Sheffield student ventures raise £1.4m investment

Sheffield student founders turn university ideas into £1.4m of investment

Ten student and graduate entrepreneurs have collectively raised £1.4m over three years through ventures supported by the University of Sheffield’s Emerge programme.

Student entrepreneurs supported by the University of Sheffield's enterprise programme Image: University of SheffieldOriginal source

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Ten student and graduate founders from the University of Sheffield have collectively raised £1.4 million for businesses developed with support from the university’s enterprise programme.

Emerge: Be Enterprising launched three years ago and offers practical masterclasses, mentoring and connections with the local business community.

Ventures include Rivelin Rail, which is developing technology for railway inspection, alongside companies in other technical and creative fields.

The useful lesson is not that every student should immediately become a founder. It is that somebody with an idea can test it while still surrounded by expertise, mentors and people willing to point out the expensive mistakes before they become expensive.