UK’s most innovative student social entrepreneurs battle for £50k at The Shard

A student doctor has scooped the top £20,000 prize in a new contest to support the most innovative start-up social enterprises coming out of UK universities.

Talha Mehmood (pictured above), who is studying at Anglia Ruskin University, was handed the winner’s cheque after presenting his platform Medily AI at a live pitching event held at London’s tallest building, The Shard, last night (Thursday).

Medily AI provides a suite of digital tools that provide quick, accurate access to medical information, supporting medical professionals to spend less time on admin and gain more time with patients. These include digital diagnostic tools, streamlined prescription management and virtual consultations.

Medily was one of six finalists competing for a share of £50,000 in newly launched business funding competition Ignite, launched by the Ford Family Foundation and supported by leading UK universities.

Mehmood commented: “It’s surreal to think that a year ago I started Medily AI from my bedroom, and I’ve just won £20,000 after pitching at The Shard. Medily AI is designed to help doctors spend less time on admin and more time with patients, which has the potential to save lives in healthcare globally. I'm incredibly proud of what we’re building, and grateful I was able to convey my vision to the judges. The support from the Ignite team has been invaluable, and I’m more determined than ever to make a lasting impact.”

It’s surreal to think that a year ago I started Medily AI from my bedroom, and I’ve just won £20,000 after pitching at The Shard.

Also pitching were a sustainable alternative to disposable menstrual products, a verification kitemark in the rapidly expanding digital mental health market, an employment platform that addresses the significant gap in job opportunities for refugees, an AI-driven start-up that allows consumers to track their carbon footprint while grocery shopping, and a fashion label for adults under five feet tall – supported by a gold-medal winning Paralympian (see main photo above).

Left to right: Medily AI's Talha Mehmood, Ignite founder Tony Ford, judge Jack Ford, The Even Project's Sarah Bailey and Aurusha Kharas, EvenReach's Giselle Gonzales

£30,000 shared by Ignite's runners up

Prizes were awarded to all six finalists, with the remaining £30,000 divided up on a graduated scale from £12,500 for second prize to £2,500 for joint fifth (see below). 

Tony Ford, founder of the Ford Family Foundation, said: “Ignite is a testament to the incredibly driven young people coming out of our universities, to their intelligence, their entrepreneurship and most importantly to their social values. The final was a masterclass in pitching and we are looking to help these social enterprises by investing our money, time and experience to maximise their potential and chances of success. Our Family Foundation is keen to invest an initial £3.5m in sustainable, growing and impactful businesses.”

All founded by undergraduates or recent graduates, the other five Ignite prizewinners were: 

 Second place (£12,500): The Even Project CIC – Founders Sarah Bailey, Aurusha Kharas and Anushka Mahesh (pictured above), from Queen Mary’s London, University of Bristol, want to revolutionise menstrual hygiene to help the 26m refugees in period poverty. Their absorbent underwear provides a sustainable alternative, reducing costs by 16 times and cutting CO2 emissions by six times compared to disposable menstrual products.

Third place (£7,500): EqualReach – University of Edinburgh graduate Giselle Gonzales (left) founded EqualReach to address the significant gap in employment opportunities for refugees, establishing a platform that connects marginalised talent with dignified digital work. This significantly reduces the time it takes for refugees to secure online freelancing projects, cutting the process from six months to two weeks.

Fourth place: (£5,000): DEWEY Clothing – Fashion for adults under five feet tall, supported by British Paralympian gold medallist Ellie Simmonds OBE (pictured modelling the clothes in main photo). Motivated by personal experience and a commitment to inclusivity, founder Chamiah Dewey (University of the Arts, London) launched her business to serve the 2.5bn adults globally who have been overlooked by mainstream fashion brands. 

Equal fifth place: (£2,500 each): 

CarbonTrac – Founded by UCL Chemical Engineering graduate Yasmine Abdu (right), CarbonTrac allows consumers to track their carbon footprint while grocery shopping, using AI and a comprehensive database to educate and empower individuals to make sustainable choices. It’s hoped this traffic light system data will help significantly reduce CO2 emissions from food production.

Verified by Maudsley – Addresses the growing need for a quality assurance framework and verification kitemark in the rapidly expanding digital mental health market, which is flooded by unregulated apps. Backed by the NHS and Maudsley Hospital Trust, the platform was co-created by Birkbeck’s Chris Attoe and Andrew Doe (pictured) to ensure that digital mental health tools are scientifically validated, reliable, and effective.

The six finalists were asked to deliver a short pitch to the judges and a live studio audience, with a five minute Q&A session to follow. Alongside Jack Ford, the other judges are Sarah Grieves of innovative tech platform Beam, CEO of Jigsaw Education Group Sanjeev Baga, and Ground+Air’s Jim Brown. Dragon’s Den entrepreneur Sanjay Lobo, founder  of corporate volunteering platform OnHand, was also due to join the event as keynote speaker.

Co-designed with Durham University’s Venture Lab, each of the finalists received pitching support, personalised coaching sessions and brand storytelling advice from Cambio Consultancy’s Peter Ptashko. Event sponsors Mathys & Squire, who are  providing the event space, will also guide the enterprising companies in how to secure protection for the intellectual property associated with their brands, technical innovations, and design rights.

In the three years since inception, the Ford Family Foundation has provided over £1m in funding across the charitable and social enterprise sectors.

This is an updated version of an original story published on 3 October, in advance of the pitching event.

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