At the core of every innovative idea is a problem and our winners have shown revolutionary new ways of thinking to find solutions where there is a clear need to do so. Innovative and creative thinking are likely to be the most valuable skills in the workplace of the future. This is why King’s and the Entrepreneurship Institute encourages this spirit of inquiry, which all participants of the Idea Factory have shown in abundance.
Baroness Deborah Bull, Vice President & Vice-Principal (London) and the Senior Advisory Fellow for Culture at King’s College London
27 February 2020
UK's first at-home male fertility test wins entrepreneurial award
The winners of this year's Idea Factory 2020, a competition run by King’s College London’s Entrepreneurship Institute, were announced at the House of Lords.
The first comprehensive at-home male fertility testing service; a support app for patients with eczema and the Deliveroo of clothing alterations, were last night announced as the winners of Idea Factory 2020 - a competition run by King’s College London’s Entrepreneurship Institute.
The competition empowers budding entrepreneurs within the King’s community by showcasing their new ideas, which have the potential to grow into worthy and successful businesses.
Last week, ten shortlisted finalists pitched to a panel of expert judges battling to win a share of a £6,000 prize pot and support package to help make their idea a reality. The winners were announced last night at a reception hosted by Baroness Deborah Bull, Vice President & Vice-Principal (London), in the River Room of the House of Lords in front of an audience of entrepreneurs and investors.
The winners of the prize were recognised for their disruptive and innovative thinking in order to find practical solutions to problems many people are facing today. Prize money of £2,000 was awarded to support each of the three winning ideas which are:
- Malebox, the first comprehensive at-home male fertility testing service, offering personalised recommendations to improve fertility and the ability to track fertility levels over time.
- ExZamine, a support app for patients with eczema which uses user input of photos and symptoms to track and predict (using machine learning/AI models) a patient’s condition and their next flare-up.
- SoJo, Deliveroo for clothing alterations, repairs and upcycling.
All ten finalists will receive ongoing support from King’s Entrepreneurship Institute for their business ideas which also included an adaptive lingerie brand, a smart shopping assistant providing second-hand and rental alternatives and a central database for pitch videos.
The Idea Factory exists to show our students that a business venture can simply start with an idea and with the right support, it can become a reality. The winners’ ideas have the potential to make a real difference to society and we are proud to be able to help them grow from the very beginning.
Rachel Stockey, Head of Entrepreneurial Skills, King’s Entrepreneurship Institute