College lecturer wows Dragons

A South Devon College software lecturer and Business Innovation Mentor has braved a “Dragon’s Den-style” grilling to win a place in the University of Plymouth’s 2009/10 Business Ideas Challenge.

James Brocklehurst, a 35-year-old IT lecturer in Digital Media, won £500 and third place for his software Kuppa, which caught the imagination of the judges for the way it increased the speed of creating graphics on web pages.

James was pipped at the post by young entrepreneurs Mark Robinson and Rupert Lorraine who landed the top prize of £1,500 and a support package for their new company Fifty Four, launching a new sailing gear brand. And in second place by Miles Noble, a Plymouth graphic design graduate, for his business GigLocator.com – a ticket sales site combined with social networking.

James, who is planning to launch a new company to market his software, with the aid of the support package he won, said: “It will depend on whether I can secure investment in it. I just need the capital. I have had a meeting with a broker for business angels to see if he has any investors interested in looking at this. If it is successful then I will launch. I’m really excited about it.”

James has been lecturing at South Devon College, on Foundation Degree Courses, validated by the University of Plymouth, for the last three years. He has played a key role in college innovation – by becoming one of the first of 12 Business Innovation Mentors who provide a full funded business diagnostic service and help to companies wanting to increase turnover through innovation.

James, who lives at Ashburton, added: “The business training I was given as a Business Innovation Mentor really helped a great deal with my presentation, particularly with my business plan.”

And braving the South West “Dragons”? “It went really well I enjoyed doing it. My presentation was well received. Because of the nature of my idea being from an area I specialise in I was able to show how beneficial a technical innovation it could be and it wasn’t a difficult job to try to explain.”

Dr Susan Boulton, Knowledge Exploitation Manager at the University, paid tribute to all of the finalists: “We are championing an enterprise culture among our students and staff and all of the finalists have demonstrated that in one form or another.”

Becky Barber, who designed a solar powered radio made from bamboo, took the Social Enterprise Award.

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