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Dunia Mangal, founder of Project Kaizen, holding Idea Factory trophy ;

Meet the Idea Factory winners: Project Kaizen

Meet the 2025 Idea Factory Winners
Dunia Mangal

King's alumna (Biomedical Science, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine)

14 April 2025

Dunia Mangal is using AI to empower learners to succeed in their own style. She won £1,500 in the 2025 Idea Factory competition finals to further develop her idea, alongside a 12-month support package. We caught up with Dunia to hear all about her pitch-winning start-up - Project Kaizen, her entrepreneurial journey so far and next steps.

Describe Project Kaizen in one sentence….

Project Kaizen is a trailblazer in leveraging personalised AI to make learning any skill or subject easier.

What's your inspiration?

Project Kaizen was born from my own challenges applying to medical school. During my A-levels, I struggled with traditional learning methods, and this meant I wasted more time trying to find my learning style rather than learning. When I launched a social media page to share my experience, it quickly gained followers, showing just how many students worldwide were facing similar struggles. That response inspired me to create Project Kaizen: a platform that uses AI to support personalised learning, where the AI truly understands the individual learner. I'm passionate about helping students adapt learning to their unique styles, making it more effective and less overwhelming. Personalising my own learning with AI during university helped me secure a place in graduate medical school. But Project Kaizen isn’t just about education, it’s about empowering people to learn anything, from academic subjects to high demand skills.

Why did you decide to enter the Entrepreneurship Institute's Idea Factory Competition?

After graduating from King’s, I knew I wanted to dive into the entrepreneurial community at the Entrepreneurship Institute. Winning the Open Pitch Night was a turning point, it gave me the confidence to realise pitching was a strength of mine. I’ve always believed in my product, but Idea Factory took that belief to the next level, making me feel I was the right person to bring it to life. It also helped me validate my idea, which is crucial as an entrepreneur when you're juggling so many ideas you can't fully develop.

As a solo-founder, how did you prepare to progress in the competition?

I’ve always believed that success happens when preparation meets opportunity. I’d been developing my idea behind the scenes for several months, so when it came to the competition, it was all about presenting what I’d done in an engaging way, to show why my idea was a winning one. Taking all the feedback on board and being engaged throughout the workshops helped me deliver a winning pitch. As a solo-founder, I had to wear all the hats, but being prepared for any question helped me progress.

What's your competition highlight?

Meeting all the finalists and hearing their unique ideas. I realised the power of a strong entrepreneurial network and that entrepreneurship is not just about having a great idea, but about connecting with the right people. Your network is a powerful resource that can act as a stepping stone to take your venture to the next level.

How did Idea Factory help you move your idea forward?

It gave my idea the focus it needed. I was able to get feedback on how to utilise AI efficiently, refine the USP and identified a niche target market for when it launches.

One piece of advice for future Idea Factory participants?

If you have the slightest thought of participating, that’s your sign to go for it. I never imagined that out of 70+ applicants, I’d place second. Believing in yourself as an entrepreneur and taking that step forward is what matters. Don’t worry if your idea feels too simple or even too complicated, there was a time when products and services we use daily didn’t exist. Maybe your idea is the next big thing!

What’s next for you and your venture?

I’m focused on connecting with developers in UK and USA and taking part in more investment opportunities for exposure.

Dunia Mangal, founder of Project Kaizen, holding Idea Factory trophy
 

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Idea Factory is King’s College London’s flagship idea generation competition. It aims to nurture the most promising ideas from across the university that have the potential to become impactful ventures.

In addition to receiving £1,500 funding to develop the idea, Project Kaizen has access to a 12-month support package including, access to the Entrepreneurship Institute Hub, mentoring by our Head of Entrepreneurial Skills and Experts-in-Residence.

Meet the 2025 Idea Factory Winners

We caught up with our 2025 Idea Factory winners to hear all about their pitch-winning start-ups, their entrepreneurial journeys so far and what they plan to do next.

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