Have a good business idea? Britain’s best entrepreneurs are waiting to hear it
Calling entrepreneurs with ideas! We’re putting the founders of MoonPig, notonthehighstreet.com and Jack Wills along with Sir Richard Branson and up and coming fashion Youtuber, Dino Toki-O in a room with £5,000 cash and a brief to invest in the best business pitch they hear.
This sweep of the most innovative business minds in Britain make up our judging panel for the Virgin Media Pioneers’ Pitch to Rich competition.
“I’m delighted to announce this year’s judging panel is again full of Great British innovation. The judges’ experience, and knowhow in disrupting their respective markets with breakthrough businesses, will be invaluable to this year’s finalists who will benefit from their feedback and insight. It’s going to be a very exciting day,” commented Branson.
There are two chances for entrepreneurs to Pitch to Rich and our judging panel as they search to find Britain’s best up-and-coming business leaders this year.
The two award categories are:
- The StartUp Award, in partnership with Virgin StartUp - exclusively for businesses in their first 12 moths of trading.
- The Innovation Award - for small technology businesses looking to grow to the next step.
The Prizes
The winners of each award will win £5,000 investment, plus mentoring which includes legal, branding and marketing advice as well as coverage across the Virgin brand to raise awareness.
The Innovation Award winner will also be offered free enrolment to the Accelerator Academy – an established 12-week, high-growth training and mentoring programme for ambitious digital entrepreneurs. All semi-finalists will receive an HP tablet to help them manage their businesses.
What’s the process?
Enter online now until midday 7 April. From the initial applications five entrepreneurs will be short-listed for each award and asked to prepare pitch videos to face a public vote. The entrepreneurs with the most votes by 22nd April will then pitch to Sir Richard Branson himself and our panel of judges on 13th May at the Branson family home in Oxfordshire.
Last year’s Pitch to Rich competition was won by brothers Joshua and John Okungbaiye, founders of High Spirit, which makes theft-proof rucksacks.
To enter, or to find out more about Virgin Media Pioneers, go to www.virginmediapioneers.com or on Twitter @VMPioneers #Pitch2Rich or Facebook @VirginMediaPioneers.