Student Tyre Pressure Monitoring Concept Wins £5,000 Prize

A team of four students from Anglia Ruskin University beat nine other entries on 31 July to be declared the champion of i10 Innovators: The Business Plan Competition with a plan for a self powering tyre pressure monitoring system TPMS. Andrew Lyall, Carine Kruger, David Boardman and the absent Jan Vondras (currently working in America) made up the winning ‘Innoflate’ team. The former students met while completing their MBAs at the university in Cambridge. Their idea is to produce an innovative tyre pressure monitor called ‘AirCzecher’, which is named for the Czech-born Jan Vondras who had the initial idea.

AirCzecher allows the user to monitor and control the pressure of a tyre remotely (for example, a pilot could change the pressure in the plane’s tyres from the cockpit) and does not require a battery to run. Instead it is run off an energy source that has no cost implications for the user. The group refuse to reveal any further details for the time being, saying they are too “groundbreaking.”

Competing against the most innovative students and representatives from East of England universities, Innoflate had just three minutes to deliver their ‘elevator pitch’ in a capsule of the British Airways London Eye to judges Karen Bremner from the 2006 BBC series of ‘The Apprentice’, Paul Schofield from the competition’s sponsor, professional services company Deloitte, and Louise Schofield from Business Link, the government service provider for new and small businesses.

The team’s ideas impressed the judges and, at a prize-giving ceremony held at the Marriott Hotel next to the London Eye, the team was awarded the title of i10 Innovators 2006. They also received a cash prize of £5,000, sponsored by Deloitte, to help turn their business plan into a reality.

Innoflate’s David Boardman said: “We were stunned to find out we’d won and we’ve now got a great opportunity to further our business careers. The competition has given us great support, information and knowledge, and the chance to network with other young entrepreneurs and feed off each other’s enthusiasm.”

Innoflate will soon take up residence at Cambridge’s St John’s Innovation Centre. The next step for the members is to ensure their product is unique and patent the idea, with the hope they will be able to produce a saleable AirCzecher within two years.