A Better Tomorrow Starting Today
About the Young Innovator Awards Now in their fourth year, the Young Innovator Awards exist to scout, celebrate and accelerate the next generation of impact-driven entrepreneurs. We champion young founders who are solving real problems and building what the world needs most.
For the 2026 Awards, we’re looking for founders aged 18–28, in the first two years of their journey, with a mission-driven idea and the ambition to scale their impact.
This year’s categories are:
Food Systems | Future of Learning | Social Justice & Inclusion
Entry is by Conduit member nomination only. If you know an exceptional young founder who deserves to be recognised, we encourage you to nominate them.
Winners will receive up to £10,000 in funding, a complimentary Conduit membership, mentorship from our community, and access to workshops, investors and a lifelong network of peers and supporters.
Nomination deadline: End of July 2026
Meet the Past Winners
- 2025 -

OLUFERANMI BALOGUN - Room Too, Social Justice and Inclusion/People’s Choice Winner
Room Too is a youth-led social enterprise transforming underused into welcoming environments for study, connection and creativity.
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ELSA WALSTON – Ventrix Labs, Climate and Sustainability Winner
Ventrix Labs, a climate technology company scaling modular, ultra-low-energy carbon capture systems that integrate seamlessly with existing building infrastructure to capture carbon on-site.

ROXANNE STEVENSON-BROWN – Find Care Compare, Health and Wellbeing Winner
Find Care Compare - the UK’s only one-stop solution for finding and comparing both NHS and private healthcare services.
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OLUWATOSIN TOBA – Tech Academia Education, Skills and Training Winner
Tech Academia, an educational technology platform equipping students with industry-specific technical & soft skills and connecting them with employers to launch successful careers.
- 2024 -

Sri Hollema - Mat Zero, Climate and Sustainability/People’s Choice Winner
Mat Zero provides heated mats that are designed to provide life-saving warmth, while also offering energy-efficient comfort for everyday use.

Gregory Hargraves – Paige Braille, Education, Skills and Training Winner
Paige Braille replaces a braille writer's base board, translating key presses via an app, fostering collaboration with sighted peers, parents, and teachers.

Alaya Holloway – FirstGens, Social Justice and Inclusion Winner
FirstGens, a not-for-profit, supports first-generation university students, aiming to close national completion and graduate destination gaps for those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
- 2023 -

Katie Hodgetts – The Resilience Project, Climate and Sustainability Winner
The Resilience Project is a youth-led organization empowering young climate activists by providing mental health support and leadership training to combat climate anxiety and burnout.

Sara Berkai – Ambessa Play, Education, Skills and Training/People's Choice Winner
Ambessa Play is a social enterprise offering DIY STEM kits for children, operating on a one-for-one model: for each kit purchased, one is donated to a displaced child lacking access to education.

Zak Marks – Kitt Medical, Social Justice and Inclusion Winner
Kitt Medical provides wall-mounted Anaphylaxis Kitts containing emergency adrenaline pens, accompanied by CPD-accredited online training, to schools and qualifying businesses across the UK.
Award Partners
Lead Partner

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Strategic Partners



The winners will receive up to £10,000, as well as mentoring from industry experts and complimentary membership to The Conduit.
