Not to panic you at all, but you have just TWO MORE DAYS until the Lent Term Generate funding competition closes. We’ve had some great entries so far and are eager to see a few more before the deadline on Sunday (29 January) night. Whether your business idea focuses on fashion, technology, education, finance or development we would love to receive see it, read it and hopefully get you through to the next round!

Last term alone we were able to support five brilliant businesses in industries ranging from communications to music. The funding competition prize isn’t just a financial award that allows you to really kick-start your business, it comes with ongoing support from us and access to our entrepreneurial LSE alumni through our brand new mentoring package. This is a great chance for you to get your idea off the ground, all it takes is one short application form to enter!

Last year’s LSE Entrepreneur of the Year, Denis Konoplev (MISDI alum) was able to start his business Disperse.io largely thanks to the funding competition and received $575,000 investment from the United Arab Emirates in December. This is what the funding competition is about; making brilliant ideas you have an exciting reality!

This is what Denis had to say about the funding competition and his entrepreneurial journey:

Who are you and what does your venture do?

Disperse is an artificial intelligence company with a singular focus on improving the way the world’s places and spaces are designed, built, managed and used. We work with forward thinking organisations that own or run cities, buildings, transport systems, hospitals, academic institutions, venues, outdoor space and infrastructure. We are building a platform that provides them with the insight and understanding they need to make big decisions and take important actions. So they can make the right calls when faced with change, complexity, crisis and costs to improve safety, security and services for their citizens and customers.

What’s it like to compete and win funding from LSE Generate?

It’s exciting to see the combination of interesting ideas and the confidence of those presenting them at the competition. The standard of those getting through to the final round is high. Winning the competition gave us a huge advantage, both from the perspective of recognition as winners and from cash flow. It’s a sizeable amount of money that ignites an early stage business and lets you get on with creating something valuable

What’s your favourite thing about LSE Generate?

The people – LJ, Anne, and Bobak (Editor: aww, thanks Denis – we think you’re great too!) have offered amazing support in the past and have been there from even before Day 1.

What’s the strangest thing that you have had to do as an entrepreneur?

As an entrepreneur you have to get your hands dirty, sometimes that means learning and using new skills on the fly, other times it means carrying electrical ladders through East London at 2am to conduct work during maintenance hours.

So don’t forget to apply for this term’s competition. We want your idea to succeed, so please tell us about it!