In the twenty second of a series of articles on the Big Venture Challenge Winners, we introduce today Sheraz Arif , founder of Squease.
Big Venture Challenge is a national programme, run by UnLtd and supported by the Big Lottery Fund, to find 25 of the most ambitious social entrepreneurs in England. The 25 winners all want investment so that their enterprises can deliver social impact on a significant scale. They will each receive a unique package of financial and non-financial support to help them achieve their goals. Meet winner No 22:
Sheraz Arif founder of Squease
Who are they?
Sheraz has a unique background in design, finance and business start-ups. He has an engineering background, seven years' experience in finance, and has been running his own business for two years. In that time, he has assembled a management team, raised finance and developed the product from concept to production.
What do they do?
Squease is an award-winning therapeutic garment that helps individuals with autism better deal with anxiety. As opposed to competitors, Squease is useable for long periods of time, mobile, fashionable and educational in teaching wearers to self-manage anxiety. Using patent pending inflatable technology, Squease allows the wearer to self-administrate a sensation of Deep Pressure, which is scientifically shown to help individuals with sensory integration issues manage anxiety.
Why were they selected?
The judges and UnLtd were impressed by the product and its differentiation in the market. They were also impressed by the talented founding team, and felt they would benefit from the support of the Big Venture Challenge programme.
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