UCL School of Management

17 March 2026

2026 MSc Entrperenuership Pitch Day concludes with celebratory

UCL School of Management recently hosted the annual MSc Entrepreneurship Pitch Day, an evening that brought together a community of student founders, investors, mentors and industry professionals for an evening of innovation and collaboration.

The evening kicked off with a dynamic showcase of the 15 startups, each presenting ideas across AI, consumer products, education, sustainability, travel, automotive, property, fashion, trade, social, food and marketplaces. Upon arrival, guests received UCL dollars in which they could invest in their favourite venutures. The venture that accumulated the most funds would go on to win the Best Showcase award.

Learn more about the ventures:


Soon after, guests were invited to the South West Lecture Theatre, where Professor Mauricio Pettinato Lucio, Acting Programme Director, welcomed attendees and introduced the pitches.
 
The startups presented their ideas to a panel of judges featuring Paul Herman, Founder and Chair at Young Entrepreneurs Academy, Richard Canterbury, Founder and CEO at Love Struck, Sukrti Nagpal, Interim Chief Medical Officer, and Dr. Muskaan Bhan, Chief Clinical Officer, Investor at Daya Ventures. 
 
Guest speaker, Richard Canterbury delivered a keynote on the entrepreneurial lessons he had learned. Sharing inspirational advice about the resilience and personal growth he experienced, along with how small operational tweaks could scale efficiency. He expressed the importance of taking your entrepreneurial journey as a marathon, as opposed to a sprint. He said maintaining a customer-first mindset helped him focus on consistent quality and the user experience. Richard exclaimed 'Starting and running a business will teach you more about yourself, than almost anything else. You might even have a successful business too." 
 
After much deliberation, the judges announced the winners.
  • Best Idea was awarded to Chris Marlowe, Founder of Open World.
    • Chris opened his talk promoting an AI-powered accessibility search engine dedicated to making travel more inclusive for people with mobility challenges. Sharing a personal story where he struggled to find step-free accommodation, an issue that affects millions worldwide. Showcasing Open World, his programme classifies properties, generates personalised accessibility insights, and delivers thousands of verified options to users. 
  • Best Pitch was awarded to Jakub Stadnik and Arjun Govind, Co-Founders of Table for Art
    • Table for Art connects empty restaurant and café spaces with local artists to host workshops. Jakub detailed the pilot results, financial model, and marketing strategy, showing how personal connections with venues led to 100% retention and high demand. The platform not only generates revenue for artists and venues but also builds creative communities.
  • Best Showcase was awarded to Ekaterina Kirpichenko and Ariana Otamendi Carmona, Co-Founders of Last Stem
    • Last Stem is a venture focused on repurposing old flowers to eliminate waste. They developed a scale to determine how flowers could be reused: the freshest blooms are resold at 30% below market value, slightly older flowers are offered to artisans for botanical gardens, resin jewelry, or dried displays, petals and scraps are sold wholesale to makers, and the remaining material is composted.

The evening concluded with an awards ceremony, presenting certificates to all students for their hard work and dedication throughout the programme, followed by networking drinks and canapés.

Reflecting on the event, Mauricio said, “Being an entrepreneur means embracing bold ideas, taking fearless action, and turning challenges into opportunities. Pitch Day is a highlight of our students’ journey, celebrating their entrepreneurial spirit, determination, and the achievements earned through creativity, courage, and relentless effort."

Anna Shichanina, Pitch Day Lead, added “Pitch Day is a big push, but there is so much more to be done to make their business successful. Through our workshops, office hours and ongoing support, we are confident our students will succeed in whatever they choose to pursue. Once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur.”

On behalf of UCL, we wish all participants the best of luck with their journeys and look forward to seeing where these ventures will lead.


Learn more about our MSc Entreprenuership programme.
 
Last updated Tuesday, 17 March 2026