Emma Enterprise
The world needs more blue-sky thinking. Turn your ideas into reality by kick starting a social enterprise, or igniting a new business. Learn skills in our Lab, start something new in our Competition.
The 2025/26 edition of the Emma Enterprise Lab & Competition is your opportunity to learn, experiment and even get a starting investment. Along the way, learn core enterprise skills like idea generation, market research, how to write a business plan, pitch your idea, develop a business model, raise finance, and more! You will be supported on this journey by experts from the Emmanuel community and Cambridge innovation ecosystem. You could also win a cash prize of up to £2500!
Discover some of last year’s big ideas.
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Launch
12 November 2025, 5pm
Join us for the launch of the Emma Enterprise Programme. As well as hearing the story of an Emmanuel entrepreneur, it will be a networking evening and an opportunity to connect with like-minded innovators, entrepreneurs, and doers.
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Lab
16 & 17 January 2026 (Apply by: 18 November 2025)
The Emma Enterprise Lab is a two day intensive opportunity to learn the core skills of starting a social enterprise or new business venture from experts, and turn your ideas into reality. Sessions will cover a range of topics including idea generation, market research, networking, pitching, writing a business plan and more. Lunch and a dinner are included too!
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Enterprise Muster
22 January, 5pm
Informal networking drinks to meet potential co-founders and team mates. Find the people to make your idea take flight!
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Drop-In
26 January and 2 February, 2-4pm
Drop-In to Fiona’s Cafe to workshop your pitch with a member mentor Jeremy Leong.
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Competition: Entries
Entries Open : 15 January - 15 February
Entering is easy! All you have to do is form a team and write a one-page summary of a business or social enterprise idea. The teams with the best ideas will be given mentors to develop their ideas before pitching to a panel of expert judges. The winning team and two winners up will receive a cash prize.
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Competition: Final
28 April 2026
The Emma Enterprise Competition Final is a chance for finalist teams to pitch their ideas and offers an exciting opportunity for budding entrepreneurs and changemakers to bring their ideas to life. Come see what could be beginning of the next big thing! Pitches will be followed by networking drinks.
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Stories from Emma Entrepreneurs
Various Dates
Series of online talks by Emma Entreprenuers. See the listings on the Development Office calendar.
Competition
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Form a team and prepare a 1 page pitch.
Submit your pitch using the form above.
Shortlisted teams will be given a mentor and develop their skills.
Compete in the final.
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• Practice at developing a business plan
• Access to a personal mentor
• Experience at pitching to a panel of investors
• Cash prizes of £2500 + 2 x £250
• Follow-up investor introductions
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• Teams of 1 to 3 people
• At least 1 to be member or alum of Emmanuel College.
• Teams of 1 are allowed but not recommended. Working with one or more partners conveys a sense of resilience and balance to investors.
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• Innovation 25% (Including: problem addressed, novelty, market position)
• Implementation 25% (Including: business model, route to market, required team, funding)
• Impact 25% (Including: commercial/social benefit, environmental impact, growth potential)
• Presentation 25% (Including: visual impact, clarity, organisation)
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The Final
• Each shortlisted team gives a 7 minutepitch followed by 8 minute Q&A
•Judges will decide winners on the day
•Winner receives £2500, two runner-up teams receive £250
•Winning teams offered introductions to local Cambridge investors
Judges TBA
Emma Enterprise Champions
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Dr Anthony Harris
Programme Facilitator · Bye-Fellow, Founder, Cambridge Angel
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Dr Daniel McKay
Programme Facilitator · Bye-Fellow, Emma Experience Director
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Benjamin Blaker
Emma Enterprise Champion · Member (2020), ADHDX / Civil Service
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Charlotte Casebourne Stock
Emma Enterprise Champion · Member (2015), Executive Partner (Yarvie LLC), Life Sciences
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Apurva Chitnis
Emma Enterprise Champion · Member (2011), CTO and Co-Founder (Koodos), Engineering, Software
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Damian Crowther
Emma Enterprise Champion · Member (1986), Founder & Head of Research (Trimtech Therapeutics), Healthcare, neuroscience
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Jonathan Cumming
Emma Enterprise Champion · Member (1987), CFO & COO, Tech (deep, climate, ed); Finance
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Hannah Bryson-Jones
Emma Enterprise Champion · Member (2014), Founder (Delta H), Clean Energy
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Harith Haboubi
Emma Enterprise Champion · Member (1997), Director of Engineering (Agile Analog), Electronics, software
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Stephen Halstead
Emma Enterprise Champion · Member (1990), CFO/COO Tech-Enabled Growth Businesses, Software, Telecoms, Financial Services
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Jeremy Leong
Emma Enterprise Champion · Member (2007), Technology / Strategy
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Anthony Newman
Emma Enterprise Champion · Member (1991), Co-Founder (ape2o), sustainable water vending systems
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Peter Parkes
Emma Enterprise Champion · Member (2003), Head of Product (Miro)
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Emily Potts
Emma Enterprise Champion · Member (1996), Founder (Emily Potts Consulting), Business development and exit coaching for SMEs
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Gareth Sumner
Emma Enterprise Champion · Member (2000), Head of Geovation (Ordnance Survey), Startup support / innovation / geospatial / proptech
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Ryan Walter
Emma Enterprise Champion · Member (2021), Founder & CEO (Apostrophe), Technology Entrepreneurship
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Paul Lomas
Emma Enterprise Champion · Member (1976), Competition Appeal Tribunal, Expertise in law but with experience with SMEs, start ups and intra and entrapreneurism
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Bill Mansfield
Emma Enterprise Champion · Member (1980), Leonardo Da Vinci Ltd, specialised in AI.
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Elliot Zissman
Emma Enterprise Champion · Member (1994), Maistro, Marketing / AI / B2B
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Jake Moll
Emma Enterprise Champion · Member (2019), Matta, Engineering/Startups - Team Mentoring, General Advice, General Supporter
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Want to become an Emma Enterprise Champion?
You can register using the link below.
Enterprise Stories
Extra Support
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Part of the University of Cambridge, Cambridge Enterprise is responsible for supporting the translation of University research to create globally leading economic and social impact.
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A community and network platform with resources, events and opportunities for those interested in innovation and enterprise in Cambridge.
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Since 1999, CUE have been supporting and accelerating business innovation and entrepreneurship and providing training for hundreds of students, staff and alumni. They run several annual competitions.