Higher Education students taking part in the College’s Enterprise Programme took part in an exciting event earlier this month, as the programme ended with an outstanding final held in partnership with Young Enterprise and hosted at Selfridges in Leicester.

Showcasing their entrepreneurial spirit, eight teams of students prepared for what was the culmination of months of hard work, creativity, during a high-pressure day filled with interviews and business pitch presentations to a judging panel of eight industry professionals.

The panel of eight experts hailed from a variety of sectors including retail, technology, media, enterprise mentoring, and manufacturing. Amongst them were Sandra Wiggins, CEO of Women on Boards CIC, award-winning filmmaker Nikhil Mistry, and Loughborough College alumni, entrepreneur and social housing mentor, Theo Brown.

Throughout the day, students wowed the judges with their innovative ideas, professionalism, and business mindsets. The event celebrated not just entrepreneurial potential but also collaboration, inclusivity, and forward-thinking approaches to real-world challenges.

Subject Area Lead for Business and Management at Loughborough College, Iqbal Ullah shared: “Enterprise at Loughborough College isn’t just a programme, it’s a vibrant, ever evolving ecosystem rooted in ideas, ambition, and the enduring commitment of our students and volunteers.

This event served as a powerful platform for students to gain invaluable real-world experience, receive feedback from seasoned professionals, and take their entrepreneurial journey to the next level.”

The judging panel recognised several teams for their standout performances across a variety of categories. Agricultural technology company CloudWell took the title for Best Pitch Deck and Best Overall Company. Sports tech business Smart Armour took the silver title for Best Overall Company, and also earnt Best Presentation and Exporting Mindset Awards.

Other winners included nasal strip company Open Optimise, who won the Award for Inclusive Innovation, accessible security group Aid the Eye who took the title for Social Media Marketing, and sustainable knee-pad designers Pro-G, winners of the Marketing Excellence title.

CloudWell, made up of students Marcos Knight, Samuel Woodford, Katie Januszewska, Svetlana Georgieva, and Josh Iliffe-Webster and Smart Armour’s Lauren Watkins, Sam Hurley-Cook, and Xander Selby have been selected to represent the Young Enterprise Midlands region at the UK Start-Up Final on 14th May, hosted by the University of Hertfordshire. There, they will compete for a place at the Gen-E 2025 European Enterprise Challenge in Athens.

Last year, College-based entrepreneurs Therma Tread Elite wowed judges at the 2024 Gen-E Expo in Italy, earning an impressive first runner up award for their unique sports injury start-up.

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