USpark! 25 - Product Pitch

Under the GEW mandate of "Ecosystems" An exciting Product Pitch Challenge by five second year iInternational Business students. The teams competed in a dynamic Shark Tank-style event, developing innovative products from indigenous ingredients like beetroot, pumpkin, cashew, tea, and sago. Starting with a SCAMPER brainstorming session, each team crafted a comprehensive product portfolio where they then pinpointed one product to develop within three weeks. This included marketing, branding, social media, and budgeting. Their journey culminated in a tasting and mock pitch before a guest panel, highlighting sustainability and creativity—such as utilizing pumpkin surpluses and showcasing tea's versatility as a key export crop. 

The products ranged from beetroot flour, mixes, and sauces; sago edible dessert cups with sago pudding; cashew butter; tea-infused cakes; tea-based drinks like mocktails, Yara tea, and pumpkin-spiced lattes with pumpkin Kithul cookies. Team names were Beet Route, Sago Delight, Vitali Tea, Baked & Brewed and Ceylon Blaze were judged by Mr. Dhanushka Fernando - CEO of FCV Group of Companies and INMARC Corporation, Mr. Lashan Silva - Founder and CEO of eZuite Modern Cloud ERP, Mr. Charith Kandamulla - Manager, Industrial Development, ICYA, Dr. Chamila Ariyananda - CEO, UCL and Dr. Dhananjay Kulkarni - Provost, UCL A fantastic showcase of innovation, teamwork, and entrepreneurial spirit!