‘Ambitious’ graduate startups given business boost by Newcastle University

An app to earn cashback on online purchases, an all-in-one ticketing and social media platform, and a farm which is transforming the lives of young people in the North East have all won a package of support from Newcastle University.

The three ‘ambitious’ startups by recent graduates are to receive up to £20k in support to drive their business forwards as winners of Newcastle University’s START UP Founderships. Founderships is a programme for ‘ambitious’, growth-oriented companies and social enterprises supported by the University’s donor community.

The three companies, Appre, Guester and Solidarity Farm CIC, were selected after pitching to a panel of experienced entrepreneurs to demonstrate the strength and ambition of the opportunity, developing their business skills in the process. They will be offered coaching and mentorship, equity-free grant funding and tailored business support over six months.

Co-founded by Newcastle University graduate Lewis Herdman (BSc Hons Marketing & Management) and Northumbria University student Connor Tipping (Civil Engineering Degree Apprenticeship), Appre is a mobile app that enables active shoppers to earn cashback on online purchases and to grow this cashback by investing it into risk-based investment funds.

Lewis commented: “At the current stage we are beginning to generate traction from brands and potential early adopters. Throughout the Foundership programme, we hope to increase traction with more users signed up to Appre’s waitlist and more brands on board.”

Solidarity Farm Community Interest Company was founded by John Harrison, a graduate of Newcastle University’s BSc Environmental Science, 2001 and Executive MBA, 2023. Solidarity Farm CIC’s purpose is to ‘transform’ the lives of young people at risk of exclusion from education across the North East through the social and therapeutic value of farming.

John explained: “We’ve begun the journey; I’ve developed quite a bit of the infrastructure and set up as a Community Interest Company, a CIC. Now we’re piloting a residential camp with another local organisation, Off the Grid CIC, who work with a lot of groups, and we hope start working with schools from October.”

The innovative all-in-one ticketing and social media platform, Guester, is co-founded by Newcastle University graduates Sam Nanda (BSc Maths with Finance, 2021) and Jack O’Donnell (BSc Computer Science, 2021).

Guester seamlessly integrates ticket purchasing, photo sharing, social interactions, and event discovery into a single, user-friendly app. It aims to revolutionise and enable grassroot companies to create, sell and promote their events, enabled by enhanced event discovery, amplifying everyone’s event experience.

Sam said: “We’re currently in the concept and market research phase, with a few initial wireframes designed. By the end of the Foundership, we aim to have our MVP developed and beta tested, which will allow us to acquire our first customers and start generating revenue post Foundership.”

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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