ZeZe Baby Wrap’s up a huge impact!

ZeZe Baby Wrap is a social clothing brand designed to offer handsfree style parenting, whilst acknowledging the cultural roots of the traditional clothing. Stacey Johns, MSc Health Economics and Health Policy, is the founder of the brand. They are giving back to charity through consistent donations of their profits, to support with projects in low middle income countries. Through creating an effective baby wrap that mimics the womb, Stacey is helping to deepen connections between mother and child, as well as allowing mothers to help other mothers in need.

Stacey was awarded the £500 bursary from the B-Enterprising team to get their ideas up and running. They have informed us that they started a charity that sought to improve health and social care infrastructure in low-middle-income countries. Their charity seeks to sustainably drive policy change that tackles the root causes of health, education and social inequalities as opposed to merely the consequences of inequalities. Stacey has a particular interest in obstetric health and the empowerment of children and parents/caregivers.

Stacey says that “my business is inspired by the successful footwear company Toms, my business sources and sells a variety of baby wearing products on e-commerce with a third of profits used to partner with an existing charity. These proceeds are used to fulfil projects in low-middle-income countries that:

• Cover the costs of school fees and school supplies for impoverished children
• Registration, renewal and access to relevant health insurance schemes and services for families with children living in poverty and burdened with disease
• Paying catastrophic medical bills for impoverished children and caregivers burdened with disease
• Build, re-build or renovate schools, institutions, churches, homes, and community areas in impoverished townships
• Provide monthly food bank access for impoverished families

The baby carriers are made from beautiful African Ankara wax printed fabric in keeping with the roots of babywearing origins. All baby carriers are ergonomically crafted to ensure:

• excellent back and shoulder support for the user through the even distribution of the baby’s weight
• provide a safe snug baby hold that mimics the womb
• optimise opportunities for carer and baby bonding and skin to skin
• promote Colic Relief
• close moments wherever and whenever handsfree allowing parents/users to effortlessly complete everyday tasks
• a perfect learning environment for babies to learn and observe speech patterns.

Stacey’s best bits of running their business have been:

• the autonomy
• pursuing their passion for giving
• a newfound confidence they have in themselves.

Stacey’s advice for early entrepreneurs out there:

“An obstacle is just an obstacle; it is not a stop sign or a reason to give up. It is an opportunity to learn the skills you need to move your idea/business forward. Take pride in finding a solution.”

“I wish I was more aware of exactly how much time, effort, motivation and sacrifice is essential to starting and running your own business.”

 

ZeZe Baby Wrap had a product launch in June 2024.

 

Beyond Fashion: More amoure (Ma.) the brand

 

More amoure (Ma.) is a social impact clothing brand founded by medical student Roland Gyamfi. 

In today's fast-paced world, the intersection of fashion and social responsibility is becoming increasingly prominent, and consumers seek brands that align with their values. 

Ma. rises to the occasion, by blending fashion with a heartfelt commitment to social impact, armed with an ethos of showing “more luv” to one another.
From its humble beginnings to its impactful initiatives, the brand embodies a new era of conscious fashion, where every purchase is a step towards the mission of making a tangible difference in the lives of individuals and communities globally.

At the heart of the brand lies a deep-seated belief in the power of fashion and that it can bring positive changes. Inspired by the giving nature of his grandmother and a desire to continue her legacy of generosity and kindness, Roland embarked on a journey to create a brand that not only combines luxury and streetwear but also makes a tangible difference in the world.

Through the "More Action" campaign, Ma. goes beyond the realm of fashion, tackling issues like period poverty and supporting the homeless in Birmingham.

               

Roland says about his business: "A medical student running a clothing brand during his 5th year of medical school is not something you hear of very often! I am very grateful to the B-Enterprising team at the University of Birmingham, who supported my dream by giving us a £500 Start-Up fund, which went towards our sample costs for our winter collection. Designing and iterating pieces has quickly become one the most expensive parts of this journey.

To me, Ma. is much more than just a clothing brand. I truly do believe it can become a major movement, inspiring individuals to join the cause and be part of something greater than themselves.

Everything Ma. has done so far, has been organised and completed by myself with the help of friends. I can only imagine what we could achieve as a commu­­nity if more people came together to simply do good.

The fact that something I envisioned has now become a tangible reality is surreal at times and so incredibly rewarding. The fashion industry is a trillion-pound industry, consider what impact we could make by tapping into only a little bit of that massive pie."

Roland's advice for anyone starting a business? "Start yesterday. Planning can help you greatly when it comes to executing effectively but do not let perfectionism or fear hold you back from starting. I wish I had started sooner and was able to make all the mistakes as soon as possible. Making a costly mistake when your business is worth £10,000, is arguably much better than making the same mistake when your business is worth 1 million pounds. So fail fast, fail often and never give up."

Find out more about the brand and its work at www.moreamoure.com.

 

Pioneering Birmingham-Based EdTech AI Company Teachify Wins Coveted Theo Paphitis #SBS Award

 

On Monday, 11th December 2023, Teachify, a pioneering Birmingham-based tech AI company, was bestowed the highly coveted #SBS Small Business Sunday Award by Retail Entrepreneur & TV Dragon Theo Paphitis.

Teachifyuk.com, founded by Ikum Kandola and Frank Crossley, is on a mission to empower teachers and transform the educational landscape. Their AI-powered software streamlines lesson preparation by generating tailored resources, alleviating the administrative burden and enabling educators to dedicate more time to inspiring and educating students. 

Entrepreneur Theo Paphitis reposted Teachify’s message to his over 500,000 Twitter and Instagram followers and as a result, they gained over 150 new followers, a 42% increase in website traffic and numerous new business inquiries in just 24 hours. They are also profiled on the #SBS website (www.theopaphitissbs.com) which is exclusive to all Small Business Sunday winners.

On winning this award, Ikum Kandola, Founder & Managing Director of Teachify, said: 'Winning this sought-after award truly has provided a massive boost in such a short period of time. Not only that, but having a well-known entrepreneur like Theo take a look at and support our business means a lot. We understand how important teachers are to society and are passionate about reducing their workload by developing and implementing cutting-edge AI software. I look forward to becoming more involved in the network and attending #SBSEvent2024.

Small business champion and Ryman Stationery, Robert Dyas and Boux Avenue Chairman, Theo Paphitis, said: “We are thrilled to welcome new #SBS members every week and highlight just how important it is to support our small businesses here in the UK.  My vision is that everyone who has ever won an #SBS re-tweet from me becomes part of a friendly club; like-minded individuals who can share successes and learnings. The website will also give a valuable profile to the winners chosen and I wish Teachify every success.”

Anyone looking for a re‐tweet from Theo should tweet on Twitter or do an Instagram post to him about their business on Sunday between 5 PM and 7.30 PM and include the hashtag #SBS. Six lucky businesses are re‐tweeted every Monday at 8 PM and then invited to enter their profile on the new website, attend the annual #SBS networking event and take advantage of the networking opportunities.

Finding a path for International students to thrive | Kritesh Bisht

In this blog we feature University of Birmingham Management graduate Kritesh Bisht who has created a start-up inspired by his own personal experience. Kritesh recently shared a Linkedin post to reflect back on his journey.

Kritesh: Over the past 7 years, I completed my Bachelor’s, started a company, moved to a different country, finished a Master’s, and started another company InStudents. Yet, I never really posted anything on Linkedin about this, until now. 

As a textbook introvert and someone who has battled imposter syndrome throughout his life, I never thought I had anything valuable to share.

What changed today then?

I think at some point in our lives we find a cause that is much bigger than us. A cause that gives us purpose. A cause that pushes us to do things that we’d normally not even think about. I am lucky to have found my cause – Education.

Birmingham schoolgirl Lara Jeetley interns with UoB start-up Studystash

Lara Jeetley hit the headlines back in 2019 where at the age of 11, she was recognised as a child genius scoring a higher Mensa score than Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein.

Birmingham Mail Sutton Coldfield schoolgirl,11, is brainer than Einstein.

Fast forward 4 years, and Lara has been given the opportunity to work closely with University of Birmingham Computer Science students Ben Ward and Jonathan Graham through an internship project.

The UoB duo have recently built a new AI-powered education startup designed to revolutionise studying - they are also part of the latest cohort of business joining UoB Elevate at The Exchange. Lara reflects on her experience working with StudyStash.

Lara: Hello! I’m Lara, a 14-year-old student, and I recently had the incredible opportunity of a two-week work experience placement with the incredible StudyStash team, an education powered start-up.

Transforming a passion for design into a poster start-up | Firaas Akbar

Firaas Akbar is a Biomedical Sciences graduate from the University of Birmingham. He started a business called Poster Studio in May 2023 - a venture that creates high quality posters focusing on four distinct categories: cars, streetwear, quotes, and sports. 

Firaas: With a strong blend of artistic flair and attention to detail, Poster Studio caters to enthusiasts and individuals who are passionate about these diverse interests.

It creates a haven for individuals who have a passion for cars, streetwear, quotes, and sports. Through meticulous design, premium materials, and a strong online presence, you provide a unique and enriching experience for customers who seek to adorn their spaces with art that reflects their interests and lifestyle.

Poster Studio Cars: celebrate the beauty, power, and elegance of various automobiles. From classic vintage cars to modern supercars, your posters capture the unique essence of each vehicle.

Poster Studio Streetwear: embodies the urban fashion culture with a fusion of style and attitude. These posters highlight iconic streetwear apparel, sneakers, and accessories in visually striking compositions. By blending fashion elements with artistic creativity, you capture the edgy and trendy essence of streetwear culture.

The bucket list inspired start-up | Top tips from Buckt founder Daniel Bridgewater

Buckt is the UK's only mystery ticket subscription service. Every month subscribers receive 5 mystery tickets to top attractions and activities in their region. From axe throwing to alpaca walking, rage rooms to restaurants, subscribers receive actual tickets and they can complete all of them at no extra cost. 

The business is founded by University of Birmingham alumnus Daniel Bridgewater (Business Management and Communications, 2014) who tells his story in the latest Career Talk podcast.

The business currently has around 8000 subscribers, over 1000 partners and operates in Greater Birmingham, London, Greater Manchester and Liverpool and Merseyside.

In this podcast, Daniel chats to host Bob Lee and gives an honest assessment about life as a CEO and some stella tips to help you develop and grow your own idea. Buckt has come a long way from an idea, part inspired by a relationship break up and a tonic for boredom busting. The business now helps customers find their own bucket list inspired experiences with exciting mystery box activities delivered to their door.

After recently securing investment, the business is on an exciting growth trajectory. Over the coming months, the business will be developing a new app, expanding into 4 new regions (Watch this space!) and dramatically increasing their subscriber numbers. 

Visit the Buckt website for more info

Empowering Students: StudyStash's AI-Powered Education Platform

StudyStash delivers an AI-powered web-app which promises to empower students through their GCSE’S, A-Levels and at University. The business is founded by Computer Science finalists Ben Ward and Jonathan Graham.

Ben: StudyStash is the stress free, fun way to revise. We offer a better way to prepare for exams, transforming traditional education into a personalised experience through a user-friendly and seamless user interface across all devices.

At university, I'm part of the outreach team and I mentor mathematics, physics, biology and work with disadvantaged/under-achieving students at Harborne Academy.

Fusion of Traditions: House of Gillani's Luxury Thobes Blend Eastern Craftsmanship and Western Tailoring

Philosophy, Politics and Economics undergraduate Mr. Syed Gillani is the founder of clothing business House of Gillani. 

This luxury clothing brand specializes in creating bespoke thobes, drawing inspiration from the renowned tailoring traditions of Savile Row. The company offers a diverse range of thobes, including ready-to-order options and custom-made designs tailored specifically to customers' measurements and preferences.

A thobe is a long, loose-fitting robe commonly worn in Arab countries, crafted from lightweight fabrics, and often adorned with traditional embroidery or stitching.

Syed: At House of Gillani, we take pride in seamlessly blending the expertise of Eastern cloth weaving with Western sartorial tailoring techniques. Our thobes are meticulously crafted using the finest quality fabrics sourced from the East, while incorporating the precision and attention to detail synonymous with the tailoring practices of Savile Row.

Whether you choose a ready-to-order thobe or opt for our bespoke tailoring service, you can expect the utmost in craftsmanship, quality, and style. Our team of skilled artisans and tailors ensures that each thobe is made to the highest standards, paying careful attention to every stitch and detail. House of Gillani strives to create thobes that exude luxury and elegance while reflecting the individuality and personal style of our discerning clientele.

The Anime-Inspired Start-up: Weeb Express Takes on Hyper Japan London

Weeb Express is an anime merchandise business, founded in July 2021 by Materials Science Graduate, Heidi Leung. On 21 - 23 July, Weeb Express attended Hyper Japan London - the largest Japanese culture festival in the UK, centred around Japanese cuisine and pop culture such as gaming, anime, manga, music and more!

With the help from the UoB Elevate Start-Up programme, Weeb Express was able to employ two talented University of Birmingham student interns, Ash and Fiona, to support the team with Sales and Marketing during the event.
Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the staff team and the invaluable support from the student interns, Weeb Express achieved a remarkable result at Hyper Japan.

Over the course of three days, Weeb Express secured more than 300 sales, resulting in an impressive total revenue of £3600. Their social media reached more than 1000 target audiences and gained 20% more followers. 

Game On! Exploring the fun world of Board Game start-up Hex Mad

Hex Mad is a board/card game publisher based in Birmingham, aiming to make fun and rewarding games that don't take ages to set up and play.

The start-up is founded by Applied Linguistics graduate Ian James and based at the university's incubator UoB Elevate in Centenary Square. Hex Mad value sustainability and inclusivity, and plan to give 10% of their profits to charity.

Ian: Our first game, Curse Words, is a word making and guessing game for adults, and will be coming to Kickstarter soon. It’s been described as Cards Against Humanity meets Scrabble, but more creative than the former and quicker, funnier, more party-ish than the latter. And you get to shout rude words at your friends!

Helping SME's to find Net Zero | The Postgraduate Enterprise Summer School with HSBC

The Postgraduate Enterprise Summer School (PESS2023) took place at the University of Birmingham last week, offering postgraduate students a valuable platform for gaining enterprise skills, consultancy experience, and exploring the commercialisation of research ideas.

The programme included Postgraduates from the University of Birmingham and Warwick University working through a sustainability challenge set by employer partner HSBC. 

The participants with diverse academic disciplines, were introduced to each other on the first day and organised into teams. Their main objective throughout the week was to devise a solution that would help HSBC in guiding 2 million SMEs toward a net-zero future. The program featured training workshops focusing on ideation, validation, and presentation skills.

Koazy Home, a furniture start-up aims to create a relaxed atmosphere for its customers

KOAZY Home is a homegrown creative brand based in the UK, driven by the inspiration of a relaxed and effortless lifestyle. 

The business operates from the university's start-up incubator (UoB Elevate) and is founded by University of Birmingham graduate Guangyu Shi and Ruixin Tong.

Guangyu: Upon arriving at Birmingham International Airport in 2021, I faced the challenge of finding suitable accommodation. Despite exhaustion from the journey and multiple moves, I had to quickly acquire bedding and kitchen supplies. It took time to gather the necessary items, but their quality fell short. 

These experiences, along with interactions with new international students, inspired the creation of 'KOAZY Home'. Our goal is to ensure that the first night of international students arriving in the UK is no longer cold by enjoying a one-stop service from KOAZY. Customers can pre-order our bedding products and choose their arrival time in the UK. 

Incubator Pitch Competition: Elevate your Startup

On Monday 5 June, the University of Birmingham hosted an exciting pitch competition for founders as part of the UoB Elevate programme. 

This Dragon's Den-style event brought together ten passionate entrepreneurs who competed for prizes in two distinct categories: 'My First Pitch' and 'Improve My Pitch'.

The competition aimed to provide a supportive platform where founders could gain valuable insights from successful entrepreneurs and experts, while refining their pitching skills. Let's delve into the details of this remarkable event.

The UoB Elevate start-up incubator at The Exchange, which is home to 38 businesses, is a dedicated programme for start-up founders. The incubator opened its doors in 2021, and this pitch event was specifically designed for the most recent cohort who began their entrepreneurial journey in September 2022. 

Exploring the metaverse with an exciting vision for gamers | Andy Morrin

Andy Morrin graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2020 with a Masters degree in Computer Science. 

He is the founder of a metaverse start-up called Meiyo and we caught up with him to find out about his exciting vision to create new possibilities for the gaming community. 

We hear the steps Andy is making to help bring it all together: building the community, metaverse development and finding investment.

Andy: Meiyo aims to build the ultimate gaming metaverse and ecosystem for independent game developers. The ecosystem consists of a free, open source game development framework that provides the tools to help developers make games, and an asset marketplace where developers can buy 3D art to bring their game worlds to life.

You have an idea for a business! But what do you do next?

So let's set the scene for a second. Let's imagine you have an idea in your head that sounds like it could work well as a business. Maybe it's a lightbulb moment that just came to you in a flash, or something that has been building over time. Perhaps even something influenced by your university course or a solution to a problem.

If you're passionate to make your idea come to life what do you do next and more importantly where should you start? This blog explores the first steps you can take to get support for your idea.

Starting close to home is a great place to start. The university offers a ton load of support and you can get help from the B-Enterprising Team who are on hand to guide you through your start-up journey.

Growing my DNA business after my PhD | Dr Sam Decombel

Dr Sam Decombel is the co-founder and CEO of FitnessGenes Ltd, a DNA testing
company and world leader in the analysis of genetic and environmental data as applied to fitness and nutrition.

Sam features in the latest Career Talk podcast hosted by Nicola Gittins and shares her story working as an entrepreneur. 

After completing a PhD (Gene Flow in Rice) from the University of Birmingham in 2007, and with several years experience working as a Technology Transfer Manager, Sam embarked on a mission to start DNA artwork company, PlayDNA. 

Listen to the podcast:

Growing a fitness start-up | UoB alumnus Edward Gent talks about life as a start-up founder

Edward Gent graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2018 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. Since graduating, Edward has set up his own start-up business - a fitness business called Health Haven.

Edward: Health Haven empowers personal trainers and fitness professionals to find reliable, vetted clients globally. 

It is the one stop shop for fitness pros to save time, money and energy on their day to day. For everyone else looking for a trainer - the Uber of fitness has arrived. 

I came up with the idea with a close friend from my dorm room in my first year of University, over a phone call. Initially, it started as an idea to help sports coaches administer programmes to university athletes digitally (believe it or not, even the highest levels of teams were still using old fashioned pen and paper). 

Bloomwise: the mental health consultancy revolutionising workplace mental health

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week, and what better time for a mental health consultancy to launch their new workplace mental health app?

 
Bloomwise, a start-up run by two researchers at the University of Birmingham, is positively impacting the workplace by providing proactive mental health solutions. Their central aim is to transform workplace and societal narratives around mental health, creating an employee centric culture leading to both human and business growth.

Bloomwise’s new workplace mental health app  is expanding the scope of workplace mental health by reinventing how employers can collect business insights and acknowledging that a ‘one-size fits all’ approach just does not work. They believe that every individual and every business is so different to each other, so why are current solutions not addressing this?

Download the new Bloomwise app here

 

How to value your start-up and get investment - with Elizabeth Gooch MBE

Following a recent visit to meet University of Birmingham founders on the UoB Elevate start-up incubator programme, Elizabeth Gooch MBE took time to give her tips on finding investment, during the latest Career Talk podcast episode.

Elizabeth visited The Exchange at the end of April for an event called Meet the Experts and she spoke to Nicola Gittins to talk about her journey and offer advice for entrepreneurs looking for support and investment.

Speed-dating style networking for start-ups at The Exchange

University of Birmingham start-up founders on the UoB Elevate programme were given the opportunity to speak to experts in the region during a speed-dating style networking event on 27 April at The Exchange.

UoB Elevate is a start-up incubator for University of Birmingham student and graduate start-up businesses, each founder had 5 minutes to speak to each of the experts in the room. 

Our all-female panel of experts covered a range of topics including Investment, Law, Branding, International Trade, Finance, Business Growth and Leadership. The special guests were...

Charlotte Bowden, GBSLEP | Eileen Schofield, Schofield & Associates | Elizabeth Gooch MBE, Board Advisor and NED | Esther Gottschalk, Marks & Clerk | Heather Martin, Department for International Trade | Julie Teague, Cygnus Consultancy | Pakhi Sharma, Global Shapers | Tracy Sherratt, British Business Bank.

UoB start-up founders celebrated at Inspirational Youth Awards 2023

University of Birmingham start-up founders found success in the Inspirational Youth
Awards 2023. The final took place at Eastside Rooms in Birmingham city centre on Friday 29 April.

Harriet Noy, founder of Hazaar won the Young innovator of the Year Award category. The University of Birmingham Economics graduate set up Hazaar, a zero waste marketplace for UK university students. A huge congratulations to Harriet!

Congratulations also to these start-up founders who were shortlisted in the final:

Martha Harrison from Calico Theatre was shortlisted in two categories - the Arts and Culture Award category and also the Young Campaigner of the Year category. Calico Theatre create socially driven campaigns through performance and dance.

Building a Project Management app to help keep you on track | Planbuk

Planbuk is a start-up created by Advanced Mechanical Engineering graduate Suraj Santhosh Kumar. 

Suraj graduated in 2022 and he is a Mechanical Engineer on the Graduate scheme at Smurfit Kappa. He also operates his start-up business Planbuk from the UoB Elevate start-up incubator in Birmingham city centre.

We caught up with Suraj to find out more about his business and find how it is giving users more control over their experience with tailored advertisements.

Suraj: What do you want to do with life? Over the course of many years, I've pursued the answer to this question, although the answers kept changing as I grew older, the core of it remained to be wanting to help people. Having had very little help growing up, I had to help myself in most instances which taught me that the best way to help someone is to teach them how to help themselves. As the saying goes, 'Give a man a fish and he'll be content for a day, teach a man how to fish and he'll be content for life!'.

Connecting Chinese consumers and Western brands | UKRabbit

UKRabbit is a start-up founded by Human Resource Management graduate Bella (Jinjie) Hu. 

The business which is based at the University of Birmingham's start-up incubator in the city centre, bridges the gap between Chinese consumers and Western brands. The overarching UKRabbit brand is split into two separate businesses: (1) a Digital Marketing agency (2) a support agency helping International students.

From its origins, the business was created to help provide a smooth transition for International students entering the UK for the first time from China. More information about this dedicated service can be found via the www.myukrabbit.com website.

Through Bella's passion for filming, another arm of the business has been created which connects audiences and brands through digital marketing and channel management. UKRabbit has just launched a brand new website offering these marketing services: www.ukrabbitdigital.co.uk.

Through her experiences and passion, the business aims to provide a first class service whilst bringing global communities together.

Podcast: How to sell online | Max Murray

Max Murray graduated in 2022 with a degree in Criminology and he is the founder of clothing start-up Dream Vintage.  

Max started the company from his student bedroom during lockdown and turned a drop-shipping side-hustle into a fully fledged business employing two staff. The business found great initial success through marketplaces and was listed in the top 10 of global sellers on Depop.

Career Talk podcast - S3 E4: How to sell online | Max Murray

Artists in the machine | The UoB start-up creating AI-generated art - Eli Prais

There is so much in the news right now about the advancement and excitement
surrounding AI and the possibilities open to us all through programmes such as ChatGPT. 

In this blog we feature Electronic and Electrical Engineering student Eli Prais who has created a start-up project called neur.o.tic which creates art using online AI generators. 

The project has attracted great interest with over 40,000 followers on Instagram and also includes an online clothing shop which features the AI generated designs. To create the artwork featured in this blog, Eli uses art generators such as Midjourney, Nightcafe Studio and Adobe Photoshop.

Eli: In late 2021, I came across the website neuralblender by chance, and after using it for a few minutes, I realised that when I typed in a sentence, it would create a piece of art. I found this idea fascinating, and I decided to start an Instagram page to share my creations. Over time, my page grew and I knew that it had more potential.

The mental health and autism charity helping young people | Zaynab Sohawon

Zaynab Sohawon is a mental health advocate and charity founder. She has a moving personal story which she is open about, and through her lived experiences is on a mission to help and protect young people through mental health challenges. 

I met with Zaynab, a Human Neuroscience undergraduate at the University of Birmingham, to find out more about her charity Emotion Dysregulation in Autism (E-DA), how her past experience is shaping her future and advice for anyone considering setting up their own charity. Our interview is featured in a Career Talk podcast and we feature highlights of the interview within this blog.

Zaynab: Emotion Dysregulation in Autism is a youth mental charity which helps autistic young people between 12-25 and we help through two main ways. One is through our social action workshops where we raise awareness of health inequalities in youth mental health and autism - we are actually working with the University of Birmingham right now running these types of workshops. 

The start-up idea built from a passion for motor racing | Jamie Thornton

Economics student Jamie Thornton loves motor racing. So much so, that he has turned a passion project into a business by creating a Remote Control (RC) company called Zebon Ltd. 

Jamie was recently awarded start-up funding by the university, and is in the early stages of setting up. We caught up with him to find out about start-up life in the fast lane, how it all started and the road ahead in 2023.

Jamie: In my first year I joined University of Birmingham Motorsport Club (UBMRC) and quickly found a passion for motor racing. Zebon Ltd spawned from this interest in motorsport. 

Having experienced the great expense that motorsport entails, I wanted to create another way for me to race competitively and cheaply. Another major goal, perhaps a bit further down the line, is to reduce the barriers to entry into motorsport, promoting equal opportunity for racing drivers.

XPG Media announce the release of new AI generator | Beadonay Kamal

It has been a big week for AI. Bill Gates announced boldly that 'The Age of AI has begun' in a blog post before claiming that OpenAI's ChatGPT is 'the most important tech advance in decades'. That's some statement!

With seemingly limitless possibilities ahead, it brings an exciting time for all of us and creates opportunities for digital start-ups and tech minded innovators alike. Speaking of which, we caught up with Birmingham based entrepreneur Beadonay Kamal, founder of marketing agency XPG Media who has some big news of his own.

This week the company announced the release of an exciting new product; a free to use AI powered Keyword generator, designed to help support business marketing campaigns.

Taking on the Siemens Challenge, and winning it! | Siddhanth Sharma

In January, Siemens ran an enterprising design challenge on campus for University of Birmingham students. We caught up with one of the participants who not only participated in the challenge but was also part of the winning team.

In this blog we hear from Siddhanth Sharma (MSc Management) who reflects on his experiences creating a design solution using CAD software and finding success through teamwork and innovation.

Siddhanth: I joined the Siemens Bootcamp Challenge because I felt it was a brilliant opportunity to explore something new and different and to do genuinely something that is outside of the box. Furthermore, as they had specified that it will involve using CAD software called Solid Edge to create a prototype of a product, I felt this would be quite interesting as this is something I have not done before and I felt it would be an enjoyable experience.