The calibre of the pitches and the strong track record of previous recipients give me considerable confidence in what this group can achieve. They demonstrated the resilience and problem-solving that defines great founders, showing to every student in the room why entrepreneurship is a path worth pursuing after university.
Babatunde Soyoye, Co-founder of Helios Investment Partners and Co-CEO of Helios Fairfax Partners, King’s alumnus (Electrical Engineering, 1999)
13 May 2026
Soyoye Entrepreneurship Prize 2026 winners announced
The Soyoye Entrepreneurship Prize, supported by King’s alumnus Babatunde Soyoye, celebrates high-impact tech ventures from King’s Start-up Accelerator Cohort IX.
At an event hosted at Bush House, shortlisted entrepreneurs pitched their ventures for the chance to be awarded a substantial grant to support their growth.
A group of high-calibre King’s ventures delivered compelling pitches
The finalists represented a wide range of King’s faculties and sectors, including health and wellbeing, education, hospitality, and business compliance, with each developing innovative AI solutions designed to make a real-world impact.
The pitching ventures were:
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Personalised exam trainer - improving grades with reduced revision time. |
Dunia Mangal - Founder and King's alumna (BSc Biomedical Science, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine) |
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Automating property compliance - helping landlords stay audit-ready and regulation proof. |
Aamir Faaiz - Co-founder and King’s alumnus (BEng Electronic & Information Engineering, Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences) |
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A patient‑led, AI‑powered data platform that turns tremor patients’ day‑to‑day experience into objective clinical evidence. |
Pierette Hebga Meinrad - Founder and King’s alumna (BA German with English Literature, 2017, Faculty of Arts & Humanities) |
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The smart software layer for hotels that transforms hotels into fully automated, sustainable and guest centric experiences. |
Guido Filippetti - Co-founder and King’s alumnus (MSc Strategic Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2025, King’s Business School) |
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Gently |
Streamlining end of life logistics and emotional care into clear actionable steps. |
Jeremy Wong - Founder and King’s student (BSc Economics, Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy) |
Each venture had three minutes to pitch their business, followed by a 5-minute Q&A with a judging panel featuring:
- Babatunde Soyoye, Co-founder of Helios Investment Partners and Co-CEO of Helios Fairfax Partners, and King’s alumnus (Electrical Engineering, 1999)
- Dr. Pahini Pandya - Founder & CEO of Panakeia and King’s alumna (PhD in Cell and Molecular Biophysics, 2017)
- Michael Stothard - VC Investor, Firstminute Capital
The panel assessed each venture based on its commercial potential, traction, business model, use of technology to create sustainable impact on people and the planet, and founder-market fit.
Three worthy winners share the Soyoye Entrepreneurship Prize
After judges’ deliberation, the winners were announced:
- 1st prize - MOMI AI - £30,000
- 2nd prize - SenaForma - £20,000
- 3rd prize - Tekniti AI - £10,000
Winner MOMI AI made its debut at Open Pitch Night, our annual event where King's community members pitch their earliest stage ideas, and has since gone from strength to strength until claiming the top prize at the event.
Winning tonight means so much to us – it shows that people understand MOMI and the market is ready for it. The judges believed in us and we had great conversations. I've been part of the Accelerator since day one and was supported through the whole journey. I'm very excited for what's coming for MOMI!
Guido Filippetti, Co-Founder of MOMI AI, King’s alumnus (Strategic Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2025)
Being part of this year’s cohort and seeing how much everyone invested in their work pushed me to give my absolute best. Receiving second prize feels like a validation for my idea. Now everything is real, and with that comes the drive to deliver, to stay focused, and to keep the momentum going. Everyone has been so warm and supportive, and that support acts as a real buffer.
Pierette Hebga Meinrad, Founder of SenaForma, King’s alumna (German with English Literature, 2017)
King’s alumni investing in the next generation of entrepreneurs
The Soyoye Entrepreneurship Prize has had a significant impact on its recipients since its creation almost ten years ago. This year’s judge and King’s alumna (PhD in Cell and Molecular Biophysics, 2017), Dr. Pahini Pandya, received £16,500 from the Soyoye Entrepreneurship Prize to support Panakeia’s early development. Since then, the company has raised £7.4 million in investment and reached $2.5 million in annual revenue. Today, Panakeia is a world-first AI company that can instantly analyse cancer tissue images, removing the need for lengthy lab tests and helping patients receive diagnoses in minutes rather than days.
When we won the Soyoye Prize in 2019, we had a strong vision and encouraging market feedback, but we needed critical data, more proof points, and the ability to hire key people to move forward. The prize and investment from Babatunde Soyoye himself were instrumental - they unlocked Panakeia’s pre-seed round and gave us the credibility and momentum we needed to build our core clinical product and technology. Without that early support, we simply wouldn’t be where we are today.
Dr. Pahini Pandya, Founder & CEO of Panakeia and King's alumna (PhD in Cell and Molecular Biophysics, 2017)
Seeing King's alumni return to invest in the next generation of passionate, young entrepreneurs is what makes the Soyoye Entrepreneurship Prize so meaningful. It speaks to a culture of giving back that we are proud to nurture at King's. My thanks go to Babatunde Soyoye for his continued generosity and commitment to supporting our growing entrepreneurial community.
Julie Devonshire OBE, Director of Entrepreneurship Institute
Photo credit: David Tett Photography.
To find out more about King's Start-up Accelerator, visit our website.
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Director, Entrepreneurship Institute