The regional winners of Voom Pitch, the UK and Ireland’s biggest business pitching competition, have recently enjoyed an exclusive brunch in London with Sir Richard Branson.
As well as having the opportunity to discuss their business idea with the English magnate, each company owner also collected their £5,000 in competition winnings to help drive their business to the next level.
The winning business ideas, ranging from a breastfeeding device which tracks real-time information on a baby’s feed, to an online platform that allows people to rent out spare space for others to use as storage, to a vegan meat alternative made from jackfruit, all impressed the judges with their clear business proposition.
The Voom Pitch competitions were held on the Voom Bus in the city centres of London, Dublin, Belfast, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff.
The Voom Tour is the first time that Voom Pitch has hit the road in search of the best new business ideas. It’s designed to help the brightest and the best companies to perfect their pitching ahead of the national competition in 2018. In addition, the Voom Bus offers free and exclusive 1-on-1s with leading experts such as LinkedIn, Crowdfunder, Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAEW), Virgin StartUp and JCDecaux.
Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Group Founder, said: “The Voom Tour is seeking out brilliant entrepreneurs and ideas to help break down the barriers to business success. The aim is to help them put aside their fears and take the next steps on what could be the most significant journey of their business life. It was certainly inspiring to meet the winners of the Voom Pitch so far.”
The Voom winners:
Saint Aymes produces handmade artisan chocolates artisan chocolates, hand painted with 23ct gold, enriched with opulent colour and inspired by artistic greats.
Coroflo, a breastfeeding device which tracks real-time information on a baby’s feed, including the amount of milk that a baby is drinking.
TapSOS provides a simple, 4-step process via an app for those unable to call 999 via the normal means. This could include deaf people, victims of domestic abuse or those involved in a terrorist incident, where it may be unsafe for people to telephone for help.
Storage Shepherd provides an online platform that allows people to rent out spare space in their house, garage, shed or driveway, for others to use as storage.
GoSweat provides an online platform that allows people to enter a keyword or location and instantly see a list of exercise options near them, whether that be gyms, personal trainers, fitness classes or sports clubs.
Project Jackfruit uses the highly nutritious, but relatively unknown humble jackfruit to create a delicious meat alternative that’s all natural, 100% vegan and gluten-free. The jackfruit is sustainably and ethically sourced and available to purchase online.
TrekinHerd provides a social community for outdoor adventurers and backpackers on a global scale, where users can blog their experiences, connect with friends, meet other adventurers, and discover new places to visit.
