Hosted by The Bettany Centre for Entrepreneurial Performance & Economics
28 - 29 May 2010
We are pleased to announce that Alba Graduate Business School is the winner of the 2010 European Business Plan of the Year Competition for its business plan ‘OnMyOwn Ltd’. The venture aims to improve the quality of life for people with sensory disabilities. Their main product, ‘Touch & Hear’, is a multi-functional bracelet that can be used to identify objects by reproducing a recognizable sound for each object detected.
The European Business Plan of the Year Competition is Europe's longest running MBA business plan competition and was hosted this year by the Bettany Centre for Entrepreneurial Performance & Economics. The Centre's purpose is to enhance the management and understanding of high performing ventures through cutting edge and entrepreneurial research, teaching and practice. Following the huge success of the 2010 competition, Cranfield has already been asked to organise and host the annual event again in 2011.
A number of former winners have gone on to start businesses. Emmanouil Athinaios, representing the winning team said: 'It was an honour to participate in the EBPYC 2010 that was so successfully hosted. We see the outcome as a great opportunity which we are willing to explore. Our full time MBA studies at ALBA Business School motivated us in developing an entrepreneurial spirit while the invaluable experience of this competition will always remind us to keep learning and innovating. "
The 2010 EBPYC award winners are:
1. Alba Graduate Business School (‘OnMyOwn Ltd’)
2. Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship ('Tomologic')
3. EM Lyon Business School ('Anastom Technologies')
Sustainability Award: Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship ('Tomologic')
Elevator Pitch Award: EM Lyon Business School (‘Anastom Technologies')
The annual competition, designed to encourage entrepreneurship and the creation of new ventures, attracted thirteen entries from Europe’s leading business schools from 10 countries, from which the most commercially-promising and innovative business ideas/ventures were selected. All teams took part in three minute elevator pitches in front of all the judges and participants before taking part in a 15 minute ‘Dragon Den style’ business pitch in front of an esteemed panel of judges which included Ian Lobley, Partner at 3i, Dr Robin Daniels, CEO of Norwich Research Park, Ian Taylor, Chairman of Living PlanIT, and Karen Paterson, founder of Patersons Global HR & Payroll. The remaining six finalist teams presented again in front of the whole judging panel of venture capitalists, angel investors, entrepreneurs and business advisors, who decided upon an overall winner and two runners-up.
Steven Lewis, chair of the judging panel and CEO of Living PlanIT (Platinum Sponsor of the Competition), said: “The quality of the teams, their business plans, level of insight and commitment to excellence made the judging of this competition both enjoyable and challenging. Living PlanIT is committed to the development of talent, innovation and creativity and found participation rewarding in terms of uncovering our next generation of visionary ideas and executives and an opportunity for my fellow judges and I to contribute industry perspective and support in the realization of entrepreneurial dreams and aspirations”.