Middlesex celebrates entrepreneurship, as university is ranked top in Outer London for start-ups

"MDX was where I learned the art of asking - for opportunities, and brave questions" says alumna who has gone on to work with founders and set up successful ventures of her own

MDX has a lively enterprise culture, with Novuna Business Cash Flow, previously Hitachi Capital Invoice Finance, rating it the fifteenth best UK university for start-ups, and most entrepreneurial in outer London, in its annual rankings.

MDX alumni include first series of The Apprentice winner and now aide to Lord Sugar on the show, Tim Campbell; the co-creator of the original viral Dubai Chocolate, FIX Dessert Chocolatier’s Sarah Hamouda; and Kentish Town-based cult menswear label founder, Martine Rose.

A full programme of events, including a lightning fast business pitch competition, and a drop-in with one stop shop support service Grow London Local marked Global Entrepreneurship Week at MDX.

First prize in the business pitch contest - involving five minute pitches followed by five minutes of Q & A from a panel of judges - was won by Data Science Master's student Sai Raj Ali for MindHaven, an activity finder App for neurodivergent young people. 

Saira Ali came second, with her proposition for InitiAid, a drone to help tackle fires, while Taiwo Akinyemi was third with handmade fashion concept Beaded by Tee Accessories. The winning pitches receive £500, £300 and £200 respectively plus follow-up mentoring. 

The MDX branch of sustainability-focused social enterprise network Enactus UK held a workshop, challenging attendees to propose approaches to tackle social issues from cyberbullying to homelessness. Enactus MDX has secured well over 300 sign-ups this year at events such as Welcome Fair and Gradstock. Members have also shone in recent external competitions such as this year’s iTwin4Good finals.

Over the course of the week, gamified business ideas and development App ZIYX and business planning platform YourFinancialModel.com visited MDX to speak to students.

Other entrepreneurship activities during the university year include the What’s Your Big Idea? competition for early stage businesses and business ideas, open to both MDX students and Barnet residents with first and runners’ up prizes in each category.

After two rounds of video pitching and an in-person final, secure replacement key delivery service SafeKey, developed by 2025 MBA graduate Simon Church emerged as the winner of the student competition, while data centre cooling concept ClathriX won in the residents’ section.

Meanwhile, the University has been nominated for two awards for an initiative to embed real-world client projects in the curriculum, a project which is continuing to roll out across subjects and modules.

Among recent MDX alumni thriving in the start-up space is Singapore-based speaker, sales trainer and marketing consultant Grace Yeo, who coaches business founders on client communications for The Humanized Sales Approach. After moving to Bali in 2023, she took a home and store renovations business from a standing start to fully booked in eight weeks.

BA Advertising, PR and Media graduate Grace says: “MDX was where I learned the art of asking, for support, opportunities, and the brave questions that challenge the status quo. I pitched ideas, secured funding, and eventually launched Raikii, a gown rental start-up inspired by how women rarely re-wear occasion dresses.

"[Former Business School Senior Lecturer] Simon Best kickstarted my entrepreneurial journey when he sent a group of us to Croatia for an entrepreneurship competition, and the encouragement I received across faculties gave me the confidence to keep building.

“My advice to students: don’t overthink it. Start. Fail. Fail forward. What you build today may evolve, and that evolution is the whole point”.

MSc Sustainability and Environmental Management graduate Isco Coban’s carbon accounting platform CMetrics, which helps businesses optimise supply chains to cut costs and carbon emissions, has pilot agreements with key firms in its target market and has been preparing to raise a £200,000 seed round.

The idea began as an academic concept within Isco’s Master’s coursework, he says. “Turning it into a viable business felt like a huge leap. 1:1 support sessions with Practice-Based Learning and Enterprise Lead Maria Olariu and the Middlesex entrepreneurship programme were the catalyst that made it happen.

“The guidance was incredibly practical – we even changed our initial company name based on early feedback because it was causing confusion! That hands-on support and strategic clarity gave us the initial energy and confidence to build momentum”.

Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law Professor Martin Broad says MDX students are presented with entrepreneurial opportunities from Day One.

“Our proactive MDX Careers and Futures service provides mentoring. Our entrepreneurial culture is embedded within all Faculties to help students transform their lives.

“Our students are highly motivated, and together with amazing, talented staff, we have the right ingredients for turning innovative ideas into viable ventures.”