The Masood Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC) at The University of Manchester is delighted to announce its social and environment category winners after successfully concluding the Venture Further Awards 2024, the UK’s leading university-led start-up competition.

The annual competition, which boasts a substantial £100,000 prize fund, saw a record-breaking 143 applications, marking a 34% increase from the previous year. The competition attracted innovative business proposals across five categories, two of which were ‘environment’ and ‘social’. Held on Wednesday, 8 May 2024, it was an evening of celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit within our University community.

The environment category had finalists presenting various sustainable solutions. Nayab Raza’s ALGAVERSE proposed a low-cost, microalgae-based biomass biofertilizers for agricultural lands. OptiSpark, pitched by Timothy Capper, aimed to use buildings as energy storage units. Kieron O’Sullivan’s ReMake Materials was a marketplace platform connecting material suppliers with users needing leftover stock materials. Josiah Edebiri’s UrbanWatt offered a state-of-the-art charging stations in urban areas for low-power electric vehicles. Winners were:

• 1st place: Timothy Capper, OptiSpark
• 2nd place: Nayab Raza, ALGAVERSE

The Social category finalists focused on addressing critical global and local social issues. Muhammad Asad Butt’s BasicX presented a revolutionary approach to address period poverty and empower women in Pakistan. Cesare Giulio Ardito’s I3Italy CIC is a resource hub for Italians in England. Danielle Fatunla’s The Onyx Group is a tech-based organisation for black students providing mentorship, consultancy and opportunities. Chanel Ehi-Palmer’s hair care brand aimed to narrow the ‘texture gap’ within the hair industry. Winners were:

• 1st place: Danielle Fatunla, The Onyx Group
• 2nd place: Chanel Ehi-Palmer, EHI

MEC will continue to champion students, recent graduates, and staff’s entrepreneurial aspirations. They remain committed to offering a wide array of co-curricular activities to help the community gain experience in their entrepreneurial journeys.

• Find out more about MEC here.