QUB Students face the Dragons for a share of £20,000
by Startacus Admin
The winners of QUB Dragons' Den 2023 are announced, with three innovative student businesses sharing the £20k prize pot.
On Wednesday 19th April, SU Enterprise held the Final of QUB Dragons’ Den on campus at Queen’s University.
The competition sponsored by MCS Group, QUBIS, Santander Universities, Tughans Solicitors, and the Engineers in Business Fund, came to an electrifying close this year with 13 competitors braving the den to pitch their business ideas to a panel of business experts. Throughout the competition, SU Enterprise provides business support workshops and specialist mentorship to ensure that the students are well prepared for their final pitches.
After a day of incredibly impressive pitches and much deliberation, the judges decided to split the £20K funding pot between three student businesses. Final year Mechanical Engineering student Maebh Reynolds from Belfast was awarded £10,000 for her business, ‘GoPlugable’ which aims to link up electric vehicle users with a community-powered network of home chargers available for access. Chemistry master’s student Brogán Brady and her partner, Film Studies student Conleth Mallon, were awarded £5,000 for their business, ‘Instyl’ – a cocktail teabag company. PhD Researcher in Music, Isaac Gibson was awarded £5,000 for his business ‘From My Perspective’, which utilises audio-recorded interviews with end-of-life patients for the creation of a memory box.
Lindsey McArthur from Santander said: “I was delighted to support the QUB Dragons’ Den 2023 again this year. As always, the standard of the student pitches was extremely impressive, and it was great to see such a diverse range of businesses. It made for some difficult decisions for the judges!”
Judge Kirsty Dillon from MCS said: “The level of innovation and determination from this year’s finalists and the competition was higher than ever before. It is amazing to have a programme which supports young people in achieving their ambitions by providing support from industry experts to help guide them through the process. I am so excited to see what the future holds for all the ambitious and creative finalists, who truly impressed all the judges with their innovative solutions”.
Maebh Reynolds, winner of the £10,000 prize pot in the competition, said: "Queen's Dragons' Den has been so pivotal in accelerating the development of GoPlugable. The mentorship and expertise provided by SU Enterprise has been so valuable in providing direction and helping us to achieve major milestones in our startup journey. We are excited for what lies in the journey ahead and I am incredibly grateful for the continuous support!"
SU Enterprise would like to thank each student that participated this year and congratulate them on their innovative and intelligent concepts. The team would also like to thank each of the programme’s generous sponsors, as well as the mentors for their continued support.
For further information regarding SU Enterprise and the support they offer to QUB students, follow @qsuenterprise on Instagram, or visit Enterprise SU .
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Published on: 5th May 2023
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