Rubix VT Managing Director, Nick Poyner, joined fellow business leaders into the Tiger’s Pen, judging pitches from Brighton University’s business students in January.
Organised by Sonny Cutting and Dr Adam Jones, the Tiger’s Pen was an opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs to present their business ideas to an experienced panel of business owners. And they had to be prepared for difficult questions.
The panel of judges (the ‘Tigers’) comprised Nick Poyner, Paul Britton (Britton & Time), Flo Powell (Midnight Communications), Sam Thomas (County Business Clubs Sussex, SBT) and Steve Rackley (James Chase, Silicon Brighton).
The Tigers heard pitches for the following business ideas:
- An app described as the Uber for clubbers. Features on the app include live queue updates so people can arrive when wait times are shorter, contacts for night safe spaces, reviews of clubs, DJ profiles and features to improve safety when out.
- An online store for sustainable underwear aimed at 16-40 year olds. The site would be environmentally and body positive, using materials such as ethically-sourced bamboo. The site would also raise funds for ‘Smalls for all’.
- An independent app for photographers. The app would be a hub for photographers to upload and sell photos. It would also be a space where businesses can commission local photographers, and act as an alternative to the major stock photo libraries.
- A smart bedside table top aimed at 18-35 year olds and students. The stylish table top, which is portable, would be the ultimate in convenience, with built-in phone chargers, a light and bluetooth speakers.
- An app to keep children safe while online. The app would allow parents to monitor messages or posts being seen by children, as well as the websites they visit. Children are highly vulnerable to online groomers and predators. The app would help keep them safe and give parents peace of mind.
The Tigers were impressed by the quality of the pitches and applauded the ideas.
On the night, the judges made the following awards:
Best Concept – Night Saver (Personal safety App for Clubbers)
Best Pitch – Safe Guard (Kids Safety App)
See below for some pictures from the evening. Thank you to Stephen Lawrence for the photographs
The next Tigers Pen takes place at the Sussex Business Show in May 2022.
