The EntreConf Awards, is an annual celebration of entrepreneurial excellence and innovation, attracting brilliant minds from diverse fields, all dedicated to shaping a better future through their groundbreaking ideas and ventures.

The University of Bath shines bright with an impressive high number of spinouts and alumni as finalists, a testament to our commitment to nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit within the community.

Meet the 2024 Finalists

  • Advisor

    • Alumnus, David Kelly, founded Storm Consultancy, a digital technology agency which develop websites, web apps and platforms for fledgling startups, flourishing scale-ups and restless corporate innovators.

  • eCommerce

    • Alumnus James Courtney, was support by Enterprise Bath and founded LUX Rewards to be a key player in the Card-Linked Offers sector. They promote brands to over 30 million payment cards across the UK and US via partnerships with major airlines, banks, employee benefit platforms, cashback sites and premium rewards schemes.

  • Entrepreneur of the Year

    • Dr Asel Sartbaeva, Co-Founder and CEO of EnsiliTech, which she spunout with her team from the University of Bath in 2022. The spinout company aims to make vaccines that are safe and stable at all temperatures.
    • Alumnus David Kelly for founding his digital technology agency Storm Consultancy.
    • Alumnus James Courtney for founding LUX Rewards, a loyalty platform for high-end spend.

  • Female Entrepreneur

    • Dr Asel Sartbaeva, Co-Founder and CEO of biotech spinout, Ensilitech.
    • E.J. Root of Epowar, a visionary BSc Business student at University of Bath. Her app addresses the critical issue of women's safety pushing boundaries and setting new standards in personal security.

  • FinTech

    • Alumnus James Courtney who founded LUX Rewards, a loyalty platform for high-end spend, where luxury restaurants and bars are able to reward customers with equally indulgent perks. Customers earn points whenever they spend at participating restaurants and bars and once, they’ve racked up enough points, they can choose from rewards like spa days, wine tasting tours or charity donations.

  • Pre-Revenue

    • University of Bath biotech spinout EnsiliTech.
    • The Epowar startup up from E.J. Root which monitors body motion and heartrate to distinguish between physical and psychological distress. In the event of an attack, it sends an alert to the wearer’s emergency contacts, activates a loud alarm and records evidence.

  • Science

    • EnsiliTech spun out from the University of Bath in July 2022, Co-Founded by Dr Asel Sarbaeva, Department of Chemistry. The company develops ensilication, a platform technology, to remove the need for refrigeration when transporting and storing vaccines and biologicals.
    • LabCycle, founded by Dr Helen Liang during her PhD in Sustainable and Circular Technologies at the University of Bath. The company tackles single-use plastic waste in research/healthcare by recycling with innovative technology, promoting circular economy and sustainable practices.
    • UK-HyRES, a UK Hub for Research Challenges in Hydrogen and Alternative Liquid Fuels which is Co-Directed by Professor Tim Mays, Department of Chemical Engineering.

  • Sustainability

    • LabCycle, founded by Dr Helen Liang, is a changemaker following Dr Liang's vision to make research sustainable by addressing the 5.5 million tons of plastic waste from research institutions.
    • UK-HyRES, a UK Hub for Research Challenges in Hydrogen and Alternative Liquid Fuels which is Co-Directed by Professor Tim Mays, Department of Chemical Engineering.

  • Technology

    • EnsiliTech is a biotechnology start-up developing ensilication, a platform technology, to remove the need for refrigeration when transporting and storing biologicals such as vaccines, antibody treatments, or even insulin.
    • Storm Consultancy focuses on shaping concepts, creating viable businesses and crafting innovative digital products.

  • Young Entrepreneur

    • Jinghui (Helen) Liang founded LabCycle, which developed the UK’s first pilot plant for recycling plastic lab waste, during her PhD in Sustainable & Circular Technologies at the University of Bath.

We look forward to the awards ceremony on 26 September at Aersospace Bristol. It is clear that the future is indeed unwritten, and great minds truly do think differently. Stay tuned for the announcement of the winners, and congratulations to all the shortlisted nominees!

See the full list of 2024 finalists.

The University of Bath works with businesses, researchers, and students to enable new ideas and innovation. Our facilities, expertise, programmes and research creates jobs and supports growth for Bath and North East Somerset, the South West, and the UK. Find out about our Innovation with Impact.