Exeter student wins University-wide entrepreneurship programme

Exeter College student Kristy Huang (2021, Music) recently took part in the StEP Ignite student entrepreneurship programme and emerged as a member of the winning team.

StEP Ignite is a rigorous accelerator competition organised by Oxford University Innovation. It provides a platform for young entrepreneurs to flourish, and has also significantly contributed to nurturing a culture of innovation and collaboration among Oxford’s student community. At the end of the programme, all teams pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges, and the winning team receives a prize to spend on taking the first steps in setting up their business idea.

Kristy’s team created SoulChord, an AI-based music generation platform which targets music therapy applications. As a music student, Kristy played a foundational role in the development of the platform.

This year’s StEP Ignite programme had a record number of applications, with 43 participants, making the competition fiercer than ever. Kristy’s team’s triumph means that they will soon take their idea to the Stage2 pitching competition in Berlin.

On their win, Kristy writes: “We are thrilled to announce that SoulChord has been crowned the highly prestigious Step Ignite Programme Pitch Competition 2023 winner! This competition is a hallmark of excellence in entrepreneurship within the University of Oxford ecosystem.

“The competition featured an array of groundbreaking ideas and ventures from extraordinarily talented participants. Our commitment to revolutionising mental health through AI-driven Music Therapy helped us stand out and secure this monumental win.

“This accolade is a testament to our capabilities and a monumental leap towards fulfilling our mission: democratising access to effective, scalable, and affordable mental health solutions worldwide.”

Congratulations to Kristy on this exceptional achievement!