QUB Student, Lewis Loane, is a Finalist in Santander Universities Emerging Entrepreneurs Competition

Enterprise SU alumni, Lewis Loane, has arguably had his biggest year yet. In the final year of his Electrical Engineering degree, Lewis has continued to pursue his new business concept ‘Signal Optimiser’ amidst his studies and let’s not forget, a global pandemic. In 2020 alone, Lewis has secured the top prize of £15,000 investment through the Ireland Funds Business competition, as well as a coveted spot in the finals of the Enterprise Ireland Student Entrepreneur Awards. He graduated at the end of this term, but despite alternative celebrations, we still believe this summer could be one to remember for Lewis as he battles for the win in the finals of the Santander Emerging Entrepreneurs competition.

So how did he get here? Lewis is the brains behind Signal Optimiser; a specialised piece of equipment designed to improve the quality of sound produced from music. Having already garnered substantial interest from major industry players, Lewis hopes to disrupt the musical production space with his innovative, self-designed product.

The 10^th year of the Santander Emerging Entrepreneurs competition began back in April, when Santander Universities began accepting applications for their next cohort of Entrepreneurial Talent. Only accepting one business per partner university, Lewis applied in the hopes of representing QUB with his startup. After a range of virtual group sessions, exciting learning opportunities, and an accelerator, Lewis has made it through to the National Finals of the competition due to take place in London at the end of September. Lewis will be required to pitch his idea to a panel of judges in the hopes of securing £30,000 worth of equity-free seed funding, free mentoring from business experts, and a fully-funded intern.

We knew Lewis was destined for great things when we crowned him the winner of our very own Dragons’ Den competition in 2019, and we are so excited when we see great opportunities arise for him daily. The team at Enterprise SU wish Lewis all the best for the Emerging Entrepreneurs Finals. We’re rooting for you!