Two University of Reading teams secured three awards at this year’s Your Entrepreneurs Scheme (YES) final, held at the Royal Society in London.
Now in its 30th year, the competition challenges postgraduate students, postdoctoral researchers and technicians to develop a credible start‑up business plan grounded in innovative science and engineering to address real‑world societal issues.
Team Detectivax was awarded Best Sustainable Agriculture Business Plan for their plans to promote a hypothetical detectable TB vaccine and testing system. Their approach would enable farmers to distinguish between vaccinated and unvaccinated cattle, offering a transformative tool to prevent unnecessary whole‑herd culls when a single cow tests positive for Bovine TB.
Meanwhile, Zoned won Best Food & Drinks Business Plan as well as the People’s Choice Award. The team impressed judges with their company plan to create sustainably produced, biodegradable chewing gum in the UK, which would not only be good for the planet but contain microencapsulated polyphenols, which are associated with improved cognitive performance.
Supporting the entrepreneurs of the future
Each year, University of Reading teams are guided by experienced mentors Simon Cutler and Jessica Armstrong (Knowledge Exchange and External Partnerships – KEEP), Jurek Sikorski (Henley Enterprise Lab), and Fiona Marston (Entrepreneur in Residence). The KEEP Team plays a crucial role, offering practical support, coaching and encouragement throughout the competitive process.
As one of the UK’s leading research‑intensive institutions, the University of Reading’s century‑long mission has centred on shaping a better world through impactful research, community building, and future‑focused learning. The continued success of Reading’s teams at YES reflects the University’s ongoing commitment to nurturing the entrepreneurs and business leaders of the future.
Dr Simon Cutler, Business Relationship Manager in the KEEP team, University of Reading, said: “Securing not just one but three major awards at the Royal Society is a testament to the world-class innovation thriving at Reading.
“Over the past decade, we have seen more than 100 of our researchers and technicians take on this challenge, and this latest success highlights the enduring strength of our entrepreneurial community.
“Seeing our hard-working cross-school participants shine on a national stage at the Royal Society is the perfect way to mark 30 years of YES in our own Centenary Year.”
The work of the successful YES teams was supported through a foundation of collaborative mentorship from the KEEP team, Henley Enterprise Lab (HELAB), past Reading YES Winners, and the University’s Entrepreneur in Residence. Together, they helped to transform complex ideas into plausible, high-impact business plans.
Award Winners
Best food & drinks business plan – ‘Zoned’
- Allisha Beckett (Food and Nutritional Sciences)
- Yulianna Holowaty (Food and Nutritional Sciences)
- Emily Waterfield (Food and Nutritional Sciences)
- Holly Sedgwick (Food and Nutritional Sciences)
Best sustainable agriculture business plan – ‘Detectivax’
- Tyler Horn (Biological Sciences)
- Hamidreza Mosaffa (Meteorology)
- Sambit Kumar Panda (Computer Science)
- Cheryl Yalden (Technical Services)
- Andrew Cripps, (Technical Services)
- Harry Simmonds (Agriculture)
People’s choice award – ‘Zoned’
