Falmouth's Dragons' Den returns with £6,000 in student funding

Falmouth's annual Dragons' Den competition returned this spring, bringing together student founders to pitch ideas, test their thinking and compete for a share of £6,000.

Run by the Employability team, the event gives students the chance to develop business ideas in a setting that reflects real industry expectations. From refining concepts to delivering under pressure, it is a practical experience that mirrors how creative ideas move into the world.

This year's final took place in March with a panel of Dragons including alumni and industry professionals: Chris Weavill, co-founder and CEO of AI company Hertzian; textile designer Alice Selwood; marketing strategist Kyle Campbell; and postgraduate researcher Shaquira Lue.

Six finalist teams pitched their ideas, with four securing funding.

Charlotte May and Arwen Weston, second-year BA(Hons) Sustainable Product Design students, were awarded £3,000 for Kreyon, a sustainable chalk product made using waste oyster shells sourced from local restaurants.

Georgie Morton, an MA Communication Design student, received £2,000 for Madame Solder, an artisan stained glass brand combining handmade pieces with workshops and educational content.

Jacob Watson-Howland, a third-year BA (Hons) Marine and Natural History Photography student, secured £500 to support the next stage of his work as a photographer and content creator, which includes his YouTube and podcast series, the Watson-Howland Podcast.

Niamh McGeiver, a third-year BA(Hons) Fine Art student, was also awarded £500 for Redheads Art, her growing business focused on original paintings and prints.

Other finalists included Brandon Bartley, whose AI-powered platform, Retconic Docs, aims to support creative project management, and Ellie Smith and Sam Lloyd, who presented their mobile game Paws of Destruction. These finalists will be given the opportunity to benefit from the knowledge and technology access of dragon Chris Weavill.

While the final pitches were delivered on stage, much of the work happened beforehand. Students were supported by the Employability team and coaching from Marcus Simmons, Course Leader MSc Entrepreneurship, which helped them shape stronger proposals and refine their pitches ahead of the event. Marcus coached five of the six finalists leading up to and during the application stage, helping them shape stronger proposals and working with all six finalist teams to refine their pitches ahead of the event.

That process made a clear difference; judges highlighted the quality of the presentations, noting how well students communicated their ideas and responded to feedback. Strong pitches are built over time through testing, iteration and guidance.

The event brought together students from across disciplines, reflecting how creative thinking, business awareness and technical skills come together in practice. It also reinforced a core part of the student experience at Falmouth: learning by doing, supported by people with industry knowledge and experience.

The Employability team continues to offer support to all applicants beyond the competition, with one-to-one guidance delivered by Marcus and the Cornwall Business School to help students develop their ideas further. For many, Dragons' Den is not the end point but the start of what comes next.

Find out more about our Employability Service.