Champions of enterprise and innovation

Two Cardiff students are celebrating entrepreneurial success after being part of the winning team at the Welsh Innovation Centre for Enterprise's (ICE) 24 Hour Lock-In challenge.

Carey Wallace and Nia Wyn Rossiter worked in non-stop shifts over 24 hours to produce a business plan for a hypothetical start-up company. The winning team received £2500 towards launching their new business venture idea of a new mobile application offering TV viewers more information about the programme they are watching via their smart phone and other devices.

During the challenge, ICE mentors and supporting business partners were on hand to offer inspirational advice on the creative and business skills needed to achieve their goals in the form of hands-on support, seminars and talks.   

Gareth Jones, Welsh ICE co-founder, said creativity and inspiration are at the heart of everything ICE does and that those behind the 24 Hour Lock-In were therefore delighted to see so many students and business experts share these sentiments in attending.

Gareth said: "These are the key characteristics of the 40-strong business start-up community Welsh ICE has created since opening last summer and is something we are dedicated to promoting as far and as wide as possible.

"Those involved in the competition were both surprised and delighted with not only the support this event received from the both the student and business community, but also with the calibre of business ideas that came out of the competition.

"Now all those who took part, especially the winners, will be supported by Welsh ICE in every way they can to make all these great business ideas reality wherever possible."