Covid-19: update on Pitch it easy! – 21April 2020
Clearly the current COVID emergency means that our original timetable for this competition is no longer possible. So it is with regret that easyGroup announces that it will now have to be postponed until November 2020.Until then everyone please stay safe!
A business start-up competition launched by easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and City, University of London received 72 applications from some very inspiring start up entrepreneurs.
The “Pitch it easy” competition, which launched last autumn and closed recently, was open to all present and past students of City, University in London. Sir Stelios graduated with a Master’s degree from Cass Business School, City, University of London in 1988 and has been funding several scholarships each year from his charitable Foundation for underprivileged students to do a master’s degree at Cass Business School. The next step will be to announce a shortlist of ten companies by 31st of March 2020, who will “pitch it easy” to the judges headed by Sir Stelios and Cass Business School Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Associate Dean Costas Andriopoulos. The judges will pick an overall winner, who will receive the main £10,000 cash prize, with 5 others taking £2,000 each.
It will also be open to Sir Stelios to invite one or more winners to join the easy family of brands. Sir Stelios via his company easyGroup, is the creator and owner of the easy family of brands (see www.easy.com ) and is in the business of extending the brand further in partnership with the right entrepreneurs, with the right idea! For more on the business model and history of the easy family of brands see www.easyHistory.info
The winners will be announced at the “Pitch it easy” event, due to be held on 21st April 2020 at www.easyHub-Chelsea.com in London , the easy family of brands start-up incubator.
Sir Stelios said: “As a past City University student myself I quickly realised I was sharing space with some of the best and brightest entrepreneurial talent to be found. I hope this competition will help channel that enthusiasm to create a portfolio of lively and successful start-up businesses.”
Professor Costas Andriopoulos said: “Many universities have competitions where the aspiring founders aim to write the best plan and make the best presentation, but this is the first where the focus is on finding a real opportunity. I am grateful to Sir Stelios who got students excited about imagining interesting opportunities and for supporting several of them through the “Pitch it easy” awards. Entrepreneurship is at the core of City University of London and I am excited that so many of our current and past students want to leave their mark by creating new ventures. It will be an extremely close competition…there are so many fantastic start-ups and entrepreneurs. Stay tuned!