Winner HSBC Student Company of the Year 2023
Thursday 13 April 2023
Winner HSBC Student Company of the Year 2023
A group of students from St Ninian’s High School has earned the title ‘HSBC Student Company of the Year’ after their winning business idea came top of the Junior Achievement Company Programme.
The student company called ‘Mindcore’ consists of six students, James Drummond, Hudson Sayle, Matthew Hughes, Aaron Matthews, Dominik Stawny and Siddharth Muthu Pandian.
‘Mindcore’ competed against 20 student teams to take the title after impressing the judges with the creation of a versatile and intuitive app that can assist people struggling with reading difficulty.
It allows users to scan a book or upload a PDF to ERA, "enhanced reading," which boldens the first half of every word to help individuals with ADHD to keep concentration, along with a “skim mode” which only performs enhanced reading on important words.
ERA also provides a fully customisable font and background colour function, which assists people who suffer from Irlen syndrome and dyslexia, as some readers find it hard to read black text on a white background.
Over the last six months, more than 100 A level students from across the Island have participated in the Junior Achievement Company Programme, the world’s top entrepreneurial programme for young people in education.
Sponsored by HSBC Isle of Man and organised by Manx charity Junior Achievement, the Company Programme is supported by 30 volunteer business mentors who donate their time to work with the teams.
The students, aged 16 – 17, form a mini- company consisting of no more than six members. They are tasked to raise money to get their business off the ground then take their product or service to market.
After running their business for six months the student companies came together to take part in the national final that determined who would take home the HSBC JA Student Company of the Year title and trophy.
Junior Achievement's chief executive Sue Cook said: ‘The standard of the competition was extremely high with so many excellent business ideas.
‘Mindcore’ have developed a product that will help so many people struggling with reading difficulties.
I am delighted that they have been selected to represent the Isle of Man in the European finals of the Company Programme held in Istanbul in July.
I’m extremely grateful to HSBC for their continued support and congratulate everyone who took part in this potentially life-changing programme.’
The HSBC Award for ‘Student Company of the Year’ went to Mindcore from St Ninian’s High School.
Runner-up – Apollo from Ballakermeen High School.
Third place – Magnitude from St Ninian’s High School.
Other awards were:
Zurich Award for Innovation in Business – Apollo from Ballakermeen High School for their display that projects driving information in front of the windscreen.
Celton Manx Sustainability Award – Opulence from St Ninian's High School for their Water filter that fits over a tap with flow meter and multiplatform app.
Continent 8 Technologies Customer Focus Award – Mindcore from St Ninian’s High School for their Easy Reading App.
Elite Fitness Award for Best Promotional Video – Apollo from Ballakermeen High School.
Lloyds Bank International Special Recognition Award – Tommy Elliot from Ballakermeen High School.
FIM Capital Creative Problem Solving Award – Aries from Ballakermeen High School for their Plant Sitter, which ensures your plants have enough water whilst on holiday.
ELS Award for Excellence - Magnitude, St Ninian's High School for their excellent financial performance throughout the programme.
IFGL Public Choice Award - Magnitude, St Ninian's High School.
Paragon Recruitment Volunteer Mentor of the Year - James Collier, mentor of Team Magnitude at St Ninian's High School.
Junior Achievement Leader for a Day Award - Connie Edwards, Daniel Comley and Rhett Iveagh from Ramsey Grammar School. Danielle Wilkinson from Ballakermeen High School and Ashton Quilliam from St Ninian's High School.