GoSweat, a website which allows people to search for fitness and exercise solutions in their vicinity, has been crowned the Manchester winner of the Virgin Media Business Voom Pitch competition. Co-founders Alex Hind and Steph Newport-Booth collect £5,000 for their business. Alex will also get to meet Richard Branson to discuss business ideas over brunch later this year.
Six companies from Manchester pitched as part of the Voom Tour to a panel of three judges.
GoSweat impressed the judges with its clear business proposition, which provides an online platform that allows people to enter a keyword or location and instantly see a list of exercise options near them, whether that be gyms, personal trainers, fitness classes or sports clubs.
Alex was sitting round the dinner table with his family, all of whom are medics, when the concept was borne. They realised that there was no one tool that consolidated absolutely every fitness option, something which would be indispensable to GPs who often need to refer patients for exercise. Alex teamed up with Steph, whom he worked with on a company graduate scheme after leaving university, to put the idea into practice.
Following the win, Alex commented: “The Voom competition is such a great platform for businesses like ours, who need that little bit of extra help to get to the next level. Our proposition is just about ready to go, but this investment will make a big contribution to our marketing activity. We’ve already consulted with a number of GPs, who think it will be extremely beneficial to their patients, and we can’t wait to kick off and start helping people discover their perfect way to sweat.”
For more information, please visit www.gosweat.com. The website will be officially launching in around a month, with a view to developing an app for the service by the end of the year.
The Voom Tour is the first time that Voom Pitch, the UK and Ireland’s biggest business pitching competition, has hit the road in search of the best new business ideas. It’s designed to help the brightest and the best companies to perfect their pitching ahead of the national competition in 2018. In addition, the Voom Bus offers free and exclusive 1-on-1s with leading experts such as LinkedIn, Crowdfunder, Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAEW) and JCDecaux.
Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Group Founder, said: “The Voom Tour is seeking out brilliant entrepreneurs and ideas to help break down the barriers to business success. The aim is to help them put aside their fears and take the next steps on what could be the most significant journey of their business life. I’m looking forward to meeting the winner of the Manchester Voom Pitch.”
The Voom Tour is officially live and travelling to communities across the UK and Ireland, with its next stop in Birmingham on 28th September. For more information on the Voom Tour, and details on how to register to pitch a great business idea, please visit https://voom.virginmediabusiness.co.uk/voom/tour
