Innovator Founder Advisory
“Every once in a while, a new technology, an old problem, and a big idea turn into an innovation.” — Dean Kamen
I’m Danish Khan. I’ve spent the last 8+ years mentoring founders, building startups, and helping people turn vague ideas into real, working businesses. In 2026, I was endorsed under the UK Innovator Founder route for my own company.
This page exists because I kept seeing the same pattern: smart people with ambition, but either no idea yet, or an idea that wasn’t innovative enough, viable enough, or scalable enough for the Innovator Founder route.
If that sounds like you, this is where we work together.
Who this is for
This advisory is for people who:
- Want to apply for the Innovator Founder visa
- Either already have an idea or want help discovering the right idea
- Want to build a real business, not just get a visa
- Are willing to think deeply, do the work, and be challenged
This is not for people looking for shortcuts, templates, or guaranteed outcomes.
How I Help
Everything here is advisory-led. I work with you, not for you. You remain the founder, decision-maker, and owner of your application and business at all times.
I work with founders across three core stages:
1.
Idea Discovery & Innovation Framing
If you don’t yet have a strong idea, we work together to:
- Identify real UK-market pain points
- Test ideas against innovation, non‑displacement, and defensibility criteria
- Shape concepts that are actually endorsement-ready
This is where most people fail — and where most advisors don’t help
2.
Endorsement-Ready Business Building
If you already have an idea, we pressure-test it hard:
- Is it genuinely innovative in the UK context?
- Does it add to the UK economy rather than displacing existing businesses?
- Can it scale beyond you as an individual?
- Does your background make sense for this problem?
We refine the story, the structure, and the logic until it stands up to scrutiny.
3.
Founder Readiness & Strategy
The Innovator route isn’t just about the business — it’s about you.
I help you:
- Align your personal story with the business
- Prepare for endorsement interviews and scrutiny
- Think beyond endorsement towards 12‑month, 24‑month, and ILR milestones
The Innovator Founder journey
Phase 1 — Exploration & Validation (4–8 weeks)
- Market research
- Founder–problem fit
- Early validation
Phase 2 — Business Plan & Strategy (4–6 weeks)
Innovation narrative
Viability & financial logic
Scalability roadmap
Phase 3 — Endorsement Application (4–8 weeks)
Endorsing body alignment
Submission and interview prep
Phase 4 — Visa Application (3–8 weeks)
Post‑endorsement execution
Advisory tiers
Tier 1 — Clarity Sprint
For early-stage founders or idea explorers
- Idea discovery or idea stress‑testing
- Innovation & viability assessment
- Clear next steps
Short, intense, and honest.
Tier 2 — Founder Advisory
For founders preparing for endorsement
- Ongoing 1:1 advisory
- Business and founder narrative refinement
- Endorsement readiness support
This is collaborative and hands‑on.
Tier 3 — End‑to‑End Support
For founders who want deep partnership
- Idea → endorsement strategy
- Iterative feedback across the journey
- Long‑term thinking toward settlement
Selective and limited.
What makes this different
- I’ve been endorsed myself under this route
- I’ve mentored and built startups long before this visa existed
- I don’t sell templates, kits, or shortcuts
- I will tell you when an idea is not strong enough
- I care about what happens after endorsement
This is founder‑to‑founder work.
A note on honesty
This work is about thinking clearly and building responsibly. It is not legal advice, immigration advice, or a substitute for regulated professionals. Where legal or immigration advice is required, I will always recommend engaging a qualified advisor.
Startups fail. Pivots happen. That’s part of the journey.
The Innovator Founder route allows evolution — but only when it’s done thoughtfully, transparently, and with endorsement approval. I help you think about contingencies before you need them.
If this resonates
If you’re thinking seriously about what you’re building — and want clarity before taking your next step, Click below to fill out the form and share a few details.
This isn’t a sales call or a funnel.
It’s simply a way to understand your situation and see if there’s alignment.