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Spring StartUp Awards – 2024

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Cardiff University’s Spring StartUp Awards are open to all students and recent graduates who are working on a business idea anywhere from idea generation right through to already running their business. Engineering students have a dedicated category, giving students the chance to pitch for funding to help turn their ideas into a reality.

First place: The Algae Photobioreactor

Inspired by the work of Dr.Ivan Spasojević, the team looked to design an urban photo-bioreactor which utilises the power of microalgae to remove CO2 from the air.

The problem of degrading air quality is an ever-growing issue. Having witnessed firsthand the effects of poor air quality, the team knew a solution is desperately needed for the inhabitants of many cities. However, the most obvious solution of planting trees is not always a viable one with space limited and time of an essence. In fact, for some, the climate or poor air quality may not even allow for trees to grow and flourish in the first place. The implementation of photobioreactors would absorb more than 400 times the CO2 of an average tree, yet they still only take up the space of one. They are relatively low-cost and could become the future of cleaning up polluted cities.

The team believe the reactor would be great advertising for Cardiff University’s Engineering department and spotlight Cardiff’s commitment to being a greener institution.

Students:

  • Hajira Irfan – Integrated Engineering
  • Harry Parkinson – Physics with Astronomy

Prize awarded: £1,500

Second Place: KansoSense

KansoSense revolutionises heart failure management offering a noninvasive, continuous monitoring medical device planning to detect signs of decompensation through BNP (Brain Natriuretic Peptide) levels. Possibly helped by EU funding, it promises to reduce the one in four hospital readmission number, reduce NHS’s two billion annual expenditure and provide a better quality of life.

KansoSense would tackle the issue of managing and monitoring Decompensated Heart Failure (ADHF), a condition that places a significant burden on healthcare systems worldwide due to high rates of patient rehospitalisation and compromised quality of life.

Student:

  • Matas Jarutis – Mechanical and Medical Engineering

Prize awarded: £1,000

Third place: Homeowners Construction Help

Homeowners Construction Help is a piece of educational software used to assist those with non construction backgrounds successfully complete their projects. It is aimed at homeowners completing extensions, self-build projects or smaller renovation works, giving users a ‘one stop shop’ for everything they need to know and do relating to their project.

According to research, as many as 62% of UK homeowners have had problems with home improvement works. The cause of these problems on home improvement works varies greatly but often comes down to poor planning, poor communication, a lack of understanding/knowledge or a breakdown in working relationships. This tool would aim to give those completing construction projects such as small kitchen refurbishments up to total new build projects an easy to use digital aid. The tool will aim to reduce the likelihood of disputes and issues on projects by helping homeowners throughout the whole project from initial concept and planning stages right through to completion.

Student:

  • Jack Willepotte – Civil Engineering

Prize awarded: £500