HOME-grown talent took the titles at this year's Venturefest competitions, with prize packages totalling more than £63,000 awarded to York-based ventures.

Each year the annual event invites businesses across the North to enter the Investment Competition and the Innovation Showcase.

Offering a prize package worth £50,000, the Investment Competition this year received a record number of entries. After being whittled down to a shortlist of eight the competition was won by 21-year York entrepreneur Joe Carnell for his health food business UGOT.

The finalists of the competition, run by Venturefest in partnership with crowdfunding platform Growth Funders, had to pitch their ideas to a judging panel of esteemed business leaders from across the region.

Mr Carnell, who has a shop at York train station, and a second at Newcastle station, and was also named Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the Press Business Awards, was commended for his "confident pitch" by judges.

Norm Peterson, chief executive at Growth Capital Ventures, who chaired the contest, said: "The standard of competition was really high, and there were a couple of very strong performances that clearly connected with the judges and investors in the room.

"There are some very investable businesses in Yorkshire and we are confident they will go on to secure their investment."

A prize package worth £13,000 was also awarded to York mum Rowena Johnson, who won the Innovation Showcase with her BugBrush invention, designed to combat tooth decay in children. The product took eight years to develop and bring to market, and is now sold in JoJo Maman Bebe stores across the UK.

Rachel Goddard, chairwoman of event organiser, York Professionals, said: "This year has been a great success, we've had more things for people to look at , and more opportunities for delegates to hear people speak with the best speaking programme we've ever had.

"Every year Venturefest grows and reflects the diversity and technical capabilities of businesses in York.

"We seen some great success stories here today, and some great business being done thanks to the networking opportunities which form a big part of the day.

"We've got some exciting plans for the future too, to make the event even more Yorkshire wide."