Ten finalists from the听University of mini传媒 Centre for Entrepreneurship听(鲍颁贰)鈥檚听Summer Startup Programme听took part in a fast-paced showcase competition at The Piano last week and a panel of industry judges have selected four award winners.
The Innovation Award went to听Krzysztof Maliszewski听(Master of Science)听whose venture PiJ .Tech features software to improve the quality of images provided by optical coherence tomography (OCT), a light-based imaging device that鈥檚 used to diagnose eye problems and diseases, including diabetes and cancer.
The Impact Award went to听David Pethybridge (Master of Engineering Management)听for his venture RoadVac, a portable device that removes surface-layer dust from gravel roads, offering a solution to a significant environmental problem that has adverse health effects.听
The Most Well-Developed Award went to听Monique Lau听(Bachelor of Product Design)听who created endoSoothe, a skin cream that uses natural ingredients such as ginger root oil, yarrow and cypress leaf oil to help relieve the symptoms of endometriosis. 听Lau, who is herself an endometriosis sufferer, developed the product as part of her third-year project in the UC School of Product Design.
The Presentation Award went to听Marcus Davidson (Bachelor of Engineering) for his multi-player card game that he says is perfect for families and friends. Coop鈥檚 cards are illustrated by Marcus鈥 sister and depict chickens that are named after their family鈥檚 hens.
The audience at last week鈥檚 showcase also had the chance to vote for their favourite venture. The People鈥檚 Choice Award went to听Jack Carrick听and听Thomas McGuinness (both Bachelor of Commerce)听and their product Nailed it Nutrition, a plant protein made primarily of soy and faba bean and containing amino acids.
The finalists were selected from an initial group of 24 students who took part in the Summer Startup Programme for the past 10 weeks. The programme is designed to help them fast-track their business venture through workshops and one-to-one guidance from experienced mentors.
UC Centre for Entrepreneurship Director Gerard Quinn says the programme, which is celebrating its milestone 10th听year, provides a challenging and valuable experience for participants.
鈥淎t the UC Centre for Entrepreneurship we are all about increasing the entrepreneurial spirit and capability within and beyond the University. Since November 2022, the student-founders of this latest Summer Startup Programme cohort have been putting in the mahi to develop their ideas, validate their markets and execute on their ventures.鈥
UCE Innovation Lead Lisa Martin acknowledged the support of academics, entrepreneurs and industry experts who make the programme successful. 鈥淭hey challenge our student founders in a supportive environment to take risks and learn fast, nail their business models and make things happen.鈥
The other Summer Startup 2023 finalists were:
Alexandria Aitchison (Bachelor of Commerce)听for 鈥楻osalie鈥檚 Boutique鈥 a clothing line that offers affordable, classic pieces for women.听
Bonnie Humphrey (PhD Biological Sciences and Psychology)听and听Averill Moser-Rust (PhD in Biological Sciences)听have set up Funded, a web-based, personalised platform that helps academics locate and secure research funding.
Matthew Calvert (Bachelor of Product Design), who is working on a venture called Ghost Gear that aims to promote more sustainable fishing practices by reducing the number of lost and discarded fishing pots in the ocean. Matthew is working on technology that would allow buoys and other gear to be tracked using GPS and then recovered, saving money and cutting waste.
Natasha听Young (Master of Health Sciences)听and听Amber Jones (Bachelor of Teaching and Learning)听are behind Prism, an online database that aims to improve healthcare and accessibility for the LGBTQ community.听
Saskia van der Peet (Bachelor of Engineering)听and听Caleb Dell (Bachelor of Laws)听have developed an online tool called Farmgate Foods to manage sales and shipping paperwork for small businesses.
