Would you dare enter the Den? Student entrepreneurs win alumni grants in the Dragons’ Den

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Seven pitches were awarded a total of £3,500 in the first round of the University of Bath Dragons’ Den pitching competition

As part of the Entrepreneurship Programme of enterprise activities at the university, the Dragons’ Den pitching competition gives students the opportunity to pitch to ‘Dragons’ for the chance to win direct investment into their start-ups. This year we welcomed a wide range of student businesses including a sustainable fashion swapping app, wearable tech to help women feel safer when walking or exercising alone, and a system that enables people living in apartments to grow an indoor garden from their food waste. There was particular emphasis on tech and sustainability with many of the businesses themselves geared towards a climate-conscious consumer.

This year’s Dragons were Hubert Velge and Nick Wood, alumni donors who generously donate funds to the university to support business support for entrepreneurial students.The event was hosted at the Vice Chancellor’s residence, The Woodlands on Wednesday 28th November.

The Dragons’ Den competition is open to undergraduates and postgraduates at the University of Bath and is split in to two rounds. Round 1 is held in the Winter semester and Round 2 is held in the Spring. In Round 1 of Dragons’ Den up to £500 of investment is on offer to any candidate who impresses the Dragons - there’s no limit on winners.

Professor Jonathan Knight, Vice-President (Enterprise) joined the event and spoke with the student entrepreneurs whilst they enjoyed lunch at The Woodlands and nervously awaited the decision of the Dragons! He said,

“This was an inspiring set of propositions from a bright and engaged set of entrepreneurs. I was struck by how clearly their proposals were oriented to address current societal challenges, and so I was delighted to hear that the Dragons were impressed by what they heard and were able to encourage the applicants to take their ideas forward.”

After the students had delivered their five minute pitch and enjoyed lunch with the other candidates and the Dragons, they returned to the Den to receive feedback and find out if they had been successful in securing a investment.

We’re pleased to announce that a total of £3,500 was awarded on the day, more than we have seen awarded for several years in Round 1 of this pitching competition! This shows the superb quality of pitches and business ideas from the University of Bath students this year. Student and Graduate Enterprise Manager, Siobain Hone said,

“Dragons’ Den is unique amongst our Student Enterprise activities in that it has the potential to make a huge impact on a fledgling business. It’s not just the funding - it’s also the invaluable advice from the alumni entrepreneurs who put up their own money for the Den. The validation the successful students receive pushes them on to the next level and is a huge boost of confidence.”

Well done to all students who were shortlisted to pitch in the Den and congratulations to those who won investment. We hope to see you all back for Round 2 in the Den in March when students will be able to pitch for up to £5,000 for the development phase of their business.

Round 1 winners!

Joe Linsky & Tom Halstead - Foobox

E-J Roodt - Epowar

Natasha Birk - Truth

Yasmin Timol & Amy Wynn - Gardenless

Izzie Hurst - Dopplle

Oscar Bryan - Fin The Fish

Iacopo Di Rico - Estudiamos

Missed Dragons’ Den but want to take part?

Do not fear, you can still enter Round 2 of Dragons’ Den even if you did not take part in Round 1! Register your interest above to be notified of the application process. Or if you think you might want to take part in the competition in the next academic year, join our Microsoft Teams group below to stay in the know and discover how Enterprise Bath can support you.