2014 Varsity Pitch winners: Wyre

Former BMS student hosts enterprise competition

Alumni holds 'Varsity Pitch 2015' competition offering £10,000 award and training with top firms

Posted by Stephanie Broad | October 19, 2015 | People, policy, politics

Bedford Modern, alumni, entrepreneurship, student enterprise competition, independent schools

Former Bedford Modern School student and entrepreneur Johnny Luk is running a Student Enterprise Competition for those aged 16 or above. The winner of The National Association of College and University Entrepreneurs (NACUE) ‘Varsity Pitch 2015’ will be awarded £10,000 and finalists get training with Venture Capital Firms.

NACUE’s ‘Varsity Pitch 2015’ is a national early-stage business pitching competition that celebrates the best businesses coming out of colleges and universities across the UK. It has become one of the UK’s flagship enterprise events - celebrating and showcasing the entrepreneurial flair of young businesses for the past five years. 

The three-stage competition format will showcase the breadth and depth of business creativity students have to offer. The grand finale takes place in November 2015 – as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week – where student start-ups will compete for £10,000 to develop their business and the national title. 

Johnny, who attended BMS from 2003 to 2009, said: “The NACUE Varsity Pitch gives students and graduates an invaluable opportunity to get their ideas in front of the people that matter. This is why it continues to attract a huge variety of applications, with more than 400 last year. 

“In our six years of running this competition, we’ve seen hundreds of incredible and innovative applications to the Varsity Pitch, from apps that are revolutionising the payments market, to bike lights that are saving lives on the road. 

“Winners have used the Varsity Pitch as a platform to accelerate growth, advance product development or attract investors who attend these events. Even the opportunity to hone a pitch, gain feedback and meet like-minded entrepreneurs is a valuable experience. We have incredible supporters for this programme, from top corporates, including our principle sponsor TATA and members of Parliament, including Lord Wei of Shoreditch, a serial social entrepreneur and a founding Director of Teach First.” 

Entries to the competition are open until 21 October: www.nacue.com/varsitypitch2015/