Joe is a Young Ambassador for Big Ideas Wales
Our Young Ambassadors are new, aspiring entrepreneurs who have recently started their business and want to inspire their peers. Many have accessed Big Ideas Wales support themselves and want to share their experiences online and at events. Let us know if you’d like to engage with any of our young ambassadors
Joe Charman launched Pilot Plus at the age of 16 and now manages a team of three employees. Joe and his team replicate real world airports in a digital 3D format, using imagery they capture of airport scenes. The digital 3D replicas of the exterior of airport environments, including Gatwick, Bristol and Geneva create a mock-up environment for users, as if navigating a plane through that particular airport in real life.
Joe was introduced to Big Ideas Wales, part of the Business Wales service to encourage youth entrepreneurship in Wales. Big Ideas Wales is funded by Welsh Government and the European Regional Development Fund aimed at anyone between the age of 5 and 25 who wants to develop a business idea.
Seeing an opportunity to expand his connections further, Joe set up Swansea University’s first Entrepreneurs Network with a fellow student, a group which encourages students to follow their business ambitions.
He continued: “I have always been business minded, but Big Ideas Wales has helped my personal development skills and linked me with many influential entrepreneurs, further fueling my entrepreneurial drive.”
In his third year Joe has plans to take up office space in Swansea.
Joe said: “I have always found it easy enough to manage my university work and business life, knowing when to give one more attention than the other when up against deadlines. In my final year, I plan to take on more people to help expand our product range and and continue to push to be the main market leader, competing with others that have launched in the last few years.
“I believe the future of Pilot Plus is bright, we are creating products that lead innovation in the market. As we focus on our current project, London City Airport, the roadmap is then to bring all past products to the same standard. We’re also planning to invest in different markets where our skills and tech can be applied, such as interior design with VR as well as architecture visualisation.”