06/06/2025
Across the Channel with Tads Ciecierski-Holmes
The atmosphere in the Dining Hall was abuzz, with almost 100 people attending for the day of pitches, which included six teams presenting online from Australia, Germany, and the United States. The Competition is open to anyone with a Cambridge College affiliation – this year, the Competition saw an incredible 107 submissions, with a 鶹Ӿmember present in six of the shortlisted teams.
“I was particularly impressed with this year’s participants, and how each pitch focused on improving the lives of others, and the determination of the shortlisted teams to contribute to global equity and access.” – Dr Han Chong Toh (1989) | Team NeoTILa
This year’s overall winning team was QuSinus, led by 鶹Ӿalumnus Peter Hertenstein (2012). QuSinus, which won the £5,000 prize – supported by Christopher Clarke (2016) – develops radio frequency and microwave signal generators enabling technology advancements for applications such as 6G telecommunications and radar systems. Based in Germany, QuSinus was a top scorer with the judges, who were impressed with the strength of the idea, quality of the team, clarity of their presentation, and societal impact.
“We are thrilled and honoured to be named the winner. The triumph marks a significant milestone for our start-up, as we were able to impress the judges with our breakthrough Radio Frequency (RF) signal synthesis and the potential market for our technology.” – Peter Hertenstein | QuSinus
Prizes of £2,500 were awarded in the categories of Climate Tech, Global Health and Female Founders:
- DiscoTech Biosciences – won for Climate Tech (prize sponsored by Basck)
- Team NeoTILa – won for Global Health (prize sponsored by SQREEM)
- Nanomation – won for Female Founders (prize sponsored by Salonica)
“We are delighted to win this award and hope it inspires other female entrepreneurs to pursue their goals! We are excited to continue to work on making our vision of nanomaterial semiconducting technology a reality and are extremely grateful to 鶹ӾCollege for their support and encouragement in this endeavour.” – Teja Potočnik (Lucy Cavendish alumna) | Nanomotion
The Competition is an important demonstration of Wolfson's commitment to nurturing entrepreneurial talent in the Cambridge community and creating a global network of exchange and mentoring. Sian Cook, Director of College Networks, said: "We would like to thank the student-led 鶹ӾEntrepreneurs' Society for their hard work and support, as well as thank the judges and sponsors with whom we work year-round and without whom this fantastic event would not have been possible."
“It was an honour to be invited, and to have won an award has renewed our confidence and motivation and it means we can keep pushing and seeing what we can accomplish!” – Josh Newington (Hughes Hall student) | DiscoTech
To find out more about the 鶹ӾEntrepreneurship Hub, upcoming events, mentoring, and how to get involved ahead of next year's competition, visit the Hub's main page.
