ENGINEERING STUDENTS FROM IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON WIN START UP BUSINESS AWARD IN THE EIBF 2022 CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS COMPETITION

A team of design engineers from Imperial College London scooped first prize in the Engineers in Business Champion of Champions Final on 28 October 2022.  The team comprising Megan Hale, Anais Engelmann, Oscar Jones, Patrick McGuckian and Oliver Colebourne were awarded £3,000 for the creation of its eponymously named invention, Team Repair.  This is the first sustainable subscription service that teaches children science, technology, and the life skill of repairing things.

Every month, children are sent an electronic gadget with carefully planned faults, and all the tools needed to fix it. Guided by an app, they learn key repair skills as well as the concepts behind core components like microprocessors. Once they finish the repair, they send the gadget back to Team Repair but keep the tools. In this way, they will build a complete toolbox across the 12-month fix-it programme.

Team Repair differs from other STEM kits: first, it teaches science and technology using real-world products, which creates a far more engaging experience for the children. Second, children are taught the life skill of repair, which is key to enabling children to live more sustainably by developing a repairing mindset and last, the subscription is entirely sustainable with zero waste.

On being presented with the Champion of Champions Award team leader, Megan Hale said: “We’re so happy to have won the Start-up category – it’s amazing to get validation for our business from Engineers in Business Fellowship.  The cash prize will supercharge our research and development and our plan to launch in April 2023.  This means we can get more of our kits into the hands of more children.

“As engineers creating a business designed to get more children to aspire to become engineers, having the stamp of approval from Engineers in Business Fellowship is so important for us and will open doors as we seek to form partnerships with companies to take Team Repair in homes and schools.”

Head of the Judging Panel, SMF Chris Shelley, Chief Executive Officer, SolarBotanic Trees said: “We had an exceptionally talented group of finalists, and it was very difficult to separate many of the presentations.   Team Repair won first prize by demonstrating a clear vision and mission, presenting sound research and having already developed its product with a clear route to market.  We wish them great success with their business development.”

In addition to the £3,000 cash prize, Team Repair will benefit from further mentoring from a Sainsbury Management Fellow, an engineer who received a £50,000 scholarship from Engineers in Business Fellowship to study for an MBA at a top international business school.  In addition, each member of Team Repair will receive a professional CV package from PurpleCV and a popular entrepreneurial book from Cambridge University Press.

Engineers in Business Fellowship is a registered charity that champions business education for engineers and supports not only qualified engineers to gain business education, but also supports universities by giving them grants to award prizes to engineering students who develop ground-breaking ideas that can make a positive impact on society.  The grants enable universities to inspire more engineering and technology students to participate in innovation and entrepreneurship, skills that they take into their careers.