Make a splash at Invent 2020, Water Boys!

Our very best wishes to SERC student company The Water Boys who are competing in the Invent 2020 Student Finals this Wednesday 19 August.

If you have been following SERC’s intranet posts or social media over the last few months, you will already know plenty about The Water Boys, a student company made up of BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma in Applied Science students Paul French (Lisburn), Johnny McQuillan (Glenavy), and Martin McKeown (Moira), who have designed and protoyped a low-cost, user-friendly solution to the problem of water contaminated by nitrates and phosphates.

The team have received support from their mentor, Michael Holmes, to develop their prototype and have been working closely with the Entrepreneurs Club to market their innovative water filter and compete in various competitions, including Catalyst Inc’s annual innovation competition, Invent 2020. This competition recognises local innovations and ideas that have the greatest commercial potential.

After a successful online application, the team competed in the Invent 2020 qualifying round May 11, which saw them selected for the semi-finals on June 5. Their semi-final pitch landed them an invitation to compete in the 2020 Student Final, a category created by Catalyst this year to recognise the significant number of impressive student entries. The Water Boys will go up against 6 other teams this Wednesday to compete for £500 of seed funding. They will deliver a 3-minute pitch to a panel of judges live over Zoom, followed by 5 minutes of questions.

Deputy Head of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, Lizzie Buick, said, “This is a fantastic opportunity for a team who have shown tremendous enthusiasm and dedication. We are extremely proud and wish you every success, this Wednesday, team! We look forward to continue supporting you on your journey!”

If you would like to read more about The Water Boys’ prototype, check out their Student Company Webpage here. If you are interested in setting up a student company or in receiving support from the Entrepreneurs Club, join the dedicated Virtual Entrepreneurs Club Microsoft Team and request a chat with one of our friendly Innovation Advisors!