Innovate, Experiment, Elevate
More students than ever are choosing to build something of their own. Alongside traditional career paths, entrepreneurship, freelancing and social enterprise are becoming part of the student experience.
At the University of Birmingham, this enterprising attitude is becoming increasingly visible. Since 2019, there has been a 22% increase in the number of students expressing an interest in starting a business or working for themselves, and more than 3,600 students now identify entrepreneurship as part of their future ambitions.
Through curriculum-based learning, co-curricular opportunities and our flagship UoB Elevate Programme, B-Enterprising helps students from every discipline build the confidence, skills and networks to transform ambitious ideas into meaningful ventures.
Meet some of the graduates whose journeys show what’s possible when innovation is matched with opportunity.
Every successful entrepreneur starts with an idea, but ideas thrive when they are nurtured. Here at Birmingham, we equip students with the skills, networks and opportunities to turn innovative ideas into meaningful impact.
Samoco: revolutionising safe blood delivery
University of Birmingham graduates Manpreet Saggoo, Michelle Montemayor and Oscar Collins founded MedTech start-up Samoco to solve one of healthcare’s biggest logistical challenges: delivering life-saving blood safely to patients in remote and emergency settings.
Winning an Impact Scholarship through Elevate enabled the team to begin prototyping at the Precision Health Technologies Accelerator (PHTA) Makerspace in Selly Oak. Working alongside University engineering interns and mentors, they have rapidly developed prototypes and refined their commercial strategy.
‘We started Samoco because we saw an opportunity to tackle a problem that affects healthcare systems around the world,’ explains Co-founder and Head of Business Development Oscar Collins (pictured). ‘What excites us is the possibility that something developed by University of Birmingham students could one day help save lives in remote communities, emergency situations and conflict zones. That’s the scale of impact we’re working towards.'
That ambition has already gained recognition. After winning the UoB Elevate Pitch Competition earlier this year, the team is preparing for investment as it works towards bringing its technology into healthcare settings around the world.
Turning lived experience into national impact
As a child growing up in the Czech Republic, Iveta Pudilova was non-verbal until the age of five. Today, the Birmingham graduate delivers keynote speeches, appears on BBC programmes and advises organisations across the UK on neurodiversity and inclusion.
An autistic founder and CEO with ADHD, Iveta created National Neurodiversity Training after discovering her own neurodivergence following her sister Vera’s autism diagnosis. Today, the multi-award-winning organisation helps employers, educators and public sector organisations better understand and create more inclusive environments.
While studying Political Economy at Birmingham, support from B-Enterprising, the Careers Network and later the Elevate incubator helped transform that idea into a national organisation.
Reflecting on that journey, she credits mentoring as a turning point. ‘It gave me not only the knowledge, but most importantly the confidence to make a plan and take my goals to the next level.’
What began as Happy Autistic Lady has evolved into National Neurodiversity Training, now delivering training, consultancy and research projects across the UK. Alongside campaigns with the Guild of Students and research with Transport for West Midlands, Iveta has been recognised with the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Future Faces Award for Entrepreneurship and has returned to partner with the University itself.
‘The support I received from the University, particularly through the Careers Network and B-Enterprising,was vital to my success,’ Iveta says. ‘These services helped me connect with influential mentors, engage invaluable start-up programmes and build a network that continues to support our business.’
Supporting the next generation of founders
Whether students have a business plan or simply the spark of an idea, Birmingham offers support at every stage of the entrepreneurial journey.
Through B-Enterprising, students can access one-to-one coaching, innovation workshops, enterprise competitions, tailored programmes such as Female Founders and early-stage seed funding. Those ready to scale can progress into UoB Elevate at The Exchange, where mentoring, workshops, funding and a community of founders help transform promising ideas into sustainable ventures.
As Nicola Gittins, Deputy Director of Student Entrepreneurship and Enterprise, explains: ‘Every successful entrepreneur starts with an idea, but ideas thrive when they are nurtured. Here at UoB, we equip students with the skills, networks and opportunities to turn innovative ideas into meaningful impact.’
Much of that support is made possible by Birmingham’s alumni community, whose mentoring, expertise and philanthropy help today’s students become tomorrow’s founders.
