A new approach to cleaning children’s teeth and a business that grows and sells colourful house plants are the joint winners of Aberystwyth University’s annual entrepreneurship competition.

Now in its 10th year, InvEnterPrize is a Dragon’s Den style competition that is open to all Aberystwyth University students and recent graduates and provides cash prizes and business support to the winning entries.

22 business ideas were entered this year with 33 students and graduates representing 11 academic departments across the university taking part.

Seven made it through to the final round to present their ideas to a panel of judges made up of Aberystwyth University alumni.

Following a day of presentations and probing by the judges, two proposals - Pearly Bites and PropAPlant - were judged worthy winners and shared the top prize of £10,000, funded by Aberystwyth alumni.

Pearly Bites is the brainchild of Kara Penfold, who qualified as a teacher from Aberystwyth University last year, and her husband Sam.

Five years in the making and tried and tested by their own children, their toothpaste tablet which dissolves on the tongue does away with traditional toothpaste, and can even help young children who don’t like to brush their teeth.

Kara and Sam also believe their invention could also make a significant contribution to reducing tooth decay in children.

Kara said: “Winning InvEnterPrize means we can go to market. We now have the money to produce our first batch and hope to be on the market before Christmas.”

Agriculture and Animal Science graduate Lindsay Hayns has been tending her potted plant business PropAPlant for some time, winning InvEnterPrize on her second attempt.

Lindsay’s business sells rare and colourful houseplants such as Acroids with their bright greens, pinks, reds, yellows and white and deeply coloured leaves.

Currently based in Brighton, where she combines running her business with lecturing at a local college, Lindsay now plans to look for commercial premises where she can expand her growing operation.

“Winning InvEnterPrize means that I can push my business further than it has ever been pushed before.

“Coming back to the competition this year, having taken valuable lessons from taking part last year is brilliant, and to win it is just fantastic.”

Huw Morgan, Chair of the InvEnterPrize judging panel, said: “It’s been a pleasure to be involved with InvEnterPrize once more this year and our warmest congratulations to everyone who made it to the final.”