By 
A COMPUTER science student from Tyrone has scooped a major award for his mental health start-up ‘Rephobia.’
Liam Harte (21) won the ‘Big Ideas’ prize of £3,000 – plus mentoring – at the ESBF Champion of Champions event in London recently.
Liam, from Strabane, impressed judges with the virtual reality therapy platform he developed while studying at Queen’s University in Belfast. Rephobia aims to help people turn fear into freedom by using immersive VR to support those living with phobias.
It also aims to make therapy more accessible and affordable, especially for people in rural or under-served areas, while giving therapists a powerful new tool to support their clients.
Speaking following his win, Liam said, “When I was standing on that stage, it hit me how far this idea has come.
“This win gives me the momentum to take Rephobia into its next chapter, with the prize funding and ESBF’s support helping us prepare for our first clinical trial in February.”
Each year, ESBF (Engineers and Scientists in Business Fellowship) champions business education for engineers and supports universities by giving them grants to award prizes to engineering and science students who develop ideas that can make a positive impact on society.
Liam continued, “The mentoring, the ambition from my fellow finalists, and the whole atmosphere the final has strengthened my drive to push Rephobia toward real impact – because no one should have to live in fear, and with Rephobia, no one has to.
“Phobias are one of the most common mental health conditions, yet effective treatment is often hard to access because traditional exposure therapy can be expensive, hard to arrange, or simply too daunting.
“With Rephobia, patients can face their fears step by step inside immersive virtual environments, guided by a trained therapist. Whether it’s a fear of spiders, flying, or public speaking, our platform allows people to practice in realistic but controlled scenarios, building confidence without the risks or logistics of real-world exposure.
“I was inspired by my own experience with phobias and OCD. I know how isolating and overwhelming fear can be, and I wanted to create something that gives people a safe, supportive way to face it.”
Winners will also receive mentoring from business leaders who are members of the Sainsbury Management Fellows network, plus CV packages from PurpleCV and entrepreneurial books from sponsors.
The event, hosted by TV presenter and engineer Rob Bell, is the culmination of a year of ESBF-sponsored enterprise competitions held across UK universities, with thousands of undergraduate and graduates taking part.
