Eight student-led ventures from across Imperial College London and wider UK universities took centre stage at this year’s Ideas to Impact (i2i) Challenge, presenting innovative solutions aimed at tackling urgent global challenges. Hosted by the Gandhi Centre for Inclusive Innovation, the annual event brings together entrepreneurial talent, expert mentorship, and seed funding to help turn student ideas into impactful enterprises.

The 2025 edition of the i2i Challenge was held at Imperial Business School, and featured a dynamic afternoon of pitching, discussion, and celebration. Each team had just a few minutes to convince a panel of judges that their solution could make a meaningful difference in the world.

From climate technology and public health tools to AI wearables and maternal care innovations, the finalists reflected the growing appetite among students to build ventures that are both socially impactful and commercially viable.

Pitching for Impact

The shortlisted teams pitched a broad range of ideas, including new technologies, digital tools, and science-backed inventions:

• TeraBora – A clean energy startup developing compact robots to install affordable ground source heat pumps, helping decarbonise home heating.
• AirHarvest – A sustainable agriculture solution using solar-powered pegs to generate and release water from the atmosphere, enabling irrigation in drought-prone areas.
• Epile-X – A health tech venture focused on wearable AI that can predict epileptic seizures in real time, improving quality of life for people living with epilepsy.
• LIR LABS – A smart water safety device offering real-time, adaptive detection of contaminants such as asbestos, with applications for both public health and infrastructure management.
• Mamilla – A maternal health startup supporting breastfeeding through an interactive app and doll that provides personalised, culturally-sensitive guidance to mothers.
• Medora – A dignified and accessible oral care innovation for dementia patients, offering an eco-friendly and clinically effective alternative to conventional dental hygiene products.
• Muju – A biodegradable soil capsule that aerates farmland naturally through rainfall, boosting soil health without machinery or chemicals.
• PowerUp – A synthetic biology project introducing a bioengineered enzyme cofactor designed to help the human body safely excrete microplastics.

Announcing the Winners

Following the pitches and judge deliberations, three standout teams were awarded seed funding and continuous mentorship from the Gandhi Centre:

• 🥇 1st Prize: Muju – For their sustainable and scalable soil health innovation, combining environmental impact with agricultural efficiency.
• 🥈 2nd Prize: LIR LABS – Recognised for their cutting-edge real-time water contamination detection technology.
• 🥉 3rd Prize: AirHarvest – Honoured for their cost-effective and autonomous irrigation solution, designed for water-scarce farming regions.

These top teams will receive hands-on support to further develop and pilot their ventures, with access to expert networks and additional funding opportunities.

A Celebration of Purpose-Driven Innovation

Concluding the event, Professor Peter Todd, Dean of Imperial Business School, congratulated the participants and reflected on the value of experiential programmes like the i2i Challenge:

“One of the things programmes like this do is help you bridge the gap between the concept of a solution and making it work in the real world.”

As global challenges, from climate change to public health crises, continue to evolve, the Ideas to Impact Challenge remains a key platform for nurturing student innovation with a social mission. The 2025 cohort is a testament to the power of creativity, collaboration, and determination to shape a better future.

Thank you to everybody involved!