Hydrating dementia sweets win two awards at prestigious entrepreneurship competition
An innovative sweet that aims to reduce the risk of dehydration amongst dementia patients has won two awards at The Duke of York’s Pitch@Palace competition.
Securing both the overall win of the competition and the public vote of the Pitch@Palace People’s Choice Award, Jelly Drops beat 41 other entrepreneurs for the double win at St Jame’s Palace.
Jelly Drops was founded by a team of graduates, Lewis Hornby, Nick Hooton and Claudia Arnold, who created a hydrating sweet for people with dementia, as dehydration is the leading cause of death amongst this group of people.
The idea came about after Lewis’ grandmother, who has dementia, was struggling to stay hydrated.
Lewis said that many people with dementia find eating easier than drinking, so Jelly Drops offers a treat that will excite and engage dementia patients while keeping them hydrated. The sweets are comprised of over 90 percent and water and have added ingredients to optimise hydration. The firm, easy to grip ‘drops’ makes them simple to pick up as well.
Lewis Hornby, Founder and CEO of Jelly Drops, commented: “It has been a fantastic journey. Our Pitch@Palace elevator were incredibly helpful, helping us hone our pitch and get the most out of our ask to the audience.
“Having the opportunity to pitch to such an influential audience has been incredible, and I’m certain that the Pitch@Palace network will be instrumental to helping us further down the line.”
Additionally, the team have been trialling Jelly Drops different care homes throughout the UK. Jelly Drops now has over 1,000 care homes on a waiting list to trial the sweets and over 15,000 individuals waiting to purchase them.
The team estimates the product will be commercially available by the end of 2019.
Founded in 2014 by The Duke of York, Pitch@Palace amplifies and accelerates the work of entrepreneurs. It gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to meet people who can help make their business dreams become a reality.