Henley Greenshoots Seed Finance Award Scheme
The Henley Greenshoots Seed Finance Award Scheme is an initiative led by Henley Enterprise Lab (HELAB) and supported by Henley Centre for Entrepreneurship (HCfE), with the aim to nurture and support start-ups.
Sponsored by Santander Universities, Greenshoots underscores a global commitment to supporting higher education and fostering innovation through financial and practical support.
In 2026 applicants to Greenshoots are in with the chance of winning £5,000, awarded to start-ups that show the potential to grow and become sustainable businesses.
Greenshoots 2026
An announcement about the 2026 Scheme will be made early in February 2026. Please find the key dates for 2026 below.
| Key dates | Date |
|---|---|
| Open for applications | 06 April |
| Applications Close | 18 May |
| Presentation of Awards | 17 June |
Greenshoots 2025:
A record number of application were received this year and were of high quality. The selection panel had to work hard to choose the six businesses for an Award. The six selected were:
AI Edge Solutions -
A professional services business that provides AI education, consultancy, and implementation services for SMEs in the Thames Valley and London area.
Efficura -
A healthcare software business established in August 2024 that is developing EBM software with AI as its centre piece, designed to streamline hospital operations, lower costs, and requires less human input.
Hogs on Film -
A wildlife enterprise that provides an easy-to-use platform which allows citizens currently filming and feeding their garden wildlife, hedgehogs in particular, with a platform to submit their records, sightings, and video data.
Re+Spore -
A consumer products business (and a winner at IDEAFEST 2025) that creates eco-friendly, biodegradable cutlery from mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms.
ReflectiveMindApp -
A software business that helps organisations manage workplace support for neuroinclusivity securely, systematically, and at scale.
Vorium -
A software business which as developed a solution to automate the creation-to-issuance of letters process for the utilities industry and other industries.
Henley Business School celebrates six dynamic ventures at 2025 Greenshoots seed finance award
Henley Business School proudly hosted the 2025 Greenshoots Seed Finance Award Scheme Presentation of Awards at its Whiteknights Campus, honouring the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit of six outstanding student-led businesses.
Supported by Santander UK Universities, the Greenshoots Award Scheme forms part of the bank’s wider global commitment to education, employability, and entrepreneurship. This year, the programme saw a record number of high-quality applications, demonstrating the strength and creativity of the next generation of business leaders.
Each of the six winning start-ups received £2,500 in seed funding to support the development of their early-stage ventures. These funds can be used to cover vital operational costs including prototyping, testing, inventory, branding, legal support, and digital infrastructure.
New this year, the panel also introduced a 'Best Idea Award', recognising three ventures that particularly stood out for their innovation, clarity of purpose, and potential for impact.
The Best Idea Awards went to:
- Efficura – Zach Croft-Sharland 1st Place Best Idea Award of £1,000
- Hogs on Film – Lea Grayston-Smith 2nd Place Best Idea Award of £750
- AI Edge Solutions – Sam Hirsch & William May 3rd Place Best Idea Award of £500
Certificates were presented by Christine Shipton, Education and Social Impact Relationship Director Retail and Business Banking at Santander who congratulated the students and highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship in driving sustainable and inclusive growth.
Celebrating Student Impact
Several awardees shared how Greenshoots has helped shape their ventures:
“Greenshoots 2025 was a game-changer for us. It gave us the guidance, confidence, and exposure we needed to refine our vision.” – Vlad Melnyk, Re+Spore
“Greenshoots opens up new horizons and gives a powerful push toward the future. It's the motivation to keep going and to move forward with confidence.” – Yaroslav Tsyhanenko, Re+Spore
“Winning this award isn’t just validation - it’s fuel for our mission to make workplaces truly work for every brain.” – Ryan Hoare, ReflectiveMindApp (TryMosaic)
“As a science student, I hadn’t really thought of my project as a business until Greenshoots. This experience has opened the first of many doors.” – Lea Grayston-Smith, Hogs on Film
“The support and funding will help us rigorously test our product-market fit.” – Will May, AI Edge Solutions “An invaluable experience that expanded my network and grew my business.” – Lewis Thackeray, Vorium
Greenshoots is kindly sponsored by Santander Universities, a global strategic initiative that aims to support education, employability, and entrepreneurship across partner universities.
Greenshoots is sponsored and supported by Santander Universities.
