Search for app star can unite Oldham

OLDHAM-born businessman Michael Edelson has been explaining why he is backing the search for the borough’s new “app superstar” which offers 14 to 19-year-olds the chance to invent a mobile phone application.

The 66-year-old dot-com millionaire, who lived in Oldham for the first five years of his life, said: “I don’t understand a lot of technology but I understand how to build up a product.”

Now living in Hale, Mr Edelson, who has been a Manchester United director since 1982, has been investing in technology for 20 years.

He floated online business ASOS in 1998 for £2million and the clothes retailer is traded on the London Stock Exchange.

The former Athletic youth and A-team player, whose first career was in fashion before moving into the textile business, added: “In 1999, we started Oxygen — an incubator business-fund helping people try to grow and develop an idea.

“In the dot-com days there were dozens of incubators but six to eight months ago, there didn’t see to be any incubators for apps.

“There was nowhere for students and young people to go so we set up FundedApps.”

There has been lots of interest to date, with 500 ideas from 17 different countries since the fund was launched in February.

Oldham’s youngsters can submit their ideas on their phones through the Apple app, which is set to be rolled out to Android and Blackberry platforms.

Mr Edelson said: “It’s not just silly ideas we are after, we want to create a commercial venture.

“The aim is to get good ideas — this is a money-making operation.

“We have got between £500,000 and £600,000 to invest.”

Through his Oldham connection, Mr Edelson is promoting a competition for secondary school pupils in the borough — known as Oldham’s App-rentice.

Run in conjunction with Oldham Council, the competition encourages school pupils to submit their idea for a mobile phone application and the winner will receive an iPad2, personally presented by former Manchester United midfield maestro Paul Scholes, as well as an app masterclass for their school.

“The competition is a fantastic opportunity for teenagers to explore the world of innovation and the mobile technology industry,” said Scholes, who lives in Grasscroft.

The project is aiming to promote innovation and enterprise for pupils in Key Stages Three, Four and Five.

For more information and to enter Oldham’s App-rentice, search for Funded Apps on Facebook.