On Tuesday 29 July, we held our first online Pitch-Off event, marking the exciting conclusion of our 8-week summer incubator programme which we launched this academic year.
9 of our most promising budding entrepreneurs participated in the event, delivering 90-second elevator pitches followed by a 3-minute Q&A session with our panel of judges, in the hope of winning a share of the £10,000 prize fund generously supported by Santander Universities.
After spending the summer honing their business ideas, developing their entrepreneurial skills and applying their knowledge with our specialist mentors through a range of one-to-one and group mentoring sessions, the group was ready to showcase their progress at our online event.
The judging panel consisted of mentors from the incubator programme:
Internal:
External:
All the ventures gave outstanding elevator pitches and did just as well during the Q&A, our judges were very impressed. They have made amazing progress this summer, and we are thrilled to be able to offer financial support to enable each of them to further refine their business ideas and take them to the next level.
Meet the Ventures:
Market Disruption Award
Azim Raja, PG Civil and Environmental Engineering (MSc) 2023 Graduate
Founder of Teek it: Uber Eats for construction. Delivering Building Material in as little as 30 minutes to help contractors and tradespeople stay on schedule and reduce costly downtime.
International Innovation Award
Davis Onyancha Nyakundi, PG Brunel Law School (LLM) Student
Founder of JAWABU: AI legal platform for Africa designed to improve access to justice by providing affordable, automated legal guidance across multiple jurisdictions.
MedTech Award
Donya Mansouri, UG Medicine (MBBS) Student
Founder of Tilapia Revive: an innovative, biocompatible burn treatment using tilapia-infused face sheets to accelerate healing, reduce scarring, and minimise pain—providing a cost-effective, sustainable alternative to traditional burn care solutions.
Rising Star Award
Ilias Pajoheshfar, UG Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences (BSc) Student
Founder of SYFN: E-Sports agency promoting competitive gaming while integrating performance coaching and wellbeing training for young players.
Idea to Impact Award
Jonny Parker, UG Product Design Engineering (BSc) 2025 Graduate
Founder of Braille Forge: a 3D braille printer empowering teachers to produce bespoke learning materials to help teach visually impaired students graphical STEM concepts through the use of braille and tactile graphics.
Idea to Impact Award
Lauren Harrison, PG Psychology (MSc) 2023 Graduate
Founder of Bellatrix Project: Supporting female survivors of intra-familial childhood sexual abuse throughout their healing journey by providing trauma-informed resources, peer support, and pathways to long-term recovery.
Best Pitch Award
Louis DeCleyn, UG Industrial Design and Technology (BA) 2024 Graduate
Founder of Sine Health: a wearable device that optimises resilience to stress and trauma by dynamically guiding users’ breathing through discreet vibrations, enhancing wellbeing for high-stress professions like emergency services.
Idea to Impact Award
Md Abdur Razzak, UG Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) 2025 Graduate
Founder of ZenVolt: helping fleet companies save money and drive sustainability with an AI-powered tracker, fleet optimisation and blockchain-based rewards - turning efficiency into profit whilst ensuring ESG compliance.
Best EdTech Award
Nelson Eyidi, UG Civil and Environmental Engineering (MEng) 2022 Graduate
Founder of Oikono: A mobile app designed to empower young professionals in the UK to navigate the complexities of personal finance. Through AI-powered assessments, tailored learning paths, and interactive tools, Oikono builds financial confidence, and help users achieve long-term financial success.
