UEA business graduate gets a grip on the gaming industry
By: Communications
Samuel Coombes holding his new gaming product Exogrip, wearing a jumper with Exogrip on
A business graduate from the University of East Anglia (UEA) has got a grip on hand health within the gaming industry with his newly launched product, Exogrip.
Samuel Coombes, who graduated with a degree in Business Management and Marketing at UEA's Norwich Business School in 2018, has created a revolutionary gaming controller grip to enhance players' gaming experience and support hand health.
Exogrip is designed for all hand shapes and gaming styles, to help provide a competitive edge for intense gaming moments, whilst also looking after hand health and reducing the likelihood of gaming related injuries. Using heat, the gaming grip can be moulded to the exact contours of your hands, creating an exoskeleton that increases comfort, grip, performance and personalisation when gaming.
Samuel asserts that the product's mission is to see the gaming community continue to relish the thrill of the games that they love and enjoy, but in a more comfortable and competitive way than ever before: "I have always loved gaming, be that alone or intense gaming marathons with my brothers. However, during these long bouts of gaming, I used to experience hand cramps and extreme fatigue in my hands.
"As an aspiring entrepreneur with a love for gaming, I wanted to bring something new and exciting to the gaming scene that could also tackle the issue of declining hand health in the gaming community, such as carpal tunnel syndrome in the fingers and repetitive strain injuries in the wrists and hands. Exogrip was born and now I want to conquer the gaming industry one grip at a time."
Samuel's business is a prime example of the kind of innovation and entrepreneurship that is encouraged by UEA, and he credits the University for helping him to create meaningful and supportive connections during his time there:
"UEA Student Enterprise have been integral in helping me get Exogrip off the ground, from check-in meetings to funding. The team have amassed an incredibly vast network of individuals that are able to assist you in a number of ways and friendly experts that are able to assist and guide entrepreneurs and startups in the right direction using their years of experience."
"Although my degree has helped me with the fundamental business knowledge and marketing principles, the best thing to come out of the UEA experience was meeting so many people that were so willing to help and truly wanted to see you succeed, so much so that they will do anything in their power to assist you and your business."
Since starting the business in 2021, Samuel admits there were challenges at first: "Although there were a serious number of setbacks and hurdles, we overcame those hurdles to create a product I am proud of and have had successes like gaining £42,000 worth of funding and investments in our first year. We've also found brilliant vendors, manufacturers and specialists to make our dreams come to life."
Exogrip is currently priced at £24.99. A fully customisable grip made for all hand shapes and gaming styles, it can be easily cleaned, interchanged and remoulded as your gaming technique evolves. With 88% of young adults (aged 16-24) now playing video games, according to a report by Uswitch, upgrading your controller has never been easier.
When asked about his future aspirations for the business, Samuel said: "My dreams are simple: to improve the gaming experience, comfort and performance of all gamers, resulting in a gaming community that love our products and benefit from them in a multitude of ways."
UEA Student Enterprise is a programme dedicated to fostering entrepreneurial talent among the University's students. Finbarr Carter, UEA Student Enterprise Officer, said:
"Here at Student Enterprise, we provide a range of services to students and recent alumni (up to five years after graduation) to help turn their ideas, passions and talents into business realities. The support includes 1-2-1 coaching and mentoring, workshops, competitions, workspace, and funding – the latter ranging from '˜Try it' grants to test embryonic ideas, all the way up to larger 'Scale it' investments to take ventures to the next level.
"Samuel's achievement with Exogrip is a testament to the entrepreneurial environment at UEA and the dedication of our students, and we are delighted to see him bring his innovative product to the market. This type of creativity exemplifies the forward-thinking mindset that we encourage through UEA Student Enterprise."
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