Business Innovation & Entrepreneurship

The University of York’s Business Innovation & Entrepreneurship course provides broad coverage of what’s involved in the exploitation of technologies through innovation and entrepreneurship. It is a practical introduction to the creation and development of enterprises that generate and sustain value from ideas, inventions and opportunities. The broad aims of the course are to (a) develop an awareness of, and interests in, business innovation and entrepreneurship, (b) introduce participants to the factors involved in taking new technology to market, (c) enhance employability through greater business awareness and confidence, (d) encourages students to explore ambitions around launching or joining early-stage businesses and develop students’ potential to become job creators.

Winner: Plantiful Beauty

Project:

Emily Patterson, Tian Tian Yang, Madison Lui, Lewi Walker, Ben Dillon and Hannah Pope – 3rd-year Interactive Media Undergraduates, Department of Theatre Film & TV – £1,500 Engineers in Business Prize

Plantiful Beauty is a cosmetic range that is sustainable, recyclable and offers a refill service, subscription plan and a fully vegan and cruelty-free products.

Awarded: £1,500

Second Prize Winner

Project:

James William Hensman and Samuel Wynn Humphreys – 2nd-Year Computer Science Undergraduates – £1,000

Cupple is a platform for tea drinkers to find friendship and possible romance.

Awarded: £1,000

Third Prize Winner: WePlay

Project:

Jingru Chai, Jake Followell, Jonathan Peniket and Victoria Tompkins – 3rd-year Interactive Media Undergraduates, Department of Theatre Film & TV – £500 Engineers in Business Prize

WePlay is a social media for gamers to share experiences and chat in a supportive and non-toxic environment.

Awarded: £500

Commended: Seclude

Project:

Jade Zhu, Hongxi Du, Yuyan Zhao, Jessye Shaw, Kate Farkhulina and Sarah Alomri – 3rd-Year Interactive Media Undergraduates, Department of Theatre Film & TV

Seclude is a designer range of heated sportswear for skiing and outdoor activities.

Commended: Paylancing

Project:

Yutong Liu, Ethan Sather, Dominic Ward, Shiyu Zhang and Holly Wright – 3rd-Year Interactive Media Undergraduates, Department of Theatre Film & TV

Paylancing is a mobile application that can ensure freelancers are paid on time through an escrow style money holding system.

Commended: Uniloop

Project:

Nnamdi Nduka-Ezi and Ben Harris – 1st-year Computer Science Undergraduates

Uniloop connects students to events and opportunities both on and off-campus.

Positive feedback

All participating students in the EIBF York competition have undergone a 10 week module on business innovation & entrepreneurship. This included practice pitching and feedback for 5 of those weeks.

The EIBF prize challenged students to stretch to a further degree of professionalism in the development and pitching of their business ideas. The stimulus of the prize money and the further opportunities offered by the scheme galvanised students competitively to perform at a level that seriously impressed all who attended the event, including the dragons and myself.

The Dragons have recommended that all the teams apply for the EIBF competition and commented that this was the best set of business ideas to date they had seen at this stage.

Heather Niven
Business and Innovation Consultant
University of York