Live business projects at Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS) give organisations access to MBA-level insight, delivering practical recommendations that support real commercial decisions.
In this case study, we spoke to AMBS alumnus Niaz Rayan, who shared how working with MBA students added value to his agri-tech start-up, SporeSense, ahead of commercialisation.
Can you briefly describe your business and why you decided to offer a project to Manchester MBA students?
SporeSense is an agri-tech start-up developing airborne pathogen detection sensors for the agriculture industry.
Our technology helps growers detect crop diseases early, enabling more precise and timely interventions. As a start-up, we're resource-constrained but commercially ambitious, which is exactly why working with Manchester MBAs on a consultancy project appealed to me, having gone through the process myself during my MBA.
Having grown up in Manchester and studied at AMBS for both my undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, I recognise the strength of the talent within the University. I wanted fresh eyes and rigorous thinking on our go-to-market strategy and market opportunity, particularly as we are 12 months from commercialisation and preparing for a pre-seed raise.
The MBA programme offered the right opportunity, with a team of consultant students critically analysing our approach. Having benefited from the generous support I received before, during and after my MBA, I have always felt a genuine pull to give something back, much like our incredible donor community.
What were the most valuable outcomes for your organisation from working with MBA students?
The students brought structure and analytical depth to questions we had been grappling with internally.
A key focus area was our market expansion strategy into North and South America, where we had identified opportunities at a high level but needed a more in-depth analysis of market entry, sizing and potential partner organisations.
The students provided detailed insights into market sizing, challenged our pricing assumptions, and helped us think more clearly about our route to market across different customer segments. They also identified potential partners whose businesses complement our technology, helping us establish a foothold in these markets.
Some of their work has fed directly into our Innovate UK grant application and investor materials, making the impact very tangible, not just advisory.
How did the MBA students add value in terms of their thinking, approach or delivery?
The students were thorough, professional, and genuinely curious about the sector, which, given how niche agri-tech is, I appreciated enormously.
What stood out most was their ability to bring frameworks from other industries and apply them to our context in a way that felt fresh rather than formulaic. They challenged our assumptions constructively in a way that internal team members might not.
They were also creative in their approach to the brief, reflected in the breadth of sources they used to gather data. Given the niche nature of agri-tech, their ability to combine primary research with secondary sources such as industry reports was particularly valuable.
The structure and approach of the International Business Project offer exceptional value for money. We now have a clearer understanding of the markets we want to expand into, the right organisations to approach, and the financial opportunity within those markets.
What did the students gain from working on your project, and how did it prepare them for their future careers?
I hope they came away with a real sense of what it is like to work inside an early-stage deep-tech business, the ambiguity, the pace, and the importance of making decisions with incomplete information.
They also gained exposure to the agri-food and sustainability space, which is a growing area for careers in consulting, investment and industry. I made a point of being open about the commercial realities we face, so I hope they left with insights that will support their future careers.
In fact, I am currently speaking with a number of MBA students about joining us for summer internships. I have been particularly impressed by those who have taken a strong interest in our start-up through initiatives such as the VCIC competition.
As someone still connected to the University ecosystem through our spin-out, I always make myself available to students navigating post-MBA career decisions.
What would you say to others who are considering offering a project to MBA students?
Do it - especially if you’re running a growing business that would benefit from focused external thinking. The students are motivated, capable, and bring an outside perspective that is difficult to replicate internally.
The time commitment is manageable, and the value you receive far outweighs it.
As an alumnus, staying connected to the School and the next generation of business leaders is rewarding in its own right. There are many ways to get involved, from offering a project to recruiting AMBS talent.
I have provided projects from both a corporate perspective during my time at Sony, and more recently from a start-up perspective through SporeSense. I have never regretted it; the quality of the work has directly supported our commercial decision-making.
Work with AMBS: turn insight into impact
Whether you’re scaling a start-up or looking to bring new perspective to an established organisation, an International Business Project offers a unique, high-impact way to engage with AMBS. Tap into the talent, insight and energy of our MBA cohort, and gain practical recommendations that can directly shape your strategy.
Interested in getting involved? Explore how you can collaborate with our candidates on an MBA consultancy project to support your organisation’s next stage of growth.
Want to experience an MBA project for yourself?
Find out more about the Full-time MBA at AMBS and how you can work directly with organisations on real commercial challenges.
