Entrepreneur’s European tour ‘life-changing’

YOUNG tech entrepreneur Danny Callan has enjoyed a road trip with a difference.

Danny (22), from Lees, who was crowned Student Innovator of the Year at the Pro Manchester Innovator Challenge 2011, was plucked from thousands of applicants to jump aboard the “Startupbus”.

Described as “the most intense start-up competition in the world”, the challenge involves teams from across Europe jumping on a bus and spending three days drawing on a host of onboard creativity to develop a new technology business idea.

Danny, a former Saddleworth School and Oldham College student who now runs his own web design business, Icebox Designs, was chosen to be part of the 40-strong UK team.

After boarding in London, the bus stopped in Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin and finally Vienna, where the SeeVee team pitched its idea to launch an online remote recruitment programme which would dramatically reduce the time it takes firms to find suitable employees.

Although they didn’t win the competition Danny says it a was life-changing experience.

“It was an awesome experience,” said Danny. “We literally didn’t get any sleep for four days. We stayed in hostels and managed to soak up the culture of these amazing cities. I met people from all over Europe, some incredibly talented individuals.”

Danny and some of his Startupbus teammates are now trying to develop and raise funds for their recruitment idea.