Student Entrepreneurs Showcase Innovative Business Ideas in Dragons' Den Competition, Supported by Savills

The Dragons' Den 2024 challenge empowered students to drive meaningful transformations within the real estate business landscape by harnessing the power of innovative and disruptive technologies.

📣 On Tuesday, March 5th, 2024, undergraduate students specialising in Real Estate and Planning took part in a business idea competition, modelled after the well-known 'Dragon's Den' television program. This interactive event was an essential component of the Managing Change in the Real Estate Sector module (RE2MCRE), led by Dr. Matteo Borghi, who serves as a Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Henley Business School. Dr. Borghi led a collaborative endeavour with the Real Estate and Planning department, the Henley Enterprise Lab, and the Henley Centre for Entrepreneurship to organize and design the event, creating an atmosphere conducive to fostering creativity and entrepreneurial exploration. 🎓🏭🐉

🎯The event – Dragons’ Den 2024
Under the guidance of Dr. Matteo Borghi and Dr. Aaron Ahali, students enrolled in the RE2MCRE module engaged in a practical assessment task focused on applying entrepreneurial methodologies to develop innovative business concepts. The aim was twofold: to devise a unique value proposition addressing real-world challenges and to leverage cutting-edge technologies to transform conventional practices within the real estate industry. Over six months, 19 entrepreneurial teams embarked on a transformative journey, culminating in the presentation of their disruptive business ideas to a panel of respected experts in Real Estate and Entrepreneurship, referred to as the "Dragons".

The Judges
Esteemed figures such as Programme Director for the MSc Entrepreneurship, Associate Professor Keith Heron, along with highly regarded industry experts Christon Burrows, Matt Partridge, Saminder (Sammy) Pahal, Lottie Watts, and Tom Castro, lent their expertise and insights to the judging process.

Partnership with Savills
This year marked an exciting collaboration with Savills for the development and execution of the competition. Savills not only supported the student prizes but also contributed key members to the esteemed judging panel. Among them were Helena Hughes, Sarah Thorley, and Freddie Williams. Their partnership enhanced the event and underscored the commitment to fostering industry connections and providing students with unparalleled opportunities.

👏 Winning teams – Senspore, Rent Right and ReadiHouse
After the students' presentations concluded, all entrepreneurial teams gathered for the closing award ceremony and feedback session. Helena Hughes, Lottie Watts, and Sarah Thorley, representing the three panels of Dragons, offered their collective insights and feedback based on the presentations they observed.
The winning teams for the Dragons’ Den 2024 were: 
•    Senspore by Fatema Abdulla, Samuel Bacon, Luke Churchill, Mitch Jury, Monty Littler and Alana Rodrigues Santos Barbosa, that aims to revolutionising spaces with innovative mould detection technology for healthier living and working environments.
•    Rent Right by Abiye George, Kiran Head, Alexios Koundouros, Maurice Noblett, Rhys Prichard, and Hal Smalley, a lease specialists platform which uses AI-powered technology to transform lease reviews.
•    ReadiHouse by Hassan Araf, Alex Daubeney, Calum Gould, James Hartland, and Arthur House, innovative app connects Estate Agents and University Students, making house -hunting efficient and enjoyable for all.

Grand Final
Following this, the three victorious teams showcased their projects to the entire class, competing for the title of Grand Champion. The ultimate winner of the grand final, Senspore, was rewarded with an exclusive invitation to visit Savills' state-of-the-art innovation lab and facilities in London. 

💭 Comments and final remarks
ReadiHouse team by James Hartland: “The Dragons Den experience was truly an unforgettable experience for myself, and my team. It served as the catalyst for our journey to create a business that deeply reflects our shared values and aspirations. From the research of potential markets to the development of working prototypes, this venture has been an exhilarating learning curve for us all. 
Each team member had the opportunity to harness their individual knowledge and skills, fostering an environment where diverse perspectives converged to shape a comprehensive business solution. This collaborative synergy yielded outcomes that would have otherwise remained beyond our reach. 
On the day of the presentation, we collectively unfolded our business journey before an audience unfamiliar to us. This experience was invaluable as it not only provided insights through industry feedback from the Dragons but also through the innovative perspectives offered by our peers. Such an occasion served as a testament to our entrepreneurial development, propelling us further in our pursuit of delivering a business that we truly believe in.”

Senspore team (the Grand Champion): “The Dragons’ Den experience has been one of the more exciting modules during our time on the course, dragons den added a reality to the course that no other modules have done. With the help of our seminar tutor Aaron, it was a really rewarding experience seeing our idea come to fruition. Our time at Senspore as a team has been incredibly valuable, we have embraced the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded people and have had the chance to develop our entrepreneurial and business management skills. On the day we were extremely excited as a team, rearing to go after numerous run throughs of our presentation on the day's prior. We were all well prepared and wanted to show the dragons what we had produced over the last 6 months.”

Jurek Sikorski, Director of the Henley Enterprise Lab and Founder of Henley Business Angels: “In the Dragons' Den Competition of 2024, innovation met inspiration as 110 students, fuelled by an entrepreneurial fire, redefined real estate. Congratulations to all the student teams and in particular the Grand Champion, Senspore. Immense gratitude to our stellar Dragons. Kudos to our partners, Savills, for elevating the experience and applause for Matteo Borghi for bringing a truly learning experience and confirmation that we are all entrepreneurs. As the applause subsides, let's sustain the entrepreneurial spirit, igniting change in real estate and beyond. A heartfelt thanks to all collaborators. This journey was a testament to true team working. It was a real pleasure and honour for me to be part of the Competition.”

Hebe Williams, Graduate Recruitment Manager at Savills: “We were delighted to partner with the University of Reading on this module, to share insight into our business and the industry and to highlight the value of entrepreneurship. The team thoroughly enjoyed engaging with the next generation of future talent within the Real Estate industry.”

As a final remark after the event, Dr Borghi said: “Working with our students has been an absolute pleasure, witnessing their entrepreneurial spirit and innovative ideas take shape. Their commitment and enthusiasm, in this unique authentic assessment, have truly made this year's Dragons' Den a resounding success! I am also glad of our partnership with Savills, which has truly elevated the Dragons' Den experience for our students. Their support and expertise have added immense value, enriching the learning journey for all involved.”