£26,000 up for grabs at Venture 2018
Published On Fri 16 Feb 2018 by Roddy Isles
More than 50 business ideas from students, staff and graduates of the University of Dundee will be scrutinised by judges responsible for awarding £26,000 of entrepreneurial support funding next week.
The Venture 2018 competition will mark the culmination of the University’s annual Entrepreneurship Week on Friday 23 February. The challenge gives members of the University community the chance to put their ideas to leading business innovators and potential investors as they compete for cash prizes across seven categories.
They will also be inspired by world record-breaking adventurer and University Rector Mark Beaumont BEM, who will give his insights into what makes a successful entrepreneur. Mark has built a successful business around his adventures and will share stories from his epic challenges at the Principal’s Annual Lecture in Entrepreneurship, a public event taking place at 6pm on Wednesday 21 February
Entrepreneurship Week runs in parallel with the wider Dundee Business Week from 19-23 February and will see business organisations and individuals from across Scotland take part in a packed programme aimed at supporting those looking to turn their ideas into a business.
“We are delighted with the response from staff, students and recent graduates, who have entered Venture 2018 in great numbers,” said Brian McNicoll, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Manager at the University.
“University campuses are packed with innovative, creative people and we cannot wait to hear pitches from within specific disciplines, collaborations across different areas and leftfield ideas that, with the right support, may just be ripe for development into successful enterprises.
“I would urge anyone, including the general public, with the desire to get into business to check out our wide-ranging programme of events at Entrepreneurship Week 2018. The chance to hear from Mark Beaumont about his experiences is just one example one of the opportunities available at the University next week.”
The University, in partnership with Elevator, will also formally open the Centre for Entrepreneurship on Wednesday.
Designed to promote and support creative, innovation-driven companies from across Dundee, Tayside and beyond, the centre – located within the University of Dundee campus in the Heathfield building – represents a £250,000 investment by Elevator, the University and other key partners.
The new centre aims to drive innovation within businesses and commercialise new and existing technologies across many sectors, including life sciences, digital media, gaming and other creative sectors.
Mark Beaumont’s public lecture takes place at 6pm on Wednesday 21 February in the Dalhousie Building. The event is free to attend and tickets can be booked in advance here.
More information about Entrepreneurship Week 2018, can be found at http://uod.ac.uk/entweek.
For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head of Corporate Communications
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
Tel: +44 (0)1382 384910
Mobile: 07800 581902
Email: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk