How to enter the AXA Startup Angel competition: tips from previous winners

The AXA Startup Angel competition – from AXA Business Insurance in partnership with The Standard – is looking for entrepreneurs with bold ideas with real potential, fired by passion and designed to make a difference.

Seize the opportunity to bring your business idea to life and be in with a chance of winning one of six incredible prizes.

Two lucky winners will secure the top prize package of £25,000 to help make their vision a reality, along with invaluable mentoring from the AXA Startup Angels, a year of business insurance thanks to AXA and exclusive access to a mental health and resilience webinar from AXA Health.

Winners will also receive 50% off an AXA Health policy.

There are also four runner-up prize packages featuring more than £18,000 of mentoring and media exposure.

Each runner-up will receive a business profile in The Standard, along with one-to-one mentoring with a member of The Standard team.

“This is transformational,” says Simone Panella, pictured above and main image, founder of Dyamotech, the startup that is “building the world’s first wearable concussion management system designed to monitor head impact exposure for schools and sports clubs”.

Existing solutions like helmets and mouthguards are expensive or impractical for children, but Dyamotech’s discreet wearable tracks g-force and rotational data, with instant feedback via an app.

The £25,000 prize will directly fund the next production batch and support its pilot with Harrow School and Return2Play.

“This will give us the confidence and credibility to build the global standard for youth sports brain safety,” he says.

“There’s not a silver bullet for making a great pitch video,” he adds.

“You need enthusiasm and energy, and definitely the script is important.

Having a clear idea of what you want to say, and being as direct as possible, is key to pitching.

“English is not my first language – I’m Italian – as long as you have energy in the way you communicate and you keep your ideas clear, that definitely gives you an advantage.

“I would say just go for it.

It doesn’t need to be perfect.

As long as you bring passion, energy and enthusiasm, that’s a good reason to apply.

Don’t be scared.

Entrepreneurs never quit.”
“Winning unlocks the next stage of growth,” says Princess Ebi, pictured above, founder of Main Squeeze.

“This isn’t just about scaling a business, it’s about shifting how people experience and talk about chronic conditions.”
The idea came when a close friend developed lymphedema after surgery and began hiding her compression socks.

“She loved bold outfits but started dressing to conceal them and avoiding social plans.

Not because she felt unwell, but because she couldn’t wear them without feeling exposed.”
Ebi set out to change that.

Main Squeeze makes medical-grade socks with fashion-forward designs for people who want style as well as support.

With more than 200 pairs sold and no marketing spend, she now plans to expand into sustainable fabrics and new markets.

“We’re building a world where caring for your body never means compromising your confidence.”
“Winning the AXA prize has been a pinnacle of our success,” says Steve King, co-founder of WeDonate.

“We've been flying,” he adds.

“It put us on the correct trajectory.”
When WeDonate entered the 2024 competition, they had around 200 people on their platform, a reward scheme for blood donors which King co-founded with his friend Alex Last.

Since winning, they now have over 5,000 on their platform and partnerships with more than 1,000 brands.

“I always go into things with a positive mindset,” says King, who told himself that WeDonate would win.

“You give everything 100% that way.”
He has good advice for creating your pitch video, too: “Remember that you can record it as many times as you want.

So, relax, take your time, and make it as punchy as you can.”
Hanan Tantush entered the competition in 2023 to enable her to take her brand of clothing for people with disabilities from “an idea to a reality”.

She says: “What I liked about the competition was that it was looking for businesses that want to help people.”
Tantush has been busy since Intotum won: her first ready-to-wear collection showed at London Fashion Week in 2024, and she now also has her own studio in Hackney.

“[The prize money has] allowed me to work on samples, and helps the business massively,” she says.

“I sat down and thought: ‘What's the problem I'm trying to solve?

What makes me different?

What's the impact I can have?’”
She adds: “The minute people hear ‘business pitch’, they think Dragons’ Den.

Don't be scared.

It’s not about proving your viability – it’s about showing what you can do and how you can help.”
“Without winning, we definitely wouldn’t have been able to get to where we are today,” said Megan Hale of Team Repair.

The prize enabled Hale and her co-founders Anaïs Engelmann and Oscar Jones to go full-time in the business, which teaches children how to repair electronic gadgets.

“It’s helped tremendously,” she adds.

“We have higher ambitions now, because we can see what is possible.

When it comes to your competition application, Hale has excellent advice.

“Have a sentence in there saying, ‘With this money and support we would do this...’ – that’s something people miss out.

You’ll end up with a really streamlined pitch saying the most important things.

It doesn't seem too daunting because you just have a sentence of each thing you want to say.”
Entering is simple.

Applicants answer a short set of questions about their venture and upload a one-minute elevator pitch video.

You will be asked these three questions:
Each answer should be no longer than 200 words.

Then, upload a one-minute elevator pitch video telling us about you, why you’re passionate about your business idea and why we should choose you.

So, if you believe you have the winning business idea, what are you waiting for?

Enter the AXA Startup Angel competition today .

You know you can do it.

One entry per business.

Please read full Terms & Conditions at standard.co.uk/axaterms .

AXA Health is a trading name of AXA PPP Healthcare Limited, AXA Health Limited and AXA Health Services Limited.

Along with AXA Insurance UK plc, all the companies are registered in England and Wales and have their registered office at 20 Gracechurch Street, London EC3V 0BG with registered numbers 03148119, 12839134, 03429917 and 00078950 respectively.

AXA Health Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority whilst AXA PPP healthcare Limited and AXA Insurance UK plc are both authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Their Financial Services Register numbers are 932948, 202947 and 202312 respectively.

All companies are part of the global AXA Group.

Please read full terms here before entering