StartUp Sussex

Several students from the School of Business, Management and Economics (BMEc) are through to the final stage of StartUp Sussex, the annual entrepreneurship competition at the University of Sussex. 

The competition, now in its sixth year, gives students the chance to compete for a main prize of £10,000 in support and services towards the launch of a new business. Second and third place packages of £8,000 and £6,000 are also available, with each finalist receiving £500 from Santander Universities to help with costs during the next phase of the competition.

Of the 10 students who have made it to the final, six are from BMEc:

• Julian Bourne (BSc Finance, 4^th Year) – Waffle, a chatbot for real time discounts at restaurants near you
• Portia Cronje (BSc Finance & Business, 4^th Year) – Beauty By Me, a web application booking platform for salon treatments and self-employed beauticians
• Dinda Jelita (BSc Economics & Management, 3^rd Year) – Vorteil, a solar-powered bike light
• Joanna Kmiec (MA Project Management) – Deadline.Live, a website and app linked to a Bluetooth bracelet that acts as a ‘dead man’s switch’ for those with dangerous illnesses
• Tamasine Littlejohns (MSc Strategic Innovation Management) – Hector for Projectors, developing creative content and access to it, designed for immersive home projection
• Hlanganiso Matangaidze (BSc Economics & Finance, 1^st year) – RED, providing low cost wind turbines to rural communities in Zimbabwe as an energy source

For the next phase of the competition, students will begin an intensive eight-week course of mentoring at the Sussex Innovation Centre. This mentoring is intended to help them shape their formal business plans ahead of a Dragons’ Den-style pitch to local investors and entrepreneurs in April.

BMEc student Darren Tenkorang (BSc Business and Management Studies (with professional placement year)) won the 2016 competition and was awarded £10,000 for his app TRIM-IT. TRIM-IT aims to revolutionise the barbering industry by helping barbers to manage appointments and promotions, reducing waiting times for their customers.