06/09/2024
The Lee Library turns 30
This year's shortlisted competition finalists will pitch their business ideas to a panel of experts during a day of presentations and networking.
The teams in the final all have at least one current University of Cambridge student or an alumnus/alumna. Their pitches will outline their proposal, its potential market and the team's ability to deliver the product.
Some pitches will be delivered remotely from the US and Australia, with other finalists travelling from Singapore and Germany to take part.
The event, hosted by Entrepreneurship Hub chair Chris Coleridge, is open to everyone - .
Chris said:
“The leaps of imagination that are necessary for successful Entrepreneurship are cross-disciplinary. To bring any technology in contact with the real world, you have to understand psychology, sociology, economics and the art of the story.
That’s why a College is a natural hub for entrepreneurship activity. We at 鶹ӾCollege are delighted to bring our students and alumni in touch with nascent businesses that represent the future of how we will all be living on this planet in the future.”
Wolfson's Director of Networks Sian Cook said there had been more than 100 entries from around the world.
"The finalists are all of a very high standard and have some amazing ideas. This international event will be of interest to everyone who has interest in entrepreneurship, from students considering converting their ideas into viable, business proposals through to established leaders in their commercial fields.
There will be inspirational stories, expert business advice, networking and the opportunity to be the first to hear about the successful businesses of the future."
The pitches will be made to a judging panel of alumni and business experts, including Michael O’Sullivan, Robert Cashmore, Evelyn Titchy, Carol Yuen, Jerry Wu, Omar Majid and Ian Chapman-Banks. It will also include Wolfson's incoming President Ijeoma Uchegbu and Elise Jenkins, of Opti Biosystems, who won the 2022 competition.
As well as an overall prize of £5,000, there are prizes for the winners of the Climate Tech, Global Health, and Female Founders categories.
The prizes have been sponsored by Christian Bunke, (Climate Tech); Ian Chapman-Banks, (Global Health); Omar Majid, (Female Founders) and Christopher Clarke, Senior College Member, (overall winner).
The 18 teams in the final are headed up by leaders with the following college affiliations.
| Yasaman Kalantarmotamedi | Murray Edwards | |
| Victoria Schöffel | Wolfson | |
| Natalija Stepurko | Corpus Christi | |
| Elinor Wakefield | Queens' | |
| Compound Hound | Melanie Jane Whitfield | Darwin |
| Matias Acosta | Trinity | |
| DiscoTech Biosciences | Joshua Newington | Hughes Hall |
| Elliot James Medcalf | Clare Hall | |
| Kinhub | Helen Yannakoudakis | Wolfson |
| Katie Day | Clare Hall | |
| Charlotte Esler | Clare | |
| Priyanka Joshi | Clare Hall | |
| Peter Hertenstein | Wolfson | |
| Mohammad Saghafifar | Wolfson | |
| Niki Santo | Queens' | |
| Mariana Barona | Pembroke | |
| Team NeoTILa | Han Chong Toh | Wolfson |
| Maximilian Bloomfield | Corpus Christi |
