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Taking place on Saturday 14 March, the ����Vlog�ٷ� Entrepreneurship Competition was open to anyone with a Cambridge College affiliation. As well as the attendees gathered in the Lee Hall, over 100 people tuned in via the livestream. Prizes were available across three categories - Global Health, Sustainability and Conservation, and Artificial Intelligence- plus an overall prize for the best pitch. This year's Global Health prize was kindly sponsored by Salonica Group. The judges were impressed by the really high quality, fantastically polished pitches. The judging panel included Professor Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu (College President), Michael O’Sullivan, Carol Yuen (alumna), Omar Majid (alumnus), Peter Hertenstein (alumnus & winner in 2024), and Mark Maybury (alumnus).

This year's overall winning team was Remedium Energy, represented by Omid Saghafifar (College Research Associate, 2022). Remedium won £5000 for their pitch on making carbon capture commercially viable through their material, Limeloop, and their Carbon Capture Heat Battery, which enables low-cost regeneration using intermittent cheap electricity while supplying 24/7 high temperature heat, generating revenue from electricity arbitrage and heat sale.

"It was a real privilege to return to the ����Vlog�ٷ� Entrepreneurship Competition two years after first taking part, and to share how far Remedium has progressed since then. Seeing that journey recognised with the overall prize is incredibly meaningful for me and the team. The experience of pitching to such an engaged and thoughtful panel was both challenging and rewarding, and I’m especially grateful to ����Vlog�ٷ� for creating such a supportive environment for founders. Competitions like this play an important role in nurturing innovation and strengthening the Cambridge ecosystem, and it’s been a pleasure to be part of it." - Omid, Remedium Energy

Prizes of £2500 were awarded in the categories of Global Health, Sustainability & Conservation, and Artificial Intelligence:

• Afromics – won for Global Health
• Auralytica – won for Sustainability & Conservation
• Cosysense – won for Artificial Intelligence

Afromics are addressing the genomic gap that limits how well medicines are understood and tailored for people of African ancestry, who make up 17% of the world's population, yet less than 2% of their genomes are represented in global databases. Beginning with sickle cell disease, they are integrating whole-genome sequencing with detailed clinical, phenotypic, and demographic data to drive inclusive precision.

"It was an honour to pitch alongside such a strong group of companies tackling real-world problems, and we are deeply grateful to have received the Global Health prize. The judges’' thoughtful and challenging questions, along with the meaningful connections made with fellow founders and attendees, made the experience especially valuable for our continued growth." – Linia, Afromics

Auralytica are changing quality assurance testing by using non-destructive holographic hydrogel sensors, avoiding the need for meat producers to destroy 2% of their output just to check it is safe. Their sensors are quantitative, qualitative, compostable, and made from food-safe materials, also opening the door to extending effective shelf life and reducing the household food waste that comes from overly conservative use-by dates.

“The ����Vlog�ٷ� Competition struck a fantastic balance between energy and depth - engaging throughout, but grounded in thoughtful, highly specific feedback from the judges. We’re very grateful to have been included, and proud to receive the sustainability prize and recognition for the potential of our technology." – Anna, Auralytica

Finally, Cosysense are cutting utiility costs and stopping operational failures in commercial buildings by monitoring live operations and creating whole-building performance automation with AI agents, starting with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning - priced at a fraction of realised savings.

“We were finalists two years ago when Cosysense was still a concept. Coming back this year, after learning from pilots, clients, and industry stakeholders, was a great opportunity to show how far we have progressed and to receive critical feedback to keep refining our solution. I really enjoyed the conversations with such a strong group of entrepreneurs and students, and hope to stay connected with the ����Vlog�ٷ� community.” – Matias, Cosysense

To find out more about the ����Vlog�ٷ� Entrepreneurship Hub, upcoming events, mentoring, and how to get involved ahead of next year's competition, visit the Hub's main page.

Photography by Phil Mynott