Inside ESEI’s Shark Tank Experience: How Students Put Their AI‑Enabled Business Ideas to the Test
This month, students from the Master in Digital Marketing and the Master in Marketing and Communication took part in a Shark Tank style challenge as the final assessment for the course Emerging Technologies in Marketing, taught by professor Kate Busby.
Across two sessions, students presented AI‑enabled business concepts to real external investors and advisors. The format gave them a chance to apply what they had learned over the past semester, while developing the clarity, confidence and structure needed to pitch ideas in a professional environment.
A Practical Assessment Designed to Build Real Skills
Throughout the course, students used modern tools to explore how AI can support marketing decisions. By the time they reached their final project, they were expected to:
- Define and vibe‑code their product
- Create a synthetic Ideal Customer Profile and co‑develop content with it
- Explore automation flows for their go‑to‑market strategy
- Improve visibility in large language models
- Prepare a clear and simple investor ask
The Shark Tank format pushed them to turn this preparation into a focused, convincing presentation. Each team had five minutes to pitch followed by questions from the panel, requiring them to stay structured and defend their reasoning.
Session 1 with Master in Digital Marketing
For the Digital Marketing group, the session marked the culmination of months of experimentation with AI‑supported marketing frameworks. Their ideas covered a wide range of industries and target audiences, demonstrating both creativity and strategic thinking.
Students had to show not only their understanding of AI tools but also their ability to make sound decisions about customer acquisition, user validation and early traction. They explained how they would attract their first customers, what signs might indicate the concept is not gaining momentum and how automation could support their early operations.
Shark Panel
Matt Roberts
AI Enabler at Happy Operators. Matt works full‑time delivering workshops and personalised training that help teams integrate automation and AI into daily workflows.
Vincent Jong
Company Builder at Poolside Ventures. Vincent specialises in building AI‑first profitable companies, working at the intersection of AI strategy, workforce transformation and lean product development. He is also a Founding Partner at Second Horizon and host of SaaS on the Beach.
Fengwei David An
Investor and Advisor at No Such Ventures. He supports founders and early‑stage teams in developing scalable plans and preparing for investment.
Session 2 with Master in Marketing and Communication
The Marketing and Communication cohort demonstrated particular strength in storytelling, customer insight and content‑driven strategies. Their pitches often included detailed user journeys and examples of AI‑supported research that helped refine their understanding of the problem space.
As in the first session, each team had five minutes to present before answering questions from the panel. The focus was on clarity, audience understanding and the viability of each proposed approach.
Shark Panel
Damien Acheson
Principal Consultant and Chief Marketing Officer with over a decade of experience supporting deep‑tech and AI companies across the US, UK and EU. Damien specialises in go‑to‑market strategy, product‑led growth, pricing, inbound acquisition, outbound sales and full‑stack marketing operations.
Nicolas Grenié
Investor at OPRTRS CLUB and Founder of HackBarna. Nicolas is a Developer Relations specialist, Lovable Ambassador and angel investor who supports the local tech ecosystem through hackathons and developer‑tool community events.
Fadi Haddad
CEO and Founder of Health Force. Based between Vienna and Barcelona, Fadi leads a company developing AI Agents that automate administrative workflows in European hospitals. Health Force supports hospitals with assessment, implementation and ongoing optimisation to ensure smooth integration of AI solutions.
Michael Burnett
Founder and CEO of Lapspeed. Michael has led design organisations across multiple startups, taking products from zero to launch, through pivots and into high‑growth stages. His background spans UX, design strategy, product architecture and brand development.
A Learning Experience That Mirrors Real‑World Expectations
Although the sessions were simulations, students experienced challenges similar to those faced by early‑stage startup founders. They were encouraged to:
- Communicate ideas clearly under time pressure
- Defend their decisions logically
- Respond dynamically to investor questions
- Translate AI concepts into practical marketing actions
- Consider real implications of bringing a product to market
The experience helped students strengthen both their technical understanding and their ability to present with confidence.
Preparing Students for the Future of Marketing
The Shark Tank sessions highlight the value of ESEI’s hands-on learning philosophy. By giving students exposure to external professionals and realistic evaluation environments, the school encourages them to approach marketing not only as a theoretical discipline but as a practical and adaptable career path.
For both groups, the sessions were an opportunity to showcase months of work, receive impactful feedback and gain insight into what investors look for in early‑stage ventures. The result was a memorable experience that will support them as they move into the evolving world of modern marketing.
Explore ESEI’s Programmes
👉 If you’re considering starting your own journey in Barcelona, explore ESEI’s Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes and see how we can support you on your study abroad journey.
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