A start-up business that aims to improve the lives of the elderly has won the Ingenuity Impact Entrepreneur of the Year award from Nuffield Health in the Ingenuity Impact Showcase 2024.
Run by the University of Nottingham and in partnership with Nuffield Health, the Ingenuity Programme provides start-up skills and training, networking, mentoring, and routes to funding for early-stage impact-driven businesses to make social and environmental change.
The most impactful ideas are awarded a top prize and receive a share of £75,000 funding to help them in the early stages of their entrepreneurial journeys.
The programme supports participants to turn ideas for change into exciting new ventures and adopts an agile and flexible approach to ensure we are diverse, inclusive, and accessible.
The Ingenuity Programme is designed to demystify entrepreneurship and support those not currently served by existing services available in Nottingham and in the UK's start-up landscape. This includes engaging with and supporting underserved and underrepresented groups both from within the university and its local communities.
This year, the overall winner was Max Bateson from HYGGE who won the Ingenuity Impact Entrepreneur of the Year award, supported by Nuffield Health.
HYGGE aims to provide innovative solutions for the challenges of the UK's aging population, integrating modern technology, adaptable living spaces, and a supportive environment to support caregivers and improve the lives of the elderly. This also aims to reduce the burden on informal carers and provide a cost-effective alternative to traditional care homes, promoting independence and social interaction for the elderly.
Max Bateson, Health Champion and Impact Entrepreneur of the Year, said: "Really happy to have gotten this far and to be able to present HYGGE. For me, the best part of this has been meeting some many people of the way who have been so great in offering expertise to help HYGGE.
Working with Ingenuity has been great as every time I join a networking call in particular I always get a new boost of motivation to push harder as I see so many people doing amazing things to offer a product or service to help others!"
Other successful business ventures of the night included Jade Morgan from BaseGap who won the Communities Champion, and Saskia Manson from re-new who was the Climate Champion.
BaseGap, founded by Jade Morgan, tackles the double disadvantage of young people facing poorly designed homes and public spaces. This social enterprise believes young people aged 14-25 from underprivileged communities deserve inspiring surroundings. BaseGap works with them, educators, and councils to co-create comfortable and supportive spaces. Re-new provides a library of reuse methodologies and real-world case studies to enable integration of material reuse into major redevelopment projects from the outset.
Jade Morgan said: "The Ingenuity Programme propelled BaseGap from a passionate idea to a viable social enterprise, equipping me with the skills and confidence to turn my vision into a reality. I'm truly grateful to the team for their continuous support!"
Ben Davies, Organisational Development Director at Nuffield Health, said: "At Nuffield Health, we are passionate about partnerships that tackle the UK's major health, social, and environmental challenges, so we're proud to once again be working alongside Ingenuity Impact, which provides vital support to emerging entrepreneurs who are making tangible and positive differences in their communities.
This year, I've been blown away by the enthusiasm and professionalism of the winners. A huge well done to everyone who took part."
Claire Mulholland, Director of the Ingenuity Programme, said: "I am delighted with the outcome of the 2024 Ingenuity National Competition and the positive, meaningful impact of the programme this year.
"The Ingenuity Programme team are so incredibly proud of our 2024 Changemakers and their commitment to developing businesses focused on improving health, tackling climate change and building stronger communities.
"Thank you to our participants, alumni, corporate, community and university partners, mentors, judges, contributors and other valued members of our Ingenuity Programme network."
