Skip to content

University of London GradVenture 2020 winners announced for annual competition supported by Seven Hills

An independent publishing house specialising in works of poetry for those under the age of 20 won the pitching competition, GradVenture 2020, the competition which aims to inspire student entrepreneurship as well as introduce finalists to networking opportunities beyond their college communities.

Seven Hills’ co-founder, Michael Hayman established GradVenture with the University of London and The Careers Group four years ago and moderated the afternoon in front of a live, virtual audience.

Seven finalists from different colleges within the University pitched their business ideas to a panel of four judges, with Prospective Press Global – founded by Eleni Sophia, from Queen Mary University – taking home the first prize, an £8,000 investment.

The judging panel, made up of Charlotte Harrington, co-CEO of Belu Water; Cecil Adjalo, director of operations at Foundervine; Xenia Angevin; founder of Res Claritas and Digital Careers Coach and James Uffindell, founder of Bright Network, questioned the competitors’ start-up plans and aspirations.

The runner-up – and winner of £2,000 – was Bubble Mind, founded by Yamin Mia, a computer science graduate who is currently studying a Masters at City University.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Wendy Thomson CBE said of the event: “The entrepreneurial spirit is clearly alive and well amongst London university students. Great ideas, confident pitches, tough choices for the panel of judges. And as always thank you to Michael Hayman and Seven Hills for their support, to the many students who entered the competition, and to the professors who have encouraged and developed business talent.”

Dr Kate Daubney, Director of The Careers Group who gave some advice to the finalists during the competition, said: “I’m thrilled with how our first virtual GradVenture 2020 has gone and our continued collaboration with Michael Hayman and the Seven Hills team.

“It was absolutely inspiring to see not only terrific business propositions but each of them in their own way reflecting a really strong understanding of the needs of their potential customers and with such a strong focus on social benefit. These ideas were all transformational in their own way and a great indication of a strong move in young entrepreneurship.”

A full list of finalists is below:

Leiho – A sustainable and social impact brand where every item sold helps someone in need | @leiho_uk

Bubble Mind – A health tech company focusing on helping people manage their mental health

Perspective Press Global – Unlocking the world of publishing for those under the age of twenty | @EleniiSophia

Mind Mapper UK – A digital mental health gym for young adults | @mindmapperuk

Photogram AI – A computational photography start-up specialising in AI hardware and software for modern photography. We’re building an AI-accelerated computational camera for content creators |@photogram_ai

[Rest Space] – liberating London Nappers; creating the best space to recharge and make getting a nap as easy as getting a coffee. We are giving you a better way to beat the productivity blues

Nummy – aims to bring people together through table-sharing. In a world driven by technology, Nummy enables our users to build more meaningful relationships through food and conversation | @nummyapp

Access your free chapter now

Access your free chapter now

Chapter 1 outlines the concept of mission and how the breakthrough brands of today have succeeded by building a mission that inspires belief, generates a following and instils a purpose beyond profit.