Venture success a springboard for Scotland's newest entrepreneurs

Seven students and staff can kickstart their entrepreneurial ambitions after receiving a share of a record £41,000 prize fund following the final of the University’s Venture 2022 competition.

The showpiece event marked the culmination of the University’s annual Entrepreneurship Week, a series of workshops and lectures championing opportunities for new business ventures in Scotland.

As well as funding to help support their business proposals, all winners receive a place on Elevator’s summer business accelerator programme. The 12-week course allows start-up founders to fine tune their proposals.

The winners of Venture 2022 are:

School of Business Award – Jevin Mathew

School of Medicine Award – Divyesh Joshi

School of Life Science Award – Shravya Murali

School of Art and Design Award – Daisy McConville

School of Science and Engineering Award – Ryan Anderson

Wildcard Award – Dr Robin Pflughaupt

Research Staff Award – Dr James Cantley

As well as cash prizes for the category winners, selected runners-up also received a share of this year’s prize fund, with business concepts ranging from stabilisation software for video footage filmed by racing-style drones, to a new enterprise that seeks to develop first-in-class drug candidates as a therapy for diabetes.

Brian McNicoll, Head of the Centre for Entrepreneurship, said, “Once again, the winners of our Venture competition demonstrate the thriving entrepreneurial culture that exists here at the University.

“Our external expert judges were thrilled by the ingenuity of the business concepts pitched by our students and staff and choosing winners was an incredibly tough task. Everyone who reached this stage can be incredibly proud of what they have achieved. I am certain that their experience in Venture 2022 will only help their businesses prosper in the years to come.”