Maltese student startups turn towels and batteries into award-winning concepts

Xuga, a student business that gives new life to old beach towels, and KinetiHear, which produces hearing implant batteries, won big at this year’s JA Malta Entrepreneurship Finals. 

Xuga from Verdala International School took top honours in the Company Programme category, while KinetiHear won the StartUp Programme title.

They will now represent Malta at the Gen-E youth entrepreneurship festival in Riga.

“Out of 13 awards, we were nominated for 10, and we are so incredibly grateful for every opportunity, experience, and person who supported us throughout this journey,” Xuga said after winning the award. 

“A huge thank you to JA, the judges, mentors, sponsors, and our amazing seamstresses this wouldn’t be possible without you! Thank you to everyone who believed in us along the way.”

KinetiHear said its concept started off from a question asked at a train station in Cologne before eventually developing into an idea and eventually a winning product. 

“The intensity of this programme pushed us in ways we didn't anticipate. When our name was called on stage, there were tears, pure joy, and a pride that is hard to put into words,” it said. 

The winners were announced at the JA Malta’s annual awards night last weekend following an evaluation by an independent panel of industry professionals.

“Seeing students take an idea from concept to a fully pitched business — with a real product, a real team, and real judges — is exactly what JA Malta exists to create,” JA Malta CEO Matthew Caruana said. 

“This year’s cohort showed remarkable depth of thinking and resilience. We congratulate all participants and look forward to seeing our winners represent Malta at Gen-E.”