Meet the students taking their businesses to the next level at the Young Enterprise North West Final
The Young Enterprise UK is a coveted competition for students across Europe to showcase new innovative business ideas. Hoping to emulate the success of 2022, which saw them take home the, North West, UK and European title in Tallin, Estonia, the University of Salford will this year enter two teams into the North West regional final.
The winner of the Salford Business School internal final 2024 was Team P-AX, led by Ramzy Kawbal, a second year International Business Management student. An innovative concept which combines soothing sounds with wearable devices to help those who suffer with anxiety or other mental health conditions, P-AX have developed 3D printed prototypes of their products using the Makers Space on the Peel Park campus. It works: the name means ‘peace’ in Latin.
“This is a personal project for us, because we all know someone who struggles with anxiety,” says Ramzy. “We wanted to make a product which would genuinely help people, and mental health is a big topic in the current news agenda, so we knew there was a gap in the market for this product.”
All teams were required to give a ten-minute presentation covering all aspects of the business, from financial predictions to marketing strategies. Listening in was a panel of esteemed judges, including from Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Citation and The Growth Company.
Team P-AX demonstrated the diversity of students in Salford Business School too, with team members spanning from across the Middle East, Europe and Asia.
“The module was really freeing, and gave us an opportunity to learn skills which will be invaluable when we leave university, such as teamwork and project management, which will improve our employability when we go to look for work,” adds Henrikas Valiusis, Chief Operations Officer at P-AX.
Next stop is the North West regional final, hosted this year by Manchester Metropolitan University. Ahead of the final on 21 February, the team are working on a short video advert and a working prototype to bolster their presentation still further.
“We’re confident about the final, but whatever happens, we know we want to take this business idea forward and turn it into a reality,” Ramzy says.
As part of the Young Enterprise programme, teams are assigned mentors to help them think through their idea and equip them with the skills needed to create a viable business.
Matt Rose, Director at TankSafe, was the mentor for Team P-AX.
“I’m really proud of the team for the way they worked together and the passion they showed for their product and the idea. They really thought through what the consumer is interested in, demonstrating a talent for understanding the market and the young audience. For example, part of the proposition included working with local charities on mental health challenges, as part of P-AX’s Corporate Social Responsibility agenda. It’s great to see young people thinking of things like that when considering starting a business. Good luck for the final Team Salford!”
Another team through to the North West regional final having secured runner up spot in the Salford Business School competition is Team Suplified, with their subscription-model supplement-based business. The idea will see personalised packages of supplements delivered to your door, based on your experience level and fitness.
Ellis Kay, Marketing Manager for Suplified and second year Business and Management student, added: “Taking part in the Young Enterprise competition gave us a real insight into what it would be like to run a business. As a team, we all want to take this business forward and see how it will grow – hopefully the North West final is just the start for Suplified.”
Dr Jonathan Owens, Young Enterprise Lead and Senior Lecturer at Salford Business School, commented: “Thank you to the team at Young Enterprise UK and all of our mentors for once again giving our students the chance to learn in a practical and real-world environment. At the School, we have a strong focus on employability, and applied learning skills like the teams have demonstrated throughout this module will certainly make them stronger candidates in the workplace post-graduation. All the teams were exceptional this year, and I’m hoping P-AX and Suplified can go all the way to the European final!”
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