UoB_Elevate_Directory_2025

Elevate at 

The Exchange

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Our mission 

UoB Elevate is designed to empower and enable a community of University of 

Birmingham students and graduates to become successful entrepreneurs. 

We do this by providing a supportive and nurturing environment involving our 

alumni, friends, and business partners. One where founders can transform 

their ideas into thriving businesses through comprehensive resources, 

a network of mentors, access to industry experts, and internship support. 

The ongoing involvement of our alumni community, who share their expertise 

or donate to create Start-Up Scholarships and prizes, continues to play a 

pivotal role in the ongoing success of the programme. This has helped us 

develop a vibrant startup ecosystem, one we are delighted to share with you. 

We elevate 

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All businesses 

06 Chhyang 

Awisha Magar 

08 Duckworth Publications 

Jessica Duckworth 

10 EJC Strategy C.I.C 

Emon Choudhury 

12 InStudents UK 

Kritesh Bisht 

16 IntegraMind 

Abdullah Elsayed 

16 Knowness 

Noor Hamadi 

18 LingLern 

Michael Hawes 

20 LyncFit 

Co-Founders 

22 OBE Label 

Olivia Eaton 

4

24 Panacea Prep 

Amelie Graham 

26 SIMBA 

Yash Shrimali and Alvin Jayson 

28 Simply BD 

Alix Johnstone-Morfoisse 

30 Social Media Resilience 

Abi Edmunds 

32 Strength Edge Tech 

Gatis Jurkans and Joe Blacker 

34 Sustainable Consultancy Firm 

Adishree Pala 

36 TargEye 

Mugil Raghunathan, Adedolamu Richard Phillips and Manmohanjit Sandhu 

38 Timberr 

Harshit Baveja and Sandeep Verma 

40 Wooden Element UK 

Selina Penarksi and Paris Solomon 

5

Yeti approved 

Himalayan rice wine 

Awisha Magar 

Chhyang 

Industry Sector: Food and Drink 

Our Story: As the daughter 

of a Gurkha soldier, I have a 

deep connection to Nepalese 

traditions and a strong desire 

to share and preserve them. 

I noticed a huge gap in the 

market, there are numerous 

restaurants providing 

Nepalese food, but no drink to 

complement our food. 

Instead, shops and restaurants 

often stocked Korean rice 

wine, which, while popular, did 

not cater specifically to the 

cultural tastes and traditions 

of Nepal. This has inspired 

me to create a product that 

embodies these traditions 

and brings them to a broader 

audience. 

Our Brand: Welcome to 

Chhyang! We provide an 

exceptional fermented 

Himalayan rice wine, celebrated 

for its unparalleled taste. This 

wine is so delightful that even 

the mythical yetis of Nepal are 

rumored to raid villages just to 

indulge in it. 

Next Phase: Being part of 

The Exchange community 

offers a unique opportunity 

to connect with other startups, 

investors, and business 

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leaders. I am excited to help 

others, gain insights from 

their experiences, and form 

valuable connections. I am also 

eager to access mentorship 

from entrepreneurs and 

industry experts who can 

provide invaluable advice on 

navigating the challenges 

of starting and growing a 

business. I am looking forward 

to participating in workshops 

and training sessions that 

can enhance my business 

skills, particularly in areas 

like financial management, 

marketing, and product 

development.

Contact Details 

Email: awisha@chhyang.co.uk 

Linkedin: in/awisha/ 

Get Involved: We are seeking 

£20,000 in funding to cover 

our initial startup costs, 

which include acquiring a 

pasteurisation machine to 

increase the shelf life of our 

product, securing a production 

facility in the UK, and covering 

marketing expenses to 

promote our brand and reach 

our target market. 

7

Bringing communities 

together through music 

Jessica Duckworth 

Duckworth Publications 

Industry Sector: Music Publishing 

Our Story: My Dad has 

always been the source of my 

inspiration. He is so talented 

yet so modest and humble, so 

he has never wanted to make 

his music public. My family and I 

have always tried to encourage 

him, but still, the answer was 

“no.” Until I had work experience 

in London at a music publishing 

house and then this was the 

catalyst that then sparked 

Duckworth Publications. 


Duckworth Publications! We 

are a music publishing business 

that specialises in bringing 

local communities together 

through music. We publish 

and distribute sheet music, 

in printed and downloadable 

formats. Regardless of the 

ensemble’s or individual’s 

musical knowledge / education, 

our music and resources cater 

for everyone. We want to make 

sheet music accessible for all. 

Next Phase: I hope to grow 

the business into more 

musical sectors, for example 

instrumental music, and other 

genres too. I’d like to eventually 

bring new composers to the 

company and also launch a 

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charity series where all the 

profits go to a charity of the 

composer’s choice. Lots of 

ideas and plans in the waiting! 

Get Involved: We are always 

keen to expand our brand, 

explore funding options and to 

get more people into music, so 

please feel free to get in touch.


Email: duckworthpublications@outlook.com 

Website: www.duckworthpublications.com 

Instagram: @ duckworth.publications 

Linkedin: company/duckworth-publications 

Linkedin: in/jessica-duckworth-3870a2207 

9

Empowering small businesses 

for lasting success 

Emon Choudhury 

EJC Strategy C.I.C 

Industry Sector: Consulting 

Our Story: Our inspiration 

came from witnessing small 

businesses struggle and close 

due to a lack of affordable, 

high-quality consulting 

services available. To address 

this, we’ve conducted in-depth 

market research, developed a 

detailed 6-week engagement 

plan, and identified key target 

industries. We’re now ready 

to launch our first pro-bono 

engagements to establish a 

strong success portfolio. 

Our Brand: Welcome to EJC 

Strategy C.I.C.! We offer 

affordable, high-service 

consulting tailored for small 

businesses. Our customised 

solutions help clients 

overcome challenges, scale 

effectively, and achieve lasting 

success. Our core mission 

is to transform the small 

business landscape and drive 

positive change within our 

communities. 

Next Phase: Working at The 

Exchange will be pivotal for 

scaling our business, offering 

access to a vibrant startup 

community and crucial 

mentorship to refine our 

early growth strategy. We 

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aim to lead in small-business 

consulting while giving back 

by providing internships and 

opportunities to students 

and alumni, enriching the 

community that supports us. 

Get Involved: We’re seeking 

approximately £5,000 in 

funding. This will enable us 

to undertake our initial pro 

bono engagements and set 

the foundation for scalable 

growth. Our business model 

is designed to be cashgenerative, 

and we aim to be 

fully self-sufficient within six 

months.


Email: ejc.strategy@outlook.com 

Website: www.ejcstrategy.co.uk 

Linkedin: in/emon-choudhury-884b20219 

11

Education 

changes lives 

Kritesh Bisht 

InStudents UK 

Industry Sector: EdTech & Social Enterprise 

Our Story: InStudents was born 

out of my personal experiences 

navigating education. As 

someone who grew up in 

a small town, I know how 

limited access to resources 

can affect educational and 

career opportunities. This 

journey inspired me to start 

InStudents, with the goal of 

bridging the educational gap 

for students in semi-urban and 

rural regions. By partnering 

with UK universities and other 

institutions, we aim to create 

a sustainable, impact-driven 

system that makes quality 

education accessible to all. 

Our Brand: At InStudents, we 

believe that education has the 

power to transform lives. We 

are committed to promoting 

educational equity by offering 

resources and opportunities 

to students in underserved 

regions. Through innovative 

programmes like the Equal 

Opportunities Project (EQOP), 

the PathFinder Project 

and Impact Champions 

Programme, we provide 

students with the skills and 

knowledge they need to 

succeed, regardless of their 

background. Most recently, we 

have also launched SkillPort, 

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a platform designed to give 

students a personalised skills 

passport to help them gain 

scholarships and international 

opportunities. 

Next Phase: Our next step is 

scaling SkillPort, a platform 

that enables students to build 

skill profiles based on realworld 

experiences. We are also 

expanding our partnerships 

with universities in the UK, 

aiming to reach thousands of 

students across the globe. By 

integrating skills development, 

scholarships, and international 

opportunities into a seamless


Email: kriteshb@instudents.co.uk 

Website: www.instudents.co.uk 

Linkedin: company/instudents 

Linkedin: in/kriteshbisht 

platform, we plan to make a 

global impact on education. 

Get Involved: We are always 

looking to collaborate with 

universities, educational 

institutions, and organisations 

that share our vision. Whether 

through partnerships, 

mentorship, or funding, your 

involvement can help us create 

a more equitable education 

system. Together, we can 

make quality education and 

opportunities accessible to 

students worldwide. 

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Empowering everyone to build 

software with plain English 

Abdullah Elsayed 

IntegraMind 

Industry Sector: Technology 

Our Story: After studying 

medicine for one year, I switched 

to Computer Science to follow 

my passion of programming 

that I had been doing since I 

was 14 years old. As part of my 

master’s degree, I developed a 

domain-specific language (DSL) 

for creating web apps, driven 

by frustration with existing web 

development tools. I wanted to 

eliminate as much tedious work 

as possible for web developers. 

When ChatGPT was released, 

I was amazed by its 

programming abilities and 

started thinking about 

how LLMs could help both 

programmers and non-technical 

users, allowing them to describe 

what they want to build using 

plain English. This reflection on 

the problem led to the creation 

of IntegraMind, a completely 

new product designed to make 

programming more accessible 

for non-technical users and 

to eliminate the tedious work 

developers often face. 

Our Brand/Product: 

IntegraMind is a web-based 

platform that empowers both 

non-technical users and 

developers to create backend 

APIs, automation workflows, 

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and integrations using plain 

English. By translating user 

instructions into functional 

code, IntegraMind makes 

software development more 

accessible to a wider audience, 

bridging the gap for those 

without coding skills. 

Next Phase: Our primary aim 

is to launch an MVP of our 

product by September/October 

2024 for early adopters. After 

that, we plan to quickly scale 

our business, expand our 

user base and market reach, 

and continuously improve 

our product based on user


Email: hey@integramind.ai 

Website: https://integramind.ai 

Linkedin: company/integramind 

Linkedin: in/abdllahdev 

feedback. Ultimately, our 

mission is to make programming 

accessible to as many people 

as possible. 

Get Involved: We are not 

actively seeking investors at 

this time. However, we remain 

open to conversations with 

individuals or entities who 

can contribute to scaling 

our business. While financial 

investment isn’t our current 

focus, we value connections 

that can offer strategic 

guidance, industry expertise, 

or other resources to support 

our growth. 

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The complete 

education platform 

Noor Hamadi 

Knowness 

Industry Sector: Educational Technology 

Our Story: I always had the 

question: “Why isn’t there 

a place where you can learn 

a subject other than school 

or university?” We live in an 

age where we have unlimited 

access to information in the 

form of textbooks, YouTube 

videos, Wikipedia; but it is all 

scattered and you have to sift 

through it all yourself. There is 

not a clear platform for subject 

learning. So, to fill that gap, 

I created Knowness to bring 

everything about a subject 

into one easily accessible 

and convenient place. Since 

launching our MVP in 2023, 

Knowness has acquired over 

10,000 users across 160 

different countries, both 

current students and lifelong 

learners alike. 


Knowness! Knowness is the 

complete education platform, 

taking users on a lifelong 

learning journey. Learn any 

subject with our courses and 

communities, whether for 

general knowledge or further 

education and career guidance. 

For school students, Knowness 

contains subject and exam 

board-specific resources 

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for success in your GCSEs, 

A-Levels, and beyond! 

Next Phase: With thousands 

of students using Knowness, 

we are now looking to partner 

directly with schools and 

educational institutions to 

help elevate academic success 

and outcomes, as well as 

supporting students with long 

term further education and 

careers guidance. We hope 

that The Elevate programme 

will help us with the support 

we need to establish these 

partnerships and improve 

access to the best educational


Email: noor@knowness.com 

Website: www.knowness.com 

Instagram: @knownessapp 

Linkedin: company/knowness 

Linkedin: in/noorhamadi 

resources for students across 

the UK. 

Get Involved: We have recently 

secured a £100,000 pre-seed 

investment, valuing Knowness 

at £2.5 million in a tough 

investment environment. We 

are currently working towards 

our seed round where we 

look to raise at a £10 million 

valuation (£100,000 per 1%). 

17

Revolutionising language learning 

with real-world contextualisation 

Michael Hawes 

LingLern 

Industry Sector: Educational Technology 

Our Story: My inspiration came 

from my five-year journey 

learning Mandarin Chinese, 

where I felt my progress was 

lacking. I initially built this 

product for myself, which 

then expanded to Spanish 

and other languages. To date, 

I have been accepted into 

the Microsoft for Startups 

programme, visited Microsoft’s 

offices in Reading and London, 

and attended numerous 

meetups and conferences to 

network and share my journey. 

I have been diligently working 

on the MVP, continuously 

iterating and improving based 

on feedback from test users. 

Our Brand: Welcome to linglern! 

Our tool contextualises 

real-world content into the 

target language and level 

for our users, enhancing 

comprehension. It can be 

used alone or alongside other 

methods, proving highly 

effective in improving human 

language acquisition. 

Next Phase: At The Exchange, 

I hope to gain support, network 

with like-minded individuals, 

and build confidence and 

skills. My future aspirations 

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are to integrate the product 

into schools and enterprises 

and constantly evolve with 

technology to provide the best 

services to users and to offer 

a better chance of success in 

language acquisition. 

Get Involved: I am looking 

for investors. Pre-seed and 

seed funding would be spent 

on growing the team, plus 

expenses for the security and 

robustness of the software 

must be ensured by hiring 

security engineers. Certainly, 

I would love to grow the 

team to a small unit at first.


Email: mflzg6@gmail.com 

Instagram: @linglerncom 

Linkedin: in/hawkes-michael/ 

A large amount is needed for 

marketing. As the customer 

base grows the tech stack 

fees will grow. Other techbased 

things will need 

improving too as the product 

becomes market or 

enterprise-grade ready. 

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Connecting you to 

fitness and community 

Co-Founders 

LyncFit 

Industry Sector: Fitness and Wellness 

Our Story: As a Biomedical 

Science student researching 

obesity, Emmanuel found 

that while 63% of UK adults 

are active, 50% quit within 

six months due to lack of 

motivation. Facing the same 

issue at university and knowing 

exercise companions can boost 

consistency by 45%, our team 

decided to create LyncFit as a 

solution. 

Our Brand: Welcome to LyncFit! 

We are an AI-powered fitness 

app designed to connect 

users with compatible workout 

partners based on their 

fitness goals, preferences, 

location, schedule, and 

personality traits. LyncFit 

helps fitness enthusiasts who 

struggle with motivation and 

accountability by fostering 

long-term consistency through 

community support. We 

also promote environmental 

sustainability by planting a 

tree for every new user and 

milestone achieved. 

Next Phase: The Exchange 

offers invaluable resources 

and mentorship that will help 

us overcome challenges. We 

aim to leverage this support 

20 

to refine our business 

model, enhance our skills, 

and increase our chances of 

success. Our goal is to become 

a leading innovator in the 

fitness industry. Get Involved: 

Yes, we are currently seeking 

£30,000 in funding to take 

our MVP to a mature product. 

The funds will be allocated as 

follows: 20% for operational 

costs, 10% for legal expenses, 

35% for software development, 

and 35% for marketing efforts. 

This investment will ensure 

a successful and scalable 

product launch in summer 

2025. This version is more


Website: www.lyncfit.co.uk 

Linkedin: in/emmanuel-dei 

Linkedin: in/olamide-batula-71480a1b0 

Linkedin: in/dharmanshi-sangani-172b9719b 

Linkedin: in/inheritance-odili 

Linkedin: in/joseph-gbadebo09 

concise, clear, and aligned with 

your vision while maintaining 

the key details about LyncFit’s 

purpose and future plans. 

Get Involved: We are currently 

seeking £30,000 in funding 

to take our MVP to a mature 

product. The funds will be 

allocated as follows: 20% 

for operational costs, 10% 

for legal expenses, 35% for 

software development, and 

35% for marketing efforts. 

This investment will ensure 

a successful and scalable 

product launch. 

From left to right: 

Olamide Batula, 

Emmanuel Dei, 

Inheritance Odili, 

Joseph Oluwatomiwa 

Gbadebo, 

Dharmanshi Sangani 

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Saving the world, 

one garment at a time 

Olivia Eaton 

OBE Label 

Industry Sector: Fashion Industry 

Our Story: OBE Label is a 

sustainable clothing and 

accessories brand dedicated 

to ethical production and 

environmentally conscious 

materials. What began as a 

small passion project has 

evolved into a brand that 

celebrates slow fashion and 

the art of handmade clothing. 

Each piece is made with care, 

designed to be both ecofriendly 

and stylish. 

Our Brand: OBE Label offers 

more than just clothing—we’re 

a choice for those who value 

sustainability and quality. 

Each item is carefully made 

with sustainable materials, 

combining classic style with 

a modern touch. We now also 

offer digital sewing patterns, 

giving our customers the tools 

to create their own clothing 

from home. Additionally, 10% 

of our profits go to charity, 

supporting causes that align 

with our values. 

Next Phase: OBE Label is 

focused on scaling up to 

become a mainstream brand 

that challenges the fast 

fashion industry. The goal is to 

inspire change by spreading 

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awareness of issues in the 

fashion industry and offering 

a sustainable alternative that 

prioritises both people and the 

planet! 

Get Involved: OBE Label 

is actively seeking grants 

to support our growth and 

expand our impact. You can 

also support our mission by 

exploring our collection—every 

purchase contributes to a 

more sustainable future.


Email: obelabel@outlook.com 

Website: www.obelabel.com 

Instagram: @obe.label 

Linkedin: in/oliviaeaton1 

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Nourishing your workday 

with plant-based power 

Amelie Graham 

Panacea Prep 

Industry Sector: Food, Health, and Wellness 

Our Story: The food industry is 

a monopoly controlled by only 

a handful of major companies. 

The food we consume daily is 

no longer organic and forces us 

to ingest harmful pesticides. 

PANACEA PREP was born out 

of the desire to solve the 

problem that everyone in 

the UK faces: eating organic, 

nutritionally balanced meals 

consistently. Currently, we are 

in the research and product 

development stage and are 

looking to build a team to help 

us achieve our goals. 


PANACEA PREP! We are a 

science-informed meal prep 

start-up dedicated to creating 

energy-increasing, nutritious, 

plant-based lunches for the 

working individual. 

Next Phase: Looking ahead, 

we are excited to be part of 

The Exchange Incubator. This 

opportunity will allow us to 

build our business acumen and 

improve specific skills such as 

pitching, public speaking, and 

general business management. 

Our future aspirations for 

PANACEA PREP include selling 

our products in supermarkets 

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and partnering with major 

brands such as Gymshark and 

Innocent Smoothie. 

Get Involved: PANACEA PREP 

is seeking £50,000 worth of 

grants and investments to 

build our brand and product. 

Investment into PANACEA 

PREP will allow us to diversify 

and use AI in our research to 

develop nutritionally accurate, 

genuine products. Additionally, 

investment into the preparation 

of each product is vital in 

creating tasty, professionally 

made meals that appeal to our 

target audience.


Email: ameliegraham2121@gmail.com 

Linkedin: in/amélie-graham-9284aa2b3/ 

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Revolutionising beauty routines 

with smart, personalised technology 

Yash Shrimali and Alvin Jayson 

SIMBA 

Industry Sector: Beauty Technology 

Our Story: Our idea for SIMBA 

was inspired by the growing 

demand for personalized 

beauty solutions and the 

potential of integrating 

advanced technology into 

daily grooming routines. We 

recognised a gap in the market 

for an all-in-one device that 

could offer comprehensive 

beauty and style assistance. 

To date, we’ve conducted 

extensive market research and 

are developing a functional 

prototype. We’re also working 

on establishing partnerships 

with beauty experts and 

retailers/brands, refining 

our business model, and 

outlining our go-to-market 

strategy. Our efforts have been 

focused on ensuring SIMBA 

meets the highest standards 

of functionality and user 

experience, positioning us for a 

successful market launch. 


SIMBA! Our business offers 

the Smart Interactive Mirror 

Beauty Assistant (SIMBA), 

a revolutionary smart mirror 

providing personalised 

beauty advice, AR makeup 

application, and AI-driven 

style recommendations. It 

26 

seamlessly integrates with 

digital platforms, enhancing 

daily grooming routines and 

offering a subscription-based 

app for flexible access. 

Next Phase: We seek 

mentorship, industry expert 

networks, and business 

development support to refine 

our product, scale our business, 

and navigate challenges. 

Leveraging The Exchange’s 

resources, including office 

space, will accelerate our 

growth and market presence. 

Our goals include becoming 

a leading beauty tech brand,

expanding our product line, and 

offering innovative solutions 

in personalised beauty and 

grooming. We aim to enhance 

SIMBA’s capabilities and explore 

global markets, transforming 

self-care and style. 


seeking an investment of 

£10,000 to further develop and 

launch the Smart Interactive 

Mirror Beauty Assistant 

(SIMBA). Please reach out for 

more information. 


Email: yashshrimali27@gmail.com 

Email: alvin.m.jayson@gmail.com 

Linkedin: in/yash-shrimali-5730b9214 

Linkedin: in/alvin-jayson-b87570200/ 

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Empowering growth 

in the nuclear sector 

Alix Johnstone-Morfoisse 

Simply BD 

Industry Sector: Consultancy 

Our Story: SimplyBD was born 

out of a desire to enable small 

and medium size enterprises 

(SMEs) to access business 

development services 

affordably, specifically 

for the nuclear sector. 

Recognizing that business 

development can represent 

a significant investment and 

barrier to growth, we provide 

business development ‘asa- 

service’, tailored to the 

needs of our clients. Since 

our inception over a year ago, 

we have successfully helped 

several clients engage with 

potential customers and 

partners, as well as manage 

stakeholders efficiently to 

grow their businesses. 


SimplyBD! We are a business 

growth consultancy 

specialised in the nuclear 

sector. Our services span 

across the civil nuclear 

industry, from new build and 

small modular reactors (SMRs) 

to decommissioning and 

fusion. We help our clients 

with lead generation and 

management, market research 

and insight, and support with 

marketing and communication. 

28 

Next Phase: Looking ahead, 

we are excited to be part 

of The Elevate community. 

We aim to gain valuable 

experience and insights 

from like-minded individuals 

and industry experts. Access 

to business resources and 

mentors will be extremely 

beneficial at this stage of 

our development. 

Our ultimate goal is to become 

a global enterprise supporting 

companies worldwide in 

leveraging opportunities in the 

nuclear sector, which is now 

recognized as a key solution to 

address climate change.


Email: alix@simplybd.co.uk 

Website: www.simplybd.co.uk 

Linkedin: company/simplybd 

Linkedin: in/alixjohnstonemorfoisse 

Get Involved: While we are not 

actively seeking investment 

at this stage, we are open 

to discuss opportunities to 

accelerate the development of 

SimplyBD. 

29

Building digital resilience 

for a balanced life 

Abi Edmunds 

Social Media Resilience 

Industry Sector: Technology & Social Media 

Our Story: Social Media 

Resilience (SMR) provides 

a multi-modal approach to 

enhancing wellbeing in the 

digital age, with a strategic 

focus on reaching corporate 

audiences. SMR was founded 

on a commitment to helping 

people build resilience and 

sustain their wellbeing in 

a tech-driven world. From 

a healthcare perspective, I 

recognised a critical gap: a 

lack of cohesive strategies 

and solutions to mitigate and 

improve the negative impacts 

of social media and digital 

devices on wellbeing. 

SMR bridges this gap 

with practical solutions 

and workshops, fostering 

resilience, team-building, 

and holistic wellbeing support 

for corporate and educational 

sectors. 

Our Brand: With Social Media 

Resilience, take control, 

unplug with intention, and 

connect with purpose. We 

are a wellbeing company at 

the intersection of digital, 

physical, and emotional 

resilience. We empower our 

clients to foster engaged, 

confident teams equipped to 

30 

manage digital challenges, 

addressing regularly 

overlooked issues like burnout, 

imposter syndrome, and digital 

overload on wellbeing. 

Next Phase: SMR is excited 

to expand its corporate 

partnerships. We are in the 

initial stages of developing 

a digital solution that will 

allow clients to supplement 

their corporate wellbeing 

programs with on-demand 

courses, resources, access 

to workshops and coaches 

to create lasting digital 

resilience and wellbeing.


Email: abi@socialmediaresilience.co.uk 

Website: www.socialmediaresilience.co.uk 

Instagram: @socialmediaresilience_uk 

Linkedin: company/social-media-resilience-uk 

Linkedin: in/abiedmunds 

Get Involved: SMR is thrilled 

to partner with Elevate to 

bring this vision to life. As our 

content and services evolve, we 

are actively seeking corporate 

partnership to deliver our 

solutions. Over the next year 

we are looking for strategic 

investment to launch the first 

phase of a digital solution, 

creating accessible, impactful 

digital resilience resources 

across workplaces. 

31

From data overload to 

clear coaching insights 

Gatis Jurkans & 

Joe Blacker 

Strength Edge Tech 

Industry Sector: Sports Technology 

Our Story: While trying to 

improve personal performance 

in Olympic weightlifting, I (Gatis) 

realized that there was a gap 

in tools that could effectively 

track gradual performance 

changes as the athlete 

develops and improves their 

technical abilities in strength 

sports. As part of my studies 

at UOB, I pursued the idea of 

a computer vision application 

for such performance tracking. 

I have extended this research 

as part of my PhD work at 

Aston University, developing 

the empirical basis to show 

the effectiveness of such an 

approach. Over the last year, 

together with Joseph Blacker, 

we have been developing 

SET-vision - a system to 

aid professional coaches in 

better tracking, managing, 

and analyzing the long-term 

performance of their athletes. 


STRENGTH EDGE TECH 

(SET)! We offer software and 

hardware solutions that use 

computer vision to improve 

data capture, management, and 

analysis for professional strength 

and conditioning coaching 

settings. Our solutions allow 

32 

for easier tracking of long-term 

performance changes for athletes 

carrying out strength training. 

Next Phase: We aim to develop 

new skills related to running a 

successful business and build 

new networks while sharing 

our skills with the Elevate 

community. We look forward 

to collaborating and building 

something new and useful for 

ourselves and others. In the 

future, we hope to see tools 

such as SET-vision becoming 

commonplace in professional 

sports practice, utilized by 

strength and conditioning

coaches across various sports 

disciplines. 

Get Involved: We are keen to 

start working with Elevate to 

develop our business skills, 

improve forecasting expenses, 

and better estimate investment 

needs. With this support, we 

aim to turn our great idea into a 

successful business. 


Email: strength.edge.tech@gmail.com 

Linkedin: in/gatis-jurkāns-2925b0a6 

Linkedin: in/joe-blacker-130945167 

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Empowering SMEs with affordable 

sustainability solutions 

Adishree Pala 

Sustainable Consultancy Firm 

Industry Sector: Sustainability 

Our Story: Our journey began 

with a vision to bridge the gap 

in the market for affordable 

sustainability consultancy. 

Inspired by the significant demand 

for sustainability-related services 

among small and medium-sized 

enterprises (SMEs), we set out 

to create a consultancy firm that 

offers high-quality guidance and 

reporting services at accessible 

rates. Our research into the 

needs and challenges faced by 

SMEs has driven us to develop 

innovative solutions that 

empower these businesses to 

make a positive impact on global 

sustainability efforts. 


Sustainable Consultancy Firm! 

We are dedicated to providing 

affordable sustainability 

guidance to businesses of all 

sizes, with a special focus on 

small and medium companies. 

Our services include tailored 

advice on adopting sustainable 

practices, AI-powered tracking 

of sustainability initiatives, 

verification and reporting 

to ensure transparency 

and prevent greenwashing, 

offering B-Corp Certification 

after verification, and 

assistance in aligning business 

operations with the UN 

34 

Sustainable Development 

Goals. 

Next Phase: As we look to 

the future, we are excited to 

continue our growth and expand 

our impact. At The Exchange, 

(Elevate) we aim to gain valuable 

experience and insights into 

the intricacies of sustainability 

consulting within a dynamic and 

forward-thinking environment. 

We are eager to learn from 

industry experts, collaborate 

with like-minded professionals, 

and contribute to meaningful 

projects that drive positive 

change. Our goal is to become a


Email: adishreepala77@gmail.com 

Linkedin: in/adishree-pala-1773792b2 

leading expert in sustainability 

consultancy for SMEs, creating 

innovative solutions that empower 

businesses to adopt sustainable 

practices and contribute to a more 

sustainable future. 


seeking investors to help scale 

our sustainability consultancy 

business. We are looking to 

raise £15,000 in seed funding. 

Join us in making high-quality 

sustainability consultancy more 

accessible and affordable for 

SMEs, empowering them to make 

a significant impact in the global 

shift towards sustainability. 

35

Empowering patients 

with healthcare solutions 

Manmohanjit Sandhu, 

Mugil Raghunathan and 

Adedolamu Richard Phillips 

TargEye 

Industry Sector: Healthcare 

Our Story: The TargEye team 

was inspired by the challenges 

Rheumatoid Arthritis patients 

face with self-administering 

eye drops, such as squeezing 

bottles and applying drops 

accurately. In the UK, 400,000 

people have Rheumatoid 

Arthritis, and 100,000 of them 

need eye drop medication. 

Many struggle with the ‘pinch 

grip’ needed to squeeze bottles, 

leading to poor treatment 

compliance. TargEye’s device 

removes the need for a ‘pinch 

grip’, improving precision and 

ease of use, and giving patients 

more autonomy. 

Our Brand: Welcome to TargEye! 

We meet the critical need for 

Rheumatoid arthritic patients 

with manual dexterity issues to 

effectively self-administer eye 

drop medication. 

TargEye aims to help patients 

who have difficulty with 

‘pinch grip’ that inhibit 

eye drop administration. 

TargEye focuses on the user 

experience, revolutionising the 

current method of eye drop 

administration. 

Next Phase: We are looking 

forward to networking with 

other start-up founders, 

36 

gaining their insights and 

learning from their experiences. 

We are honoured by the 

prospect of being under the 

tutelage of leading industry 

experts via UOB Elevate. 

Within this growing community 

of aspiring entrepreneurs, 

we hope to use the programme 

as a platform to scale the 

business nationally and 

internationally. 

Get Involved: TargEye aims 

to revolutionize eye drop 

administration for rheumatoid 

arthritis patients, addressing a 

significant clinical need.

From left to right: Adedolamu Richard Phillips, Mugil Raghunathan, Manmohanjit Sandhu 

We seek £15,000 in investment 

to develop a fully functional 3D 

model of our device within one 

year. Our plan includes iterative 

prototyping and focus group 

trials, leading to regulatory 

approval. Investors will benefit 

from the growing market for 

our innovative solution, 

which promises to surpass 

current standards of care and 

improve patients’ quality of life. 

37 


Email: targeyegroup@gmail.com 

Linkedin: in/manmohanjit-sandhu-b1612426b 

Linkedin: in/mugil-raghunathan-7345182a2 

Linkedin: in/richard-phillips-24487a1aa

Connecting plant enthusiasts 

through a vibrant social platform 

Harshit Baveja and 

Sandeep Verma 

Timberr 

Industry Sector: Social Networking and Gardening 

Our Story: Timbber was 

inspired by the need for a 

cohesive community for plant 

enthusiasts. Many of whom 

struggle with unreliable 

information and lack a 

common platform for sharing 

experiences and seeking 

guidance. The COVID-19 

pandemic highlighted the 

need for a dedicated space for 

plant lovers to connect and 

receive expert advice. We are 

developing a social platform 

with community features, plant 

care resources, discussion 

forums, expert advice, and a 

marketplace. A pilot launch 

will target 50-100 potential 

customers to refine our 

features and user experience. 


Timbber! Timbber is an 

innovative social platform 

connecting plant enthusiasts. 

It offers a community for plant 

lovers to share experiences, 

ask questions, find local plant 

parents, and access expert 

advice. Users can explore 

nurseries, earn rewards, 

and participate in a vibrant 

marketplace for all things plant 

related. 

38 

Next Phase: We look to 

network with industry leaders, 

potential partners, and 

fellow entrepreneurs at The 

Exchange. Building those 

relationships can give real 

value in terms of insight and 

may open doors for future 

collaborations. We want to 

work with mentors who will 

guide us about how to scale 

our business, refine strategy, 

and set our way through the 

challenges in the startup 

ecosystem. We look forward 

to availing ourselves of the 

resources available at The 

Exchange: workshops, training

sessions, access to funding 

opportunities, and so much 

more that we feel will aid in 

accelerating our growth and 

development. 

Get Involved: We are 

looking to raise a pre-seed 

investment of GBP100,000. 

The funds will be used for 

technology development 

(40%), marketing and user 

acquisition (35%), hiring 

and personnel (18%), market 

research and user insight (5%), 

and miscellaneous operational 

expenses (2%). Investors will 

have the opportunity to be 

involved in a ground-breaking 

platform with disrupting 

potential in the plant and 

gardening industry. 

39 


Email: timbber2022@gmail.com 

Instagram: @timbber.co 

Linkedin: in/sandeep-k-verma- 

Linkedin: in/harshit-baveja

Handcrafted, sustainable accessories 

for everyday elegance 

Selina Penarksi and 

Paris Solomon 

Wooden Element UK 

Industry Sector: Fashion 

Our Story: Our lightweight, 

wearable accessories 

were inspired by a family 

conversation about the 

heaviness and poor quality of 

most women’s earrings. This 

led us to create lightweight, 

comfortable, and sustainable 

earrings. With skilled artisans, 

we expanded into other 

accessories. In the UK, my 

husband Paris and I built a 

website (www.woodenelement. 

co.uk), promoted our business 

through stores, wholesale 

marketplaces, and social media 

advertising. We’ve generated 

demand from both retail and 

wholesale, fulfilling orders 

quickly with a personal touch 

for each customer. 


Wooden Element UK! We are a 

family-run brand proudly based 

in Birmingham, UK. We offer 

sustainably made, lightweight 

accessories allowing the 

wearer to express themselves 

in a comfortable and colourful 

way. Our handcrafted earrings 

and wallets are made with 

ethically sourced, natural 

materials and lots of love, 

helping you look good and feel 

good at the same time! 

40 

Next Phase: We seek 

commercial and financial 

support through this 

programme. We aim to 

work with experienced 

entrepreneurs for guidance on 

scaling our business, benefiting 

from their mentorship. We’re 

also interested in funding 

opportunities to boost our 

marketing efforts, increasing 

brand exposure and sales. Our 

social media advertising has 

secured retail and wholesale 

sales, and we want to adopt 

a consistent marketing 

approach. Additionally, we look 

forward to networking with

other incubator participants 

and sharing our experiences. 

Get Involved: We are looking 

for an investment of £5,000. 

This would allow us to 

run always-on marketing 

campaigns across a number 

of platforms. Due to our target 

market, we are keen to explore 

print advertising to reach 

our most engaged customer 

segments. We would also like to 

trial targeted Google ads, as well 

as investing in efforts to improve 

our website SEO. 


Email: hello@woodenelement.co.uk 

Website: www.woodenelement.co.uk 

Instagram: @woodenelement.uk 

Linkedin: in/selina-p-12629059 

Linkedin: in/paris-solomon 

41

Founder quotes 

Elevate allowed me to innovate, acting as the catalyst for change 

I needed to propel me into reaching new heights with my charity, 

immersing me in entrepreneurial community and opportunities. 

Zaynab Sohawon 

Elevate surrounded me with like-minded entrepreneurs and 

mentors who pushed me to grow my vision and capabilities. 

It’s been a turning point in my entrepreneurial journey and 

accelerated my growth in ways I couldn’t achieve alone. 

Iveta Pudilova 

42

Elevate was instrumental in my growth and development for my 

business. Their invaluable guidance has been a catalyst for our 

future success. 

Jon Reynolds 

I think what Elevate has been able to do is to really handhold and support 

first time entrepreneurs like myself and equip us with not only the skills 

to navigate the world of business but also create a space for us to take a 

leap of faith in ourselves and they have been absolutely brilliant! 

Rangan Ghosh 

43

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