Eight graduate entrepreneurs based at the University of South Wales (USW) have shared £20,000 of start-up funding to help get their business off to a flying start.The business leaders successfully pitched for a share of the money as part of fifth round of the USW-funded Springboard Start-up Fund, which has been running since 2021. The awards were made following the Springboard Pitching Day in late June, for which 20 applied and 11 were shortlisted.
The programme is managed by the USW-based Startup Stiwdio graduate incubator team, in partnership with the USW Careers and Enterprise teams.Richie Turner, Incubator Manager at USW and Chair of Fund Panel, said: “These awards are always one of the highlights of the year in terms of celebrating the enterprise and entrepreneurship of our incredible graduates.
“As USW continues to create more graduate startups each year than any other university in Wales, the standard of applications for our Startup Awards also becomes higher each year. “Congratulations to all those who entered and all those who were shortlisted, and, of course, the biggest of congratulations to all of those securing the startup grants. I look forward to welcoming many who applied for an award to our Startup Stiwdios over the next few months.
”Dellifiori Aesthetics – £2,500Carmela Dellifiori is a BA Fashion Design graduate who has founded Dellifiori Aesthetics as a lash therapy business that helps to understand its clients on a personal level, learning what makes each individual client look and feel their best.Carmela said: “This has award has given me a big door to open as I enter my journey into the entrepreneurship world. Since I was a young girl I have always wanted my own business, and this is just the beginning. It has given me a huge shot at my dreams, and I can’t describe how proud my family are seeing me make progress.“With this award I am now able to finish the building of my purpose-built salon. The next steps will be getting the water and electric systems installed.
”Instagram – @dellifiori_aesthetics
STAK Performance – £3,500Sam Thomas and Adam Kaplan are graduates from the BSc Strength and Conditioning and BSc Sport & Exercise Science courses.They will use the funds to buy IT equipment and software to improve their tracking of performance for their clients. STAK Performance will be offering elite strength and conditioning services to help young athletes take the next step in their sporting careers.Adam said: “By winning this award it has allowed us to cover large upfront costs to ensure we are providing the best service for our clients. Without this support, we would not be able to trade as effectively so soon from our inception.
”Website – https://stakperformance.com/Instagram – @stakperformance
Shibinogi – £1,700Rhianedd Williams is BA Illustration graduate who has established Shibinogi, which designs and sells merchandise and apparel online and at comic-conventions across the UK, bringing attention to the world of VTubers and similarly inspired fashions. Alongside this, it works with VTubers and small creators to redesign avatars, produce essential illustration packages, and provide merchandising solutions.Rhi said: “Winning the grant means the world to me, I can now make apparel, notepads, and more stock in-house, and sell at larger events I never imagined being able to afford entry into. Being able to attend the larger and more expensive Expos was until now out of my reach. The award allows me to attend these for the first time.
”www.shibinogi.comInstagram @shibinogi
Knockback Games Ltd – £2,250
Usman Tarafdar, Jaz Banson, and Kothilmozhiyan Rajavelu are BA Games Design graduates and have established Knockback Games Ltd. They have high ambitions to become a staple in the video games industry and are currently 18 months into developing their first game – Sincognito©. It is an ‘Among Us’ style multiplayer stylised horror game that blends social-deduction and stealth as humans attempt to defeat the Seven Deadly Sins. It is coming out digitally for Steam on PC.Usman said: “The USW funding will help prepare our game for contracting professional artists. This will enable the UI and characters further development time, which will affect the customers’ initial impressions on the game, and ultimately pushing the product further into a commercially viable product we wish Sincognito© to be.”
Website https://www.knockbackgames.co.uk/Twitter – @knockback_games
66Days – £3,400
Dan McCadden is a BA Film Graduate whose film company is aiming to specialise in making promo videos for the South Wales Craft Beer sector, capturing the passion and stories of those brands through compelling visuals. In addition to this it provides event filming, photography, and music videos.Dan said: “To me winning the award is huge. It means I can go out and have the freedom to film, edit, and create content for clients whenever I want. That creative freedom is an absolutely necessary step for me and my business moving forward. “I turned down multiple good jobs to pursue my business and it was a big risk, but to have a group of people believe in you and your idea and, as a result, help fund it, is so encouraging and confirms to me that I made the right decision. “As for the future; now it’s time to go out there and provide value for my clients with video services. Not only will I be able to film for my clients, but I’ll be able to experiment in my own time with my new camera. I’ll be able to have a firm hub to run my business from with my laptop. It will allow me to work at the Startup Stiwdio more, a great space to grow as a business.”
Website – HOME | 66 Days
Social media: https://linktr.ee/66DaysFilm
Hebe Aesthetics and Wellbeing – £3,200
Charlotte Jackson-Welford is a Nursing (Mental Health) graduate based in Beddau in Rhondda Cynon Taf who offers nurse-led medical aesthetics – minimally invasive, non-surgical cosmetic treatments – and wellbeing treatments. Treatments currently offered include anti-wrinkle injections; dermal filler treatments on multiple areas of the face, neck, and hands; vitamin supplementation, including vitamin b12, b-complex, C, D, biotin and gluthiatone – both intramuscularly and liposomal sublingually; non-invasive skin rejuvenation; chemical skin peels; micro-needling for the face; and body and hair restoration. Hebe Aesthetics and Wellbeing is all about helping people feel more confident and better about and within themselves.
Charlotte said: “Winning the award will transform my practice. By purchasing the two medical devices using the award I have been granted enables me to treat conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, and teenage acne; which I currently have no suitable treatment modalities for due to the minimally-invasive nature of the treatments I offer being too harsh for the sensitive and inflammatory nature of these conditions. “This opens up a new market to me and ultimately furthers the business vision of making a difference to the way that people feel within themselves. The award also allows me to enhance the outcomes of my current treatments by combining services, as well as giving me the chance to offer a number of extra services and treatment packages.
”Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Hebeaestheticsandwellbeing/
Instagram – @hebeaestheticsandwellbeing
Whisper Bridal Boutique – £1,000
Jenny Langley is a BA Fashion Design graduate who has just opened her first shop in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan. The award will allow Jenny to increase her marketing activities, including attending more wedding fairs to promote her specially-designed outfits. Whisper is a luxury bridalwear boutique advocating for inclusivity, individuality, and sustainability. With a modern twist on traditional bridalwear, it offers a diverse range of bridal gowns and separates, designed and made in Britain by three designers.
Website: whisperbridalboutique.co.uk
Instagram: @ whisperbridalboutique
Bombus Artisanal – £2,450
Amber Jones is BA Fashion and Design graduate who has founded Bombus Artisanal – a small handmade fashion brand that focuses on collaboration with other makers to create sustainable clothing and accessories. “I’m so grateful for winning this award, it means we are able to invest in machinery to increase our products’ quality and, therefore, sustainability. We will also be able to undertake a new collaboration involving natural dyes, which is very exciting.
”Website – Bombus Artisanal (bombus-artisanal.co.uk)
Instagram – @bombus.artisanal
