UK start-ups announced as winners of VOOM 2016 competition

Two start-ups from the UK have been announced as winners of Virgin’s VOOM 2016 competition.

The companies will be awarded a share of a £1 million prize from Sir Richard Branson.

Winners

Scotland-based plastic roads start-up MacRebur and London-based recycling company bio-bean were crowned winners of the competition after pitching their ideas to the judging panel and 600 entrepreneurs and journalists.

MacRebur won the “Start-up” category for developing a successful road resurfacing idea, whilst bio-bean was announced as the winner of the “Grow” category for its cleantech recycling idea.

They will each receive £50,000 and mentoring, as well as a £250,000 marketing campaign (including an advert at London’s Waterloo Station).

Inspiring

Commenting on the competition, Branson said: “I love seeing entrepreneurs pitch an idea to me which they are incredibly passionate about and it was both a difficult and inspiring task to choose just two winners.”

He added that all of the finalists in the competition showed that they have “the dedication and intense desire” to take their business to “incredible heights” and that he believes they will do so.