SUSU has awarded three businesses, launched by University of Southampton students, a total of £550 investment in its annual Enterprise Fund Awards.
The Enterprise Fund is in place to support and encourage Southampton students in business by helping them to develop their innovative ideas, events, and projects.
The largest prize of £250 was given to Aquassentials, a brand new start-up which creates small hydroponic products enabling plants to grow in the absence of soil, set to be available next semester.
SUSU’s VP Activities Fiona Sunderland was present for the awards which chose three winners from five applicant projects, and said:
This year we had some really strong business ideas apply for the fund this year and choosing between them was tough. We’re really pleased to have supported 3 groups of entrepreneurs and help further their innovative projects. We look forward to seeing the products from them which include a beer brewed from waste bread which will be found in the Stags’ in the near future! Well done to all those that took part and we hope to see even more of your ideas next year!
As mentioned above, Future Brew, a start-up attempting to capitalise on the growing beers and ale market, were awarded £150. They are aiming to do so by producing a drink with the primary ingredient of waste bread. This is an environmentally intuitive brand which seeks to raise awareness around climate change and social responsibility, according to its project lead, Dimitris-Marios Stoidis. In 2018, The Guardian warned that climate change could cause ‘dramatic beer shortages’ as damage to the global barley crop supply will result in price spikes.
Future Brew Limited had been running for ten months and had one active director as of March 2019.
The third winning initiative was The Charge Project, which was also awarded £150 from the Enterprise Fund. It aims to provide a sustainable solution to flooding problems in the Gaibandha Char region of Bangladesh by providing floating solar and hydropower systems, improving flexible access to renewable energy in the area.
