BUDDING entrepreneurs have showcased their talents to claim a series of prestigious national prizes.
Two teams of researchers and technicians from the University of Reading took part in the Young Entrepreneurs Scheme (YES) and swept up the overall competition, best finance, best intellectual property and the People’s Choice awards.
The winning team’s hypothetical product ‘AlgaeMino’ is a sustainable seaweed-based protein powder which requires minimal processing, is nutritious, palatable and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
AlgaeMino team leader, Pradeep Vijaya Kumar said: “YES turned out to be a remarkable adventure and winning the finals was the happiest moment for all of us.
“We brainstormed ideas to find one we were excited to work with, and then implemented advice received from our brilliant mentors, all in a short time.
“This has given us confidence in handling the presentation of ideas to any audience. We’ve gained valuable skills applicable for any career path we might take in the future.”
Reading’s other winners, MindX Lab, presented their idea for an alternative treatment delivery method for mental health conditions and picked up the People’s Choice award.
The group established the concept of delivering medications via a film patch absorbed in the mouth.
Team leader, Saumya Sood said: “YES has been an exceptional experience. We stepped out of our comfort zones to achieve something that was out of reach until we received mentoring, as part of the competition. It was a great learning opportunity on how we might translate research into marketable products.
“Ultimately, we have opened paths for our futures, through the amazing networks we’ve built. We are proud to have come this far, to deliver a winning pitch at the National Finals.”
YES has been running for 27 years, training more than 6000 researchers to prepare scientists and engineers for future business endeavours.
Participants are encouraged to take novel science and engineering ideas to address key issues such as healthy ageing, food security and climate change.
For the first time in its history, the competition was opened to technicians, as well as PhD students.
Dr Simon Cutler, from the university’s knowledge transfer centre, which provided assistance to the teams, said: “Technicians are often in a great position to spot opportunities for commercialisation.
“It makes sense to include this group to YES and we were glad to field a winning team, from Reading, that included a technician. We hope they will go back to work with a new perspective on the potential impact of their research.”
Vice-chancellor, Prof Robert van de Noort said: “Congratulations to both winning teams. This is a tremendous achievement that gives me a great sense of pride.
“The University of Reading has strong links with industry. We are always thinking about how our world class research can be translated for positive impacts in society.
“The YES competition is a great way for bright minds to gain entrepreneurial skills and an understanding that they do not have to be permanently chained to the lab bench. We expect that they will use these skills to bring real life products to market, in the future.”
