UoB Engineers in Business Competition

University of Birmingham engineering students entered into a competition to help solve real problems in society through engineering. Teams and individuals from across the university competed to win a share of a prize pot to help bring their ideas to life.

First place: StudyStash

Project:

Computer Science students Jonathan and Ben created StudyStash – a stress-free, fun way to revise. The start-up offers a better way to prepare for exams, transforming traditional education into a personalised experience through a user-friendly and seamless user interface across all devices.

The duo created StudyStash after realising the majority of students struggle with motivation, organisation and having the right materials to succeed – particularly after the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, the pair built a series of tools to create a unified solution.

Students:

Jonathan Graham, BSc Computer Science with Digital Technology Partnership (PWC)
Ben Ward, BSc Computer Science with Digital Technology Partnership (PWC)

Awarded: £1,500

Second place: NuZones

Project:

NuZones, led by MEng Chemical Engineering student Alex Watkins, is a new community for mountain bikers, helping them communicate and plan new rides.

Starting out life as a series of Facebook pages, Alex intends to move things to a free app, commercialised through data collection and the launch of spin-off brands, which will feature competitions for riders across the UK.

Awarded: £1,000

Third place: Mind Sentry

Project:

Electrical Engineering student Muscab Abdulgadir has created Mind Sentry – a ground-breaking, wearable EEG device that continuously monitors brain patterns to revolutionise stroke detection and response.

The new technology means strokes can be detected in real time and, with shared exact geographical details to alert first responders and allow for swift medical attention when necessary.

Muscab’s inspiration came from personal encounters of the impact of devastating impact of undetected strokes.

Awarded: £500

Positive feedback

We are very grateful to the Fellowship as the Engineers in Business Competition has been an invaluable experience for our students. The opportunity to shape their ideas into a potential business, along with the funding and advice has provided new possibilities as they consider their futures beyond graduation. I would encourage anyone to consider participating as the mentorship and industry expertise available is outstanding.

Nicola Gittins
Deputy Director, Student Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Careers Network
University of Birmingham