The winners of the 2019 Venture Further business start-up competition have been announced at an awards ceremony at The University of Manchester. 10 teams of entrepreneurs have been awarded a share of a £75,000 cash prize fund to help take their start-ups to the next level.
The annual Venture Further competition, run by the Masood Enterprise Centre, invites students and researchers from across The University of Manchester, as well as recent alumni, to submit their business proposal to an expert judging panel of enterprise and business professionals. The competition offers an opportunity to win a vital cash injection to help realise their business goals.
The 2019 Venture Further competition attracted more than 65 entries, with 20 reaching the final round. In each of the five categories – Business, Creative, Environmental, Social and Technology – five teams competed for the top cash prize of £12,000. The runners up in each category also received a £3,000 prize.
This year’s winners were:
Business category
Everest
A universal table service app, which enables pub goers to browse menus, place their order and pay the bill in any bar/pub or restaurant anywhere in the world.
- Daulet Bukanov, BAEcon Finance
- Mohamad-Salim Al-Heraki, BAEcon Accounting and Finance
- Alisher Iglymov and Yerulan Abayuly (external team members)
Hear from all business finalists >>
Creative category
Basera (U.K) Ltd
Aims to make exercising more comfortable and accessible to customers, by remodelling the production of quality sports bras, apparel and services, with new material technologies, authentic designs and meaningful innovation.
- Erin McDermott, Master of Enterprise (Textiles and Fashion)
Hear from all creative finalists >>
Environmental category
Mindful Store
A modern-day ‘phygital’ store that lets small and medium-sized sustainable brands get into retail and reach a wider audience.
- Vladislav Mukhachev, BA Environmental Management
- Timofey Cherkasov, BSc Mathematics with Financial Mathematics
- Stefan Cherkasov, BA Environmental Management
Hear from all environmental finalists in this category >>
Social category
Invisible Manchester
A global social enterprise that trains people who have been affected by homelessness to become walking tour guides.
- Alice Sparks, BA Politics and Modern History
- Millie Maltby, BA Religions and Theology
- Danny Collins and Zakia Moulaoui (external team members)
Hear from all social finalists in this category >>
Technology category
AEH Innovative Hydrogel Ltd
Providing an innovative polymeric dressing to healthcare providers to detect and treat chronic wound infection at an early stage in an easy clinical setting.
- Beenish Siddique, PhD in Materials
- Dr Siti Rabizah Makhsin, PhD Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science
- Dr Jacek Wychowaniec, PhD Materials
- Dr Firoj Ali and Dr Mohammad Saghir (external team members)
Hear from all technology finalists in this category >>
Dr Martin Henery, said: “We have seen an increase in both the quality and preparedness of the proposals being entered. There is more evidence of a ‘minimum viable product’ and early testing with prospective users and potential customers, the proposals are much more credible.
“In addition, the quality of some of the presenters has been remarkable causing some of our judges to comment that on any other day, they would have invested in those individuals there and then.
“These increases in quality don’t make the job of our judges any easier. However, it does remain an immensely enjoyable and rewarding task for all involved and something they wish to repeat year after year.”
Venture Further 2019 was supported by:
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