Oats2Go has the winning ingredients for the Christ’s College business incubator programme, taking the top spot following an impressive elevator pitch to PwC staff.

Speaking at the presentations by the programme finalists, PwC Partner, Tax, Mike Crawford has told the boys that “AI will never replace a job that you’ve created yourself”.

“Overall, we were really impressed with the quality of the competition,” he says. “The boys had clearly put a huge amount of thought into all the important facets of building and running a business. It is a real testament to the school, its leadership, and particularly Logan Ball that they have the opportunity not only to learn critical business skills, but to apply them in such a practical way.

“What struck us most was the amount of real revenue that many of the businesses had already generated. It is one thing to develop a good idea and business plan, but quite another to take it to market, find customers, and generate actual sales. That really demonstrated the boys’ ability to get on and make things happen.

“It is a privilege for us to be associated with the programme, and we enjoy having the boys come into the firm and experience what working in a professional services environment is like. The accounting and business world is often quite different from the perception from the outside, particularly as technology and AI continue to change the nature of work.

“Against that backdrop, it is increasingly important to maintain strong connections between the firm, schools, and our local community. Giving students access to people working in the profession, and good information about how careers are evolving, can, hopefully, help them as they start making some important decisions about their own futures.”

Two Christ’s College Old Boys – Senior Associate (audit) Max Marsh and solicitor Fin Smith – were also members of the PwC judging panel.

Mixed together by Sam Pfahlert, Sammy O’Connell, and Angus Ward, Oats2Go is an overnight oats product focused on sustainable sustenance. Meanwhile, Lewis Devine-Smith’s Double Shot Happy mobile coffee cart holds the runner-up spot and is already doing good business at local markets with its organic brew.

In 3rd place, Feed the Flame – a firewood delivery business – shows strong returns, with the orders stacking up for Gus Moylan, Sam Cochrane, Harvey Gubb, and Gus McKenzie. Skeezy – a ski and snowboard strap start-up – has rounded out the finalists. Joe Chapman, Noah Elkington, Sam Cook, Charlie Redfern, and Will Matheson are hitting the slopes to show that their start-up eases the load when carrying snowboards and skis.

Christ’s College Commerce HOD Logan Ball highlights that the Year 13 Business Studies programme helps to prepare the students for their post-College careers.