University of Brighton student shortlisted for innovation in business competition

This month University Alliance will hold its inaugural student enterprise competition ‘Innovating Future Business’, showcasing and supporting forward-thinking business ideas.

Budding entrepreneurs representing 11 Alliance universities will pitch to a panel of investors for a chance to win cash prizes from a prize pool of £5,000.

The University of Brighton has entered Finlay Thorburn into the Universities Alliance enterprise competition to pitch his Ugandan travel company Buffalo Adventures. The business offers adventure, work experience and social impact. Finlay started the business while living in Africa in response to difficulties he experienced while travelling the continent.

Finlay was a runner-up in the Santander University of Brighton Ideas Competition this month, and the university has been supporting him with one-to-ones and presentation training.

University Alliance: Innovating Future Business 2017 competition, run in partnership with hosts the University of Salford, takes place at MediaCityUK on Wednesday 10 May 2017 in front of a live audience.

On the panel of investors, who will also give feedback and helpful tips and advice on the proposals, are representatives from; ANS Group, Cariocca Enterprises, Marketing Signals, Wakelet and Web Applications UK.

The range of submissions also include an award-winning prescription medication app, a child-friendly nail art bar, and a renewable energy company.

University Alliance equips students with an ethos of entrepreneurship to face the challenges of a global labour market. Statistics published last month by HESA show that 40% of UK graduate start-ups still active after three years are from Alliance graduates. Overall, Alliance graduate start-ups employ over 9,000 people and turnover more than £300m each year.

Commenting, University Alliance Chief Executive Maddalaine Ansell said:

“Entrepreneurship is core to the student experience at Alliance universities. It is one of the ways we equip graduates with the blend of academic, technical and professional skills they need to succeed in the fast-changing modern world.

Alliance universities also provide a lot of support for students with ideas for business ventures and social enterprises. Alliance graduates account for 40% of the UK’s successful graduate start-ups.

We hope that this competition will help a few more of our enterprising graduates take the next step with their business and social enterprises.”