Student science and engineering entrepreneurs win cash prizes through fellowship competition

Entrepreneurial student engineers and scientists shone at the annual ELEVATE Engineering and Sciences in Business Fellowship (ESBF) Competition, winning cash prizes for their innovations.  

The U ELEVATE EIBF Competition, sponsored by the Sainsbury Management Fellows Charity, is open to University of Exeter budding student entrepreneurs across the disciplines of engineering, mathematics, sciences, medicine and computer sciences. This extra-curricular business pitch competition is funded by the Engineering and Sciences in Business Fellowship, which supports similar competitions at universities across the country.   

In total, 67 students across 41 teams had six minutes each to pitch their innovative business ideas to the ELEVATE Competition judges across a week. 

Amber Strong, Boyden Programme Enhancement Manager (Engineering and Entrepreneurship), said: “The judges really had their work cut out because all the students who took part are passionate about revolutionising their industries and solving problems faced by millions of people, from futuristic concepts to practical solutions.  Congratulations to all our winners – we can’t wait to see where your entrepreneurial journeys take you next!” 

ELEVATE ESBF Pitch Competition 2025 Winners: 

Engineering Category: 

• 1^st place £1200 ClearedToGo by David Cooper and Thomas Malins, both studying Engineering and Management, Pre-flight safety and readiness verification platform. 

• 2^nd place £700, Monks Mobile Autocare by Jeremiah Elliot and Tyler Monk both studying MEng Mechanical Engineering, On-demand mobile car servicing and repairs. 

• 3^rd place £450, Tact by Toby Brockway, Jake Bridgman, Joe Hole all studying 2nd Year Engineering and Entrepreneurship, Social Enterprise specialising in tasteful fidget toys using durable and sustainable materials 

• 4^th place £300, Paradrone by Luc Rudman, Jamie Wickens, Charles Bruce all studying 2nd Year BEng Engineering and Management, Autonomous drone system for emergency medical deployment. 

• 5^th place £250, ForeSite by Shivanka K C MEng Engineering and Entrepreneurship, Sarah Habib BEng Engineering and Entrepreneurship and Can Usar BEng Engineering and Management, Predictive maintenance and site safety monitoring tool 

• 6^th place £100, r.e.s.e.t by Anya Morris studying Engineering and Entrepreneurship, Digital mental health platform for emotional resilience. 

Sciences Category: 

• 1^st place £1500 HypnoSurge – Ana-Maria Toth, PhD Biomedical Sciences: Hypnotherapy for Post-Surgery Delirium, reducing post-surgery delirium through hypnotherapy to lower NHS costs. 

• 2^nd Place £700 UltraClean – Lefty Armelinos, BSc. Biological and Medicinal Chemistry with Industrial Placement: Biofilm Cleaning Technology, compact cleaning system combining two technologies for biofilm removal. 

• 3^rd Place £400, PhageLink Therapeutics by Liam Boot-Handford, PhD Biological Sciences: Phage Therapy Innovation, targeted phage therapy for predictable, cost-effective treatment of anti-biotic resistance. 

• 4^th Place £250, SurgeMed, by Theo Mitik studying BMBS Medicine: Gamified Anatomy Learning, 3D interactive anatomy learning app with gamification features. 

• 5^th Place, £100, SwipeBite by Aaron Vas, Bence Farago and Josh Stacey, all 2^nd year BSc Natural Sciences: Recipe-sharing and food-saving app for students and communities. 

Emily Davies, Head of Student Entrepreneurship at the University of Exeter, said: “The entries for this year’s ELEVATE pitching competition were outstanding and highlight the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of our university’s student community.”  

Exeter’s entrepreneurial student engineers and scientists will be gearing up this summer for the national Engineering and Sciences in Business Fellowship Champion of Champions Competition stage in London, where they’ll vie for a share of the £17,000 prize pool and the coveted Champion of Champions title. The National level of the ESBF competition offers students and recent graduates a chance to shine on a national platform, invaluable feedback from mentors and exposure along the way.