Three budding Shropshire companies are just one step away from winning a £4,000 prize after reaching the final of the Shropshire Star’s Dragons’ Den-style competition.

Shrewsbury-based Shoothill, Teeny Beanies from Telford and the Faction Bike Company, of Shrewsbury, will be competing for the Star Idea cash prize, plus priceless business support, to help turn their dreams into reality.

Shoothill presented its TimeMap innovation at the Rural Enterprise Centre event. It applies Microsoft Virtual Earth Mapping technology to allow users to see and compare how land has changed between 1840 and 2009.

Kerry Swinton designs, makes and sells children’s character beanbags and other products under her own brand of Teeny Beanies.

She impressed the judges, who were Peter Pawsey, of the Rural Regeneration Zone, Diana Thompson, from the e-Innovation Centre in Telford, Ian Morris, of Turner Peachey chartered accountants, and Amy Bould, business editor at the Shropshire Star, with the quality of her products.

Keith Easom, of the Faction Bike Company, won through to the final with the world’s first 22-inch wheel bike, a cross between a BMX and a mountain bike. The company, run by Keith and his two brothers, is already filling a niche in the market selling in the UK and the US, but he wants to turn the company into a global brand.

The three finalists will be filmed presenting their Star Idea by the Star’s video journalists and then the videos will be uploaded to ShropshireStar.com, giving readers the chance to vote for the winner.

Voting starts on June 15 and the winners will be announced at the Shropshire Business Awards at the Park Inn in Telford on July 3.

By Business Editor Amy Bould