InvEnterPrize winner embraces European Day of Languages

To coincide with European Day of Languages tomorrow (26 September), Aberystwyth University’s InvEnterPrize competition winner, Jake Stainer, is offering a range of online and interactive English and Spanish language courses. 

Jake, a third year student studying Marketing and Spanish at Aberystwyth, won the £20,000 prize in March 2013 for his online language-learning website called Papora www.papora.com 

His courses can be accessed online on his website or through an app available on an iPad.  Plans are underway to make the courses available on an iPhone also later this year. 

Designed to bring native speakers and learners together to exchange languages, Papora now boasts around 13,000 users from 135 countries learning more than 100 languages. 

Jake, who will be living and working in Spain this term as part of his degree, explains, “The support I have received as a result of the competition has enabled me to develop interactive courses which immerse users in the language, the people and the culture of the countries where the language is spoken. 

“Without this support, I would not have been able to break into the app market and would have missed a valuable business opportunity.” 

Tony Orme, Enterprise Manager from the Department of Research, Business & Innovation at Aberystwyth said, “The generosity of the University’s alumni in supporting such a significant prize has enabled Jake to make a step change in developing and growing the business.  

“In addition to this, the InvEnterPrize competition has enabled us to engage with some very entrepreneurial students and to help support a range of graduate start-ups.” 

The competition has been made possible through the Aberystwyth University Annual Fund, funds collected from alumni to help fund a number of projects. 

Papora was inspired by an exchange visit to the Spanish city of Gijon in 2007 and Jake’s desire to keep in touch with friends and improve his Spanish.  Now having returned to Spain, Jake will be able to focus on growing his business while immersed in the Spanish culture. 

Following the success of the inaugural InvEnterPrize competition, the 2013 /14 competition will be open to all students at Aberystwyth University and will be launched this Autumn.  To keep up to date with news relating to the competition, visit www.aber.ac.uk/inventerprize

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