At Hertzian, we believe building a world-class technology company goes hand in hand with supporting the local economy.
This March, Falmouth University's annual Dragons' Den competition returned, organised by the Employability team. Our co-founder and CEO, Christopher Weavill, joined this year's judging panel alongside a fantastic group of local industry professionals.
While the competition featured exceptional pitches, one business concept stood out by turning a local environmental hazard into an everyday creative tool.
We were absolutely delighted to award the official first-place prize and £3,000 in funding to Charlotte May and Arwen Weston, second-year BA(Hons) Sustainable Product Design students, for their business Kreyon.
Following their win, we welcomed Charlotte and Arwen to the Hertzian office. Sitting down with the founders allowed our team to examine their business model and see how circular design principles can disrupt a traditional market.
Most drawing chalk today relies heavily on intensive, open-cast quarrying and global importation. Kreyon replaces this carbon-heavy supply chain with a premium alternative harvested right from the Cornish coastline.
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The team is investing their prize funding into manufacturing equipment to scale production, supply local independent shops, and expand their restaurant network.
Their website is currently being constructed and will be available soon. Visit their landing page to bookmark the site and stay updated: www.kreyon.co.uk
Securing funding is a fantastic milestone, but the real work begins when translating a campus concept into a commercial supply chain.
During their visit to the Hertzian office, our team loved sharing lessons from our own journey of scaling an enterprise in the South West. Our conversations centred on the practicalities of launching a new venture, discussing everything from navigating restaurant partnership networks to building a brand story that truly resonates with eco-conscious consumers.
Our CTO, Andrew Husband, reflected on the experience:
"It was fantastic getting to host the winners from Falmouth University's Dragons' Den event. Charlotte and Arwen are part of an incredibly smart, dedicated, and driven group of young people. Our goal at Hertzian is to give these innovators a space to ask questions freely and see what professional development looks like in practice. I’m eager to see where they take Kreyon next."
For us, initiatives like this go far beyond standard corporate outreach. Our culture at Hertzian thrives on giving people the autonomy to grow, experiment, and take pride in their work, and we want to extend that philosophy to the wider Cornish community.
To take this collaboration to the next level, we are thrilled to share that Arwen and Charlotte will be undertaking an internship with us this autumn. While the main focus of their time will be working closely with our team on core business operations, we also look forward to mentoring them and offering support and guidance as needed to help them develop their own product.
We want to extend a massive congratulations once again to Charlotte and Arwen on their well-deserved win. Your passion, ambition, and innovative thinking made your visit incredibly rewarding for our entire team, and we look forward to welcoming you back to the office this autumn!
While this autumn placement is specific to Charlotte and Arwen, we are always keen to hear from ambitious individuals eager to develop their skills in a real-world business environment. If you are interested in future opportunities with us, please reach out via our contact page or connect with us on LinkedIn.
