Students and a graduate from the University of Aberdeen are through to the next stage of the Santander Universities Entrepreneurship Award, one of the UK’s largest business pitching competitions.
As a Santander UK partner, the University of Aberdeen ran a business ideas competition to identify two exceptional student or graduate businesses to put forward to the regional stage of the 2018 Santander Universities Entrepreneurship Award.
A panel of three judges identified two teams to be submitted to the regional competition stage:
- RAB Microfluidics: Dr Rotimi Alabi, graduate of the School of Geosciences. His business has developed the application of microfluidics to oil analysis, which has led to the development of a chip capable of carrying out mobile online oil measurements. RAB Microfluidics is already establishing itself as a growing and successful new business, recently joining the Oil & & Gas Technology’s TechX pioneer programme. Rotimi was joined by his business colleagues Roy Bitrus and Surakat Kudehinbu for the prize giving.
- Elibook: Eimantas Norkevicius and Lorenzo Croce, both current BSc Neuroscience with Psychology undergraduates. Elibook is the new concept in free student notebooks with tailored advertisements from graduate recruiters, local charities and social enterprises, and other relevant organisations for dissemination in Schools, Colleges and Universities.
Both teams have been awarded £1000 by the University of Aberdeen in recognition of their achievement. The prizes have been supported by Santander UK and were presented by Dr Liz Rattray, Director of Research & Innovation.
Talking about the competition, Dr Zachary Hickman said: “We were really pleased with the quality of submissions we received for the competition. The sheer variety of business ideas that University of Aberdeen undergraduates, Masters students, PhD students, and graduates are developing is inspiring. We wish the very best of luck to the two University of Aberdeen teams that have been put through to the next stage of the prestigious Santander Universities Entrepreneurship Award.”
The winners of the regional stage will go on to an accelerator week to prepare them for the national final in October. Overall winners will receive £25,000, a business mentor, a fully funded intern, and a £500 digital growth voucher.