Set up by UCL alumna Jia Li (MSc Social Development Practice, 2017), the startup acts as a bridge between UK and Chinese businesses looking to exploit new, more sustainable building technologies.

Arcas & Callisto provides technical and market consultancy, and organises knowledge exchange activities so businesses in both countries can learn about the latest environmentally-focused building materials.

“As the world is moving to less of a competitive business environment, and more of a collaborative one, we want to help organisations in the UK and China work more closely together to develop and embrace technologies that are better for the planet,” explains Jia. 

Jia started the business after studying her Master’s degree in Social Development Practice at UCL, with encouragement from her father back in China. She now runs the business with him, with her father looking after operations in China, and Jia running things here in the UK. Between the two locations, the consultancy has now grown to employ six staff. 

Support with growing the business

Jia joined the Hatchery incubator programme at BaseKX in 2018, which is managed by the Entrepreneurship team in UCL Innovation & Enterprise. Here she received free desk space and dedicated support with developing the business, including help with her startup visa endorsement. 

“Being an international student from China, I first had to provide evidence that my business idea was viable to get my visa to stay here. The team at UCL Innovation & Enterprise were extremely helpful in supporting me with my visa application. I also received a lot of other help in areas like business insurance, accountancy and mentoring. There’s no way we could have got as far as we have without their support,” adds Jia.

“Jivko Hristov, entrepreneurship advisor at UCL Innovation & Enterprise in particular has been so supportive. He believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself and has given me the confidence to keep going.”

Making an impact across borders

Since being part of the Hatchery, Arcas & Callisto Consulting is establishing itself as a trusted name in the UK and Chinese building sector.

The startup has won a major research contract as part of Horizon Europe, one of the world’s most prestigious research programmes organised by the European Union. Arcas & Callisto are one of 23 partners from seven countries helping to develop an automated approach to recycling construction and demolition waste. 

The business also runs webinars with experts from China and the UK on new building technologies like fungal building materials and more energy efficient windows. Their workshop on using wheat straw as a material for furniture and interior design has been viewed by over one million people.

Being an international student and entrepreneur

Jia believes that being from China and running a business here has both challenges and advantages. 

“I’d been involved in a student exchange to London before, as part of my undergraduate degree in Hong Kong, so the culture shock wasn’t as much for me. But not being from the UK, everything sometimes still seems a bit different.

“The brilliant thing about UCL is the diversity. Not only were there students on my course from the UK and China, there were people from Chile, Mongolia, Canada, and Colombia. There’s a lot of solidarity in that.

“And now that I run a business that’s all about collaborating between the UK and China, that diversity has been extremely helpful. I feel comfortable meeting, and working with, people from all over the world. I value that as one of the wonderful things I’ve gained from being a student at UCL.”

Links

Find out more about:

• Entrepreneurship support available to UCL students and recent graduates
• UCL’s Hatchery startup incubator programme
• UCL and China
• Arcas & Callisto Consulting
• Horizon Europe research project
• The Bartlett, UCL’s Faculty of the Built Environment

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