£14,000 Awarded to University of Sheffield's Most Promising Student Start-ups

15th May 2025

Sheffield's entrepreneurial future is bright. Last week, the Emerge Awards Showcase spotlighted the University's brightest entrepreneurial minds. Which of these promising initiatives will achieve significant industry impact?

The University's Mappin Hall was the setting for a highly anticipated gathering of student, graduate and regional entrepreneurs last week, as Emerge: Be enterprising celebrated its second annual Emerge Awards Showcase 2025. 

The event, generously supported by Santander Universities, brought together 100 attendees to witness the culmination of months of hard work and visionary thinking from members of the Emerge community. 

Building on the resounding success of its inaugural year, the Emerge Awards Showcase has firmly established itself as a pivotal platform within the University's entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The quality of applications this year demonstrated a marked increase, with many ventures presenting novel solutions to pressing real-world challenges.

This impressed the esteemed judging panel, comprised of three prominent figures from the regional entrepreneurial landscape: Clive Humby OBE (Visiting University Professor | Investor, advisor and former CEO), Charlotte Thompson (Project Director of Sheffield Innovation Spine), and Chris Dalrymple (Exited founder, Investor and advisor). 

Their expert insights proved invaluable in identifying the ventures with the highest potential for growth and significant industry impact.

Commencing with refreshments on arrival, the formal proceedings began with a welcome from Emerge, setting the stage for the highly anticipated business pitches. 

Six outstanding finalists, representing ventures across various development stages, then took the spotlight. The "Conceptual Idea" category featured three presentations, followed by a brief intermission and an insightful address from Charlotte Thompson.
The programme continued with two presentations from the "Idea Development" category, another short break, and concluded with the final pitch from the "Gone to Market" category.  

The formal segment culminated in a valuable Networking Reception held in the Heartspace Atrium, providing a dedicated space for students to connect with experienced mentors and regional entrepreneurs from Sheffield. 

This intentional structure not only showcased the innovative ideas emerging from the University but also fostered a collaborative ecosystem, offering students invaluable opportunities to forge relationships and gain insights crucial for their future entrepreneurial journeys. 

The Emerge Awards Showcase distributed a total prize pool of £14,000 across three categories, tailored to different stages of business development:

Conceptual Idea (£1,000 each): 

This category focuses on validating market demand; it requires demonstrable evidence that a proposed idea addresses a genuine, existing need within a sufficient target audience.

The winners in this category were ZigPath (Career platform for teaching support roles), ResQ Systems (Search and rescue drones), and Evoband (Fitness resistance bands).

Idea Development (£3,000 each): 

This category signifies that the business has moved beyond just an idea—it’s building something real. It’s specifically for those who are actively creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

The winners in this category were PortalZero (Electric Induction Hobs for the ourdoors) and Bobbi (Cycle informed fitness).

Gone to Market (£5,000): 

This category is for an established Start-up who has proven they can attract customers and generate income and are looking for funding for continued development.

The winner in this category was Rivelin Rail (Rail friction management).

Nayden Yurukov, Founder of PortalZero, University of Sheffield alumni, said: "Being recognised among such innovative startups is a real honour. Congratulations to all the other winners and participants—there’s some amazing talent on the rise, and we’re proud to be part of it.

"A huge thank you to the incredible Emerge team for putting together such an inspiring event—and for the unwavering support they offer to student and graduate entrepreneurs. The energy in the room, the quality of ideas, and the sense of community were truly electric."

In addition to the main awards, the Emerge team proudly presented the Rising Star Award to Bernat Acs and Oluwakemi Osobukola. 

Emerge's core values include not only fostering business creation but also empowering individuals with vital enterprise skills. They both perfectly embody this spirit, and we are immensely grateful for such valuable community members who champion and support our activities. 

As the Emerge team reflects on the resounding success of the 2025 Awards Showcase, they extend their sincere gratitude to all attendees, judges, mentors, and supporters who contributed to this vibrant celebration of entrepreneurial talent. 

The event not only provided crucial funding but also fostered invaluable connections and inspiration for the next generation of innovators.

The Emerge team encourages all ambitious students and graduates to start thinking about their applications for next year's competition and to continue contributing to the dynamic local start-up ecosystem.