I was so impressed with the level of commitment and thoughtfulness from our Award winners. I’m privileged to be able to make a positive difference to their entrepreneurial journeys and to support their impactful solutions they give so much time and energy to. I would also like to thank Holly Knower for her insights, guidance and orchestration of these awards, and to Julie Devonshire, the rest of the King’s EI team for helping in my engagement. The King’s20 would not be the same without their leadership and expertise."
David Walsh, Entrepreneur-in-Residence
02 May 2023
David Walsh Award empowers King's20 entrepreneurs
For 2023, the David Walsh Award aimed to fuel and empower King's entrepreneurs by encouraging them to embark on a new opportunity to create a positive outcome for their company.
Open to cohort VII of the King’s20 Accelerator, the David Walsh Award invited ventures to apply for grant funding to empower their start-up and their own personal and professional development.
It is well evidenced that entrepreneurs can exhibit entrepreneurial burnout, due to the high pressure, emotional demands and autonomy associated with running a business. This year’s David Walsh Award is a unique funding opportunity which aimed to prioritise the development of the founders themselves; subsequently creating a positive outcome for their business too. The funding could be applied to a range of ideas, including attendance at key conferences to increase their entrepreneurial profile, to investing in interventions to overcome daily challenges.
This Award is made possible due to the generosity of David Walsh, a highly successful and experienced CEO in the tech sector and an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Entrepreneurship Institute. He began his career at IBM and went on to found Crimsonwing, an international software and services business that was acquired by KPMG in 2015. As Entrepreneur-in-Residence, David helps to advise and mentor the 20 selected start-ups on the King’s20 Accelerator programme. In 2020, he was presented the Helen Hudson Award as part of the King’s Distinguished Alumni Awards for his exemplary contribution to the university.
This year six awards were presented to King’s20 ventures, all of which have female founders.
And the winners are…
| Venture | Project |
| Femspace: The first digital platform for women with chronic pelvic pain. |
Investing in a social media strategy and branded templates to enhance the consistency and reputation of the Femspace brand. |
| Safetyknot: A safety and first aid training business for good. |
Fulfil Katherine's desire for Safetyknot to become a B Corp through registration and certification fee. |
| Sistren: The easiest way for Black women to make friends. |
Host an in depth focus group with current users to improve the Sistren offer. |
| RecycleLab: Recycling single-use plastic waste generated by life science labs to reduce plastic pollution and create a more sustainable life science industry. |
Increase RecycleLab's reputation by undertaking and completing an 'Environmental Permitting Operators Certificate' to process waste (and not just store). |
| Resèt: Modern, performance-driven haircare brand inspired by ancient principles to address the root of common hair concerns at the scalp. |
Support the re-launch of Resèt to the market with presence at a dedicated wellness and beauty travelling pop-up shop. |
| Mami: Mami empowers women in Nigeria to identify breast cancer symptoms and connect with care through their mobile phone. |
Deliver an impact presentation at an International Conference on Cancer (AORTIC) in Dakar, Africa. |