Two Imperial College London teams will go head-to-head with other young entrepreneurs from across the UK next week, as ten student innovations reach the final of the 2026 ESBF Champion of Champions competition.
The final will take place at the Royal Academy of Engineering in London on 13 November 2026, following a day of intensive coaching for the finalists on 12 November.
From an AI-enabled wearable designed to monitor for seizures to a toilet freshener that changes colour in response to an early sign associated with kidney problems, the Imperial finalists are developing solutions to some of today’s biggest health challenges, inspired by their personal experience, including the loss of a childhood friend from epilepsy.
Now in its eighth year, the Champion of Champions competition brings together some of the UK’s most promising STEM student and graduate entrepreneurs, giving them the opportunity to turn innovative ideas into solutions to real-world challenges.
The event marks the culmination of a year-long programme of enterprise competitions held at universities across the UK, giving thousands of students the chance to develop their entrepreneurial skills and put their ideas to the test.
The finalists will compete in two categories – Big Ideas (undergraduates) and Startup (postgraduates) – with the teams competing for a share of the £16,500 prize fund.
The Imperial College London finalists
Epile-X (Imperial College London)
Epile-X was founded by Imperial College London graduate Estelle D’Alterio, 28, with teammates Alexis DeVillard, Muireann Hogan and Calvin Yap. It is a discreet behind-the-ear wearable being developed to help people with epilepsy feel safer and better supported in their daily lives.
The device monitors brain activity day and night, with the aim of detecting patterns that may indicate a seizure and sending real-time alerts to chosen caregivers through a connected app. It is also designed to create an objective record of events that can be shared with clinicians, alongside medication reminders and health tracking.
Urify (Imperial College London)
Urify was developed by Yidan Xu, 26, an Innovation Design Engineering Master’s student at Imperial College London, supported by teammates Yinan Yang and Jinwei Shi. It is a toilet freshener with an unusual second job: changing colour in response to an early sign associated with kidney problems.
Designed to fit into an existing everyday habit, Urify requires no appointment, sample or change in routine. A change in colour is intended to prompt the user to consider asking their GP for a check, particularly people at risk of chronic kidney disease who feel completely well. It gives no number or result and is not a diagnosis.
Yidan’s motivation is also deeply personal. Around ten years ago, her father noticed that his urine looked unusual but otherwise felt well, so no further action was taken. A decade later, he was diagnosed with mid-to-late-stage chronic kidney disease, by which point much of the damage could not be reversed.
Mentoring and Dragons’ Den-style showdown
Before taking to the stage for the Grand Final, the ten teams will spend a day working with a select group of Sainsbury Management Fellows.
The Fellows – business leaders who themselves benefited from an MBA scholarship awarded by ESBF – will each take two finalist teams under their wing, sharing their experience and helping the students sharpen their ideas, presentations and pitches ahead of the final.
The following day, the finalists will face a Dragons’ Den-style showdown in front of a panel of experts, pitching their innovations and making the case for why their idea could make a real difference.
The competition provides a platform for students not only to showcase their innovations, but also to develop the business skills, confidence and experience needed to take their ideas further.
