Student entrepreneurs share £20,000 as Seed Fund competition winners

Four student entrepreneurs at the University of Huddersfield have won a share of £20,000 to help kickstart their businesses in the Alan Lewis Seed Fund competition.

The annual awards began in 2024 and are named after local textiles and technology entrepreneur Alan Lewis, a former Visiting Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University.

Open to University of Huddersfield students and alumni, the winners are judged on their business pitch presentations in front of a panel of experts. Up to £20,000 is available in seed fund awards each year, with a maximum of £5,000 per applicant.

Four winners were announced at a celebration event held at the University’s 3M Buckley Innovation Centre (3M BIC), from a total of 29 applications, nine of whom made it through to the second stage.

The 2026 winners won £5000 each. They are:

• SJ Adams – Her Pathway – Human and Health Sciences graduate. Her Pathway is a digital wellbeing platform designed to support women through key life and career transitions, including maternity, menopause, and burnout.
• Freya Shaw - Immersion Sound Studio Ltd – Arts and Humanities graduate. Immersion Sound Studio is a blind-led, Huddersfield-based accessibility technology company developing Hodr Engine, a no-code, screen reader-compatible game engine for blind and sighted creators and players.
• Carly Walter – MAGI – Human and Health Sciences graduate. MAGI® (My Adaptive Guide for Insight) is an early‑stage digital wellbeing platform supporting neurodivergent women and girls. It focuses on overwhelm, emotional regulation, executive function, and daily wellbeing.
• Mohammed Faheem Patel & Akil Patel – Cookingwithfeem – Arts and Humanities student. Cookingwithfeem delivers freshly made, high-quality baked brownies that prioritise authenticity, sustainability, and inclusivity.

Each winner was asked to speak about their business and how they intend to use the grant to boost their enterprise.

The judging panel comprised Charles Maltby, a Business Mentor and experienced Technology and Engineering Executive; Mark Jarvis, CEO and Founder of management consultancy Textile IQ; Jennifer Davis, Director of Business Services at DJH Accountants; Neil Grimshaw, Chartered Insurance Broker; and Dr Noor Muhammad, Senior Lecturer in Management at the University’s Huddersfield Business School.

Key figures from the University, Director of Research and Innovation Professor Parikshit Goswami, Head of Innovation Carson McCombe, and Enterprise Advisor Jess Lewis-Tatton welcomed guests and applicants to the celebratory event.

Previous Seed Fund winner Zach Cundall of Heaven Is Hell Apparel Ltd spoke about what the award has meant to him and his business since winning in 2025.

Professor Goswami, the Director of Research and Innovation, which supports enterprises and entrepreneurs across the University, commented: “We’re delighted to run the Alan Lewis Seed Fund for the third year running. It’s fantastic to continue supporting our student and graduate businesses in developing their ideas and strengthening their start-ups, and we wait in anticipation to see how this grant funding enhances their entrepreneurial journeys.”

Nicola Walker, Enterprise Hub Manager, and Jess Lewis-Tatton, Enterprise Advisor, commented: “Congratulations to this year’s winners. The judges had a difficult job as all applicants presented fantastic, well-prepared business pitches. We’re looking forward to working with the winners and seeing how they utilise the funding to take their businesses to the next level”.

The Seed Fund is designed to support companies in bringing an idea to life or growing an existing business. The grant can be used to help bring a product to market, help grow or scale an existing business or purchase equipment that will help a business move to the next stage.

The event was held on 26 March at the 3M BIC, which was one of the UK’s first business innovation centres when it opened in 2013, breaking down barriers between academia and industry. Since its inception, it has provided businesses with access to cutting-edge research, advanced technologies, and growth support.