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An award-winning St John’s postgraduate has been shortlisted for the ‘Grammys of Entrepreneurship’ for his company’s work in green tech.

Dr Athan Fox is an East of England finalist in the Sustainability Entrepreneur of the Year category of the Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards with Miles Freeman, co-founder of their business, Ever Resource.

Launched five years ago, Ever Resource is a circular economy business that upcycles waste to produce higher-quality materials. The company’s philosophy is regeneration – finding new life and purpose for waste products – and it provides low-carbon solutions to metals and batteries, carbon and fuels, and industrial chemicals.

Dr Fox, who is studying at St John’s for an Executive MBA (EMBA) with the Cambridge Judge Business School, said: “Being shortlisted for Sustainability Entrepreneur of the Year is humbling and motivating. We will continue to drive meaningful change through innovation.”

The co-founders, who both have scientific backgrounds, are shortlisted for their process for recycling lead-acid batteries, which spun out of the University’s Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy and was co-developed in partnership with researchers there. In September Ever Resource won the 'Global StartUp of the Year' prize at the UK StartUp Awards 2024.

“We have developed a process that not only recycles waste lead with 85 per cent less carbon, 90 per cent less waste and 94 per cent less energy – we produced a recycled product which outperforms the original,” said Dr Fox, who graduated with a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Cambridge in 2007.

“Based on current electrochemical testing, we have achieved up to 40 per cent higher energy density in recycled batteries, compared to lead-acid batteries manufactured from mined lead metal.”

Described by TV Dragons’ Den judge Steven Bartlett as the ‘Grammys of Entrepreneurship’, the Great British Entrepreneur Awards celebrate business spirit, ambition and achievement, with past winners including the founders of BrewDog, Grenade, ClearScore, Zilch, and Unbiased.  

This year’s shortlist includes more than 800 entrepreneurs, who are being recognised for their innovation, impact and resilience.

Dr Fox began his EMBA in September 2024. “I’m learning about all the things I wish I had known before starting my business – things like corporate finance, financial accounting, economics, and more,” he said. “My research project is on calculating and balancing the mismatch between supply of Natural Capital and demand – for example the strain we exert on the biosphere when extracting resources.

“Returning to Cambridge after all these years, I saw this as an opportunity to build a new legacy – and becoming an EMBA student at St John’s seemed like a meaningful way to mark that evolution.”

Francesca James, founder of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, said: “This year’s shortlist is a truly remarkable group of founders who are changing lives and transforming industries. Many of our finalists go on to become household names, and we can’t wait to watch what this year’s cohort achieves next.”

This year’s awards are taking place at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London, on Monday 17 November.

Find out about postgraduate study at St John’s

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