COVENTRY University student entrepreneurs have been awarded a share of £15,000 in funding after pitching their creative business ideas.
The Dragon’s Den style Phoenix+ Start-up Awards 2025 Pitching Final, supported by Santander Universities UK, saw seven finalists explain their innovative ideas to a panel of expert judges in front of a live audience.
A business called MetaTray secured the biggest investment on the day with student Bix Pettus, a first year Aerospace Engineering student, walking away with £5,000 towards his AI-powered, offline document and object scanner. The project got him a perfect score from the judges.
Bix said: “I’m a student so being able to get this money, instead of having to attract investors over a long period of time, gives me a great chance to make progress quickly – it’s going to make a real difference.
“I found the experience of doing the pitch really rewarding.”
Among other ideas pitched at the event was an AI-powered recovery assistant to support stroke survivors, an emergency preparedness kit to help families during crises such as natural disasters, and a reusable geotextile for cleaning up oil spills.
Others included a mental health support and mentoring service for young people, a videography and photography business producing content for underrepresented creatives, and a reality brochure to enhance museum experiences using 3D models, animations and audio.
Phoenix+ is exclusive to Coventry University, a free programme which offers all students on campus support to help them reach their full potential through skills assessments, live events, and workshops.
Sheena Penney, Group Head of Enhancing Futures, said : “Phoenix+ seeks to empower our students, helping them to recognise their talents which in turn instills a deep sense of inner confidence.
“We couldn’t run these events without the support of Santander and the funding partnership we have with them.”
Visit www.coventry.ac.uk/study-at-coventry/student-support/phoenix/ to find out more about Phoenix+.
