Venture Further Awards 2025 - Celebrating Entrepreneurial Excellence and Innovation
A record-breaking year for 91直播鈥檚 student and graduate start-ups as the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre marks 25 years of enterprise education.
On Wednesday 11 June, the at The University of Manchester celebrated a landmark year with the Venture Further Awards 2025 鈥� the UK鈥檚 leading university-led start-up competition.
Marking the Centre鈥檚 25th anniversary, this year鈥檚 awards attracted a record-breaking 175 applications 鈥� a 22% rise on 2024 鈥� reflecting 91直播鈥檚 growing reputation as a powerhouse for student innovation.
Twenty finalists pitched their ventures across five key categories 鈥� Environment, Healthcare, Services, Social, and Technology 鈥� with the winners of each category receiving 拢15,000 in equity-free funding from a total prize pot of 拢100,000. The awards ceremony took place at , the University鈥檚 new home for innovation and collaboration, where several recent MEC startup alums are based.
This year鈥檚 finalists delivered bold, solutions-driven ideas tackling global challenges 鈥� from UrbanWatt鈥檚 wireless charging for electric vehicles to FlashAid AI鈥檚 rapid-response medical emergency help platform, which has already been seen on outlets such as Daily Mail and HealthInvestor UK. The event showcased the depth of entrepreneurial talent emerging from The University of Manchester and underlined MEC鈥檚 vital role in helping students launch impactful ventures.
Venture Further 2025 Winners
Environment Category
- 1st Prize: Josiah Edebiri, UrbanWatt (School of Engineering, PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering)
- 2nd Prize: Farah Frikha, Vesta Capsules (Alum of School of Engineering, Mechatronic Engineering)
(Winners pictured with Giulia Sirigu, Scaleup Director at Innovate UK)
Healthcare Category
- 1st Prize: Grigorii Rodionov, FlashAid (Alum of School of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering BEng)
- 2nd Prize: Adrian Perez Barreto, Revine (CDT-Advanced Biomedical Materials)
(Winners pictured with Lee Pugalis, Deputy Director of the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre)
Services Category
- 1st Prize: Raymond Zheng, PurFetch (Alliance 91直播 Business School, MBA)
- 2nd Prize: Sebastian Contreras, UniSights (Alliance 91直播 Business School, BSc Management with Placement - Innovation, Strategy & Entrepreneurship)
(Winners pictured with Janine Smith, Director of GM Business Growth Hub)
Social Category
- 1st Prize: Bohyuck Han, The Senior Vision Project (Alliance 91直播 Business School, MSc Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship)
- 2nd Prize: Derry Duffy, Cause (School of Social Sciences, BSocSc Politics and International Relations)
(Winners pictured with Carla Zuill, Founder of SheHUB.TV & Women's Empowerment Summit)
Technology Category
- 1st Prize: Patrick Sarsfield, Graphene Thermal (School of Natural Sciences (SNS), Researcher in Graphene NOWNANO CDT)
- 2nd Prize: Leo Feasby, PulsR (School of Natural Sciences (SNS), MPhys Physics with Astrophysics)
(Winners pictured with Andrew Dennison, Innovation Discovery Manager of Innovation Factory)
More information about winners
This year鈥檚 finalists presented powerful, purpose-led ventures addressing some of today鈥檚 most pressing challenges.
Environment Category Winners
UrbanWatt is making city transport greener and easier by helping businesses switch to electric vehicles. Their clever hands-free charging system means electric fleets can stay powered up without the hassle, making sustainable deliveries simpler than ever.
- Josiah Edebiri, UrbanWatt (School of Engineering, PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering)
Vesta Capsules is reimagining short stays with cosy, eco-friendly sleeping pods inspired by Japan鈥檚 capsule hotels. Designed for comfort, privacy, and sustainability, they offer a smart, modern alternative to traditional accommodation 鈥� all at an affordable price.
- Farah Frikha, Vesta Capsules (Alum of School of Engineering, Mechatronic Engineering)
Healthcare Category Winners
FlashAid AI is taking on one of healthcare鈥檚 biggest challenges 鈥� ambulance delays. Their smart platform helps get emergency help to people faster by improving how calls are handled, vehicles are dispatched, and routes are planned, all in real time.
- Grigorii Rodionov, FlashAid (Alum of School of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering BEng)
Revine is tackling the serious problem of diabetic limb ulcers with an easy-to-use patch that helps wounds heal faster and stay free from infection. Designed to boost recovery and monitor progress in real time, it offers a new, more effective way to care for long-term wounds.
- Adrian Perez Barreto, Revine (CDT-Advanced Biomedical Materials)
Services Category Winners
PurFetch is creating an app and smart pet companion to help owners understand how their pets are feeling. By spotting changes in behaviour or signs of health problems, it offers simple, personalised advice鈥攑lus a friendly robot to keep pets entertained and cared for.
- Raymond Zheng, PurFetch (Alliance 91直播 Business School, MBA)
UniSights helps Latin American high school students explore study opportunities in the UK. It offers advice from current students, direct contact with universities, and smart tools to match them with the right courses鈥攎aking the journey to study abroad simpler and more confident.
- Sebastian Contreras, UniSights (Alliance 91直播 Business School, BSc Management with Placement - Innovation, Strategy & Entrepreneurship)
Social Category Winners
The Senior Vision Project tackles elderly poverty by creating part-time jobs that fit local needs. Their free AI-based dementia prevention programme offers cognitive training for seniors, while the data collected helps fund these community employment initiatives.
- Bohyuck Han, The Senior Vision Project (Alliance 91直播 Business School, MSc Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship)
Cause is the first online giving platform designed specifically for small charities. It helps them connect with donors, raise funds, and grow by removing obstacles like high advertising costs and limited digital skills. With no platform or donation fees, Cause makes it easier for small charities to maximise their impact.
- Derry Duffy, Cause (School of Social Sciences, BSocSc Politics and International Relations)
Technology Category Winners
Graphene Thermal offers innovative heating with self-contained graphene floor panels. These panels heat up in seconds and use over 50% less energy than traditional underfloor systems, providing an efficient, low-maintenance solution for homes and businesses.
- Patrick Sarsfield, Graphene Thermal (School of Natural Sciences (SNS), Researcher in Graphene NOWNANO CDT)
PulsR is an innovative AI company offering a range of smart tools that help with tasks like creating images, writing, working with spreadsheets, coding, and solving maths problems. With over 10 million conversations and top ratings on ChatGPT鈥檚 app store, PulsR supports students, professionals, and businesses to work smarter and more creatively.
- Leo Feasby, PulsR(School of Natural Sciences (SNS), MPhys Physics with Astrophysics)
The evening celebrated not only the immediate winners but also the broader impact of entrepreneurship at the university.
Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester
The evening celebrated not only the immediate winners but also the broader impact of entrepreneurship at the university. Speaking at the Award ceremony, Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, said:
The remarkable success of our students and alumni at this year's Venture Further Awards demonstrates why entrepreneurship, innovation and social impact are central to everything we do at The University of Manchester. The Awards recognise the potential of early-stage entrepreneurs who are developing ventures that seek to shape a better future.
The Venture Further Awards represent the culmination of everything we strive to achieve at the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre. For 25 years, we've been empowering students, recent graduates, and staff to take their first bold steps into entrepreneurship. Their creativity and determination continue to inspire everything we do at MEC.
The transformational impact of the awards was further emphasised by Mehdi Boudjadja, VFA23 winner and founder Metofico, who reflected: "Winning the Venture Further Awards was transformational, beyond the crucial funding, MEC gave us the confidence, resources, and belief to turn our start-up into a global business. Without their support, we wouldn't be where we are today."
Faculty Representation
This year鈥檚 Venture Further Awards spotlighted the impressive entrepreneurial breadth across The University of Manchester, with a particularly strong showing from the Faculty of Science and Engineering, which led the way with ten finalists. Close behind, the Faculty of Humanities demonstrated remarkable enterprise flair, fielding eight finalists鈥攕ix of whom hailed from the Alliance 91直播 Business School alone. Completing the diverse line-up were two healthcare-focused ventures from the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, reflecting the growing innovation emerging from the university鈥檚 life sciences community.
About the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre
For 25 years, the Centre has empowered the next generation of business leaders through dedicated programmes, co-curricular activities, personalised advice, and competitions like Venture Further, creating pathways for entrepreneurial talent to flourish beyond university walls.
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