Two Sussex students and aspiring entrepreneurs are about to begin making preparations for a six-month visit to the USA as part of a scholarship programme.
Joshua Seal and Will Griffiths have been selected by the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship (NCGE) and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to be part of its new Entrepreneurship Fellows scheme. In June they secured two of just 15 places on the scheme after presenting their business concepts to an interview panel in London.
Joshua Seal, who has just graduated with an MEng in Robotics, Cybernetics and Process Automation, has a deep fascination with the environment. He is developing an energy-saving device for the hotel industry for TVs on standby.
Will Griffiths, a new graduate from the MEng in Engineering, is aware that environmental issues are becoming increasingly critical to the way in which commercial and residential buildings are developed and maintained. He is developing a wireless thermostatic radiator valve for central-heating systems, to address energy wastage from unoccupied rooms.
Once Joshua and Will arrive in the USA in January, their six-month stay will include interaction with leading scholars and thinkers, policy leaders, innovative researchers and business founders. They will be supported in developing commercial know-how and relevant new business contacts.
At the end of the programme Joshua and Will are expected to bring what they’ve learnt back to the UK, not only as a means of developing their own ideas but also to share with other aspiring entrepreneurs and educators within Sussex and across the region.
Commenting on their success, Will said: “We are delighted to have been selected as Fellows. Being able to develop and pursue our business ideas in both the UK and the USA will be a great opportunity and give us the guidance we need to help mature our concepts.
“It will be fascinating to learn about entrepreneurship in a country where it’s held in such high esteem and we look forward to bringing the lessons back to share with our fellow students across the University.”