The Verizon/Unloc Young Entrepreneurs Challenge, our annual online tech-entrepreneurship competition for young people across Europe, has chosen the five finalists who will compete for the competition’s £10,000/€11,000* Grand Prize!
The package also includes funding, mentorship and a technology package as well as entry to this year’s One Young World 2022 Tokyo Summit in Japan (16-19 May 2022).
The finalists will pitch their ideas live to a panel of expert judges in the Grand Final to be held virtually on March 1, 2022.
We are excited to reveal our five finalists are:
- Nick Cotter (Ireland) – Cotter Agritech:
A patented hardware/software solution designed to reduce chemical use in agriculture whilst also improving productivity and profitability. It aims to reduce labour, costs and the drug resistance associated with conventional blanket parasite control and help in the transition to a more precise treatment application on specific animals. - Harry Gadsby (United Kingdom) – Ango:
A system designed to help consumers identify sustainable consumer products as they shop online. Ango displays product specific recommendations and where possible, applies a discount to make the products cheaper and more accessible; helping to make retail a greener experience. - Naomi McGregor (United Kingdom) – Movetru:
A data-driven, wearable device with sensors designed to monitor physical alignment and form. It aims to target the lower body in order to optimize performance, prevent injury and reduce physical injury recovery time. - Lisa Rossi (Italy) – SoundLence:
A physical industrial headset which aims to limit undesirable surround-noise in the workplace. An algorithm ‘learns’ which sounds to filter and which to let through allowing the enabling the user to cancel out noises such as machinery and focus on important sounds such as speech, alarms and moving vehicles. - Alex Witty (United Kingdom) – Compound:
An initiative to recycle motorsport industry waste such as tyres and convert it into rubber filaments and resin in order to produce fashionable footwear via 3D printed lattice midsoles. The aim is to reduce carbon-intensive manufacturing methods, minimize material use and avoid tyres being unnecessarily incinerated which adds to environmental pollution.
The Verizon/Unloc Young Enterprise Challenge aims to encourage and attract the young business leaders of tomorrow. The competition challenges young people to consider the worlds of technology, health, the environment and sustainability, and to put forward their tech-led business idea to enrich and benefit the lives of other people.
“This challenge continues to attract amazing young talent from across Europe and this year is no exception,” comments Scott Lawrence, Group Vice President of Verizon Business in Europe. “The innovative business concepts submitted cover a diverse range of industries and topics. It is crucial that we continue to support and nurture these budding entrepreneurs, as they will be the successful business leaders of tomorrow. We’re looking forward to the grand final and can’t wait to witness the ideas in action.”
“Each year we see more applicants from across Europe, and stronger and more focused business ideas from the young people that apply.” said Hayden Taylor, Managing Director of Unloc. “The engagement we’ve had from colleges, universities and organizations this year has been nothing short of spectacular, and it’s allowed us to engage with young people directly, really giving them the support and confidence to apply. The quality of applications this year is so high, it really is going to be tough for the judges to choose a winner from our amazing finalists.”
In addition to the grand prize for the main winner, the remaining four finalists will each receive £1,000 of funding, as well as a one-to-one development plan and a series of flagship masterclasses to give their businesses the best possible start.
Note: The Grand Prize fund will depend on the exchange rate at the time of the final.
For more information on the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge click here!
About Unloc
Unloc was founded in 2013 by award-winning young leaders and advocates Hayden Taylor and Ben Dowling. Our mission is to empower young people to be innovative changemakers who seek to build stronger communities and sustainable businesses. We develop young people’s skills, enhance their potential and boost their determination to succeed. This is encapsulated in our ‘Developing Young Potential’ tag-line. We work towards our mission by delivering inspiring educational programs in our growing network of schools and colleges, our physical Changemaker Studios spaces in Portsmouth and London, and work with business leaders to deliver a range of programs that help us achieve our mission.
About Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) was formed on June 30, 2000 and is one of the world’s leading providers of technology and communications services. Headquartered in New York City and with a presence around the world, Verizon generated revenues of $133.6 billion in 2021. The company offers data, video and voice services and solutions on its award-winning networks and platforms, delivering on customers’ demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity, security and control.
