The winners of the 2001 DCU New Business Ideas Competition are Declan Moloney and Barra O Hir, 4th year students taking a BSc in Finance, Computing and Enterprise through Irish (Fiontar).

Their winning idea - Handicharge - is to develop coin-operated vending machines that enable consumers recharge their mobile phones in public places such as pubs, clubs, train stations or University campuses. Built into the unit design are features for user safety, phone security and phone safety.

Over two thirds of the entire population own mobile phones. Mobile phone chargers are cumbersome to carry around and people often forget to charge their phones. The Handicharge units would take about 15 minutes to partially charge up phones at a low cost to the consumer.

The DCU New Business Ideas Competition is sponsored by Vision Consulting, Campus Company Venture Capital Fund and Dublin City Enterprise Board.