Two young entrepreneurs have been backed by the UK’s innovation agency as they aim to turn their ideas into sustainable businesses.
A total of 63 young people around the UK have won Young Innovator Awards from Innovate UK, including North East women Charlotte Ripley and Yuru Guo.
Ms Ripley, who is 21 and from Gateshead, has developed a wireless bee monitoring service called HiveGuard which aims to help beekeepers keep their hives safe from harm remotely. The system notifies the keeper through a messaging app if anything goes wrong with the hive or there is a potential threat.
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Ms Guo, who is 24 and from Newcastle, has created Hey! Food is Ready, an online marketplace for home-cooked meals which connects culturally inspired home-cooks to people seeking freshly made authentic meals.
The Young Innovators Awards recognise young people from around the UK with business ideas who have the potential to become successful entrepreneurs and future leaders in innovation.
Winners are given support to develop their ideas, as well as a £5,000 grant.
Ms Guo said: “Hey! Food is Ready was inspired during lockdown when I saw people cooking and posting photos of their home-made meals from their native countries and I wanted to try them.
“My online market-place for home-cooked meals will connect culturally inspired home-cooks to people seeking freshly made authentic meals. I’m delighted to have won Innovate UK’s Young Innovators Award. It has boosted my confidence and makes me believe what’s possible with effort and enthusiasm.”
The Young Innovators scheme is now in its third year and aims to help young people with business ideas after research showed that half of young people in the UK believed their age was a barrier to business success, and nearly a third lacked the confidence they need to turn their idea into a reality.
Indro Mukerjee, CEO of Innovate UK, said: “The innovation potential of this young age group is incredible. It’s a cohort that promises to bring energy, entrepreneurial flair and fresh perspectives to today’s big challenges.
“Our young innovators are also relatable role models, inspiring and showing the path to others, as they create economic and societal benefits through innovation – so that we can all see a fairer, more resilient and more productive society.”
