Fergie and Princess Beatrice join Prince Andrew at Pitch@Palace entrepreneurial event

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Prince Andrew hosted event at St James's Palace on Monday night
Fergie, 56, showed off trim new figure as she supported ex-husband
Pair's daughter, Princess Beatrice, also conversed with guests
Despite divorce in 1996, Sarah and Andrew remain on excellent terms

Published: 07:26 EST, 3 November 2015 | Updated: 07:59 EST, 3 November 2015

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The Duchess of York and Princess Beatrice showed their support for Prince Andrew at a St James's Palace event on Monday night.

Sarah, Duchess of York, 56, showed off her trim new figure as she supported her ex-husband at the fourth installment of his Pitch@Palace programme, which the Duke of York established to connect start-up companies with potential investors and mentors.

The Duchess spent time socialising with attendees at a reception prior to the event, while the Duke spoke with start-up founders about their respective innovations.

A very jolly Duke of York (left) speaks to Naveen Jain (right) during the Pitch@Palace entrepreneurial event at St James's Palace, London. The Duke of York founded the initiative to support entrepreneurs with their business ideas by connecting them with potential supporters including CEOs, angels, mentors, and key business partners

The pair's daughter, Princess Beatrice, 27, also conversed with participants and guests.

Despite having divorced in 1996, Sarah and Andrew remain on excellent terms and are often seen together at events involving their children.

During the event, 15 budding business people made pitches to a gathering of investors in the hope of drumming up support and making vital connections.

The programme has been described as a cross between successful television formats Dragons' Den and The X Factor.

Sarah, Duchess of York, 56, showed off her trim new figure as she supported her ex-husband at the fourth installment of his Pitch@Palace programme

The pair's daughter, Princess Beatrice, 27, also conversed with participants and guests

Despite having divorced in 1996, Sarah and Andrew remain on excellent terms and she often supports him at various ventures

The Duchess spent time socialising with attendees at a reception prior to the event, while the Duke spoke with start-up founders

In the last 18 months, it has helped generate £103 million of economic activity.

At the beginning of the pitches, the Duke said all 15 participants were part of a larger group that endured 'some pretty amazing hell' in a special boot camp at Imperial College in London.

He said: 'As far as funding is concerned, I've always said that funding isn't necessarily the only reason for doing this.

'The philosophy of this is much more about being able to put entrepreneurs in touch with decision makers like yourselves.'

More than half of the entrepreneurs making pitches hailed from outside London, Andrew told the crowd.

He added: 'It shows that the ecosystem in this country as a whole is actually generating some very, very good ideas as a country and it's irrelevant, to some extent, where your geography is.'

New technology from one of the companies involved in the programme, Pavegen, is to be installed as a trial in Kensington Palace next year.

Princess Beatrice looked chic in a green and red floral dress at the event for the initiative, which, in the last 18 months, has helped generate £103 million of economic activity

During the event, 15 budding business people made pitches to a gathering of investors in the hope of drumming up support and making vital connections

At the beginning of the pitches, the Duke said all 15 participants were part of a larger group that endured 'some pretty amazing hell' in a special boot camp

The global technology company, which was started six years ago, makes floor tiles that convert the pressure from footsteps into green energy.

Founder Laurence Kemball-Cook took the Duke for a walk over sample tiles at the reception.

He said: 'The great thing about the Duke is he really does get technology, engineering and design.

'An entrepreneur speaking to a Duke may be slightly intimidating ... but he completely understood what we're doing and how it worked, and I could talk to him like I talk to a fellow technologist.'

Mr Kemball-Cook added: 'He made some pragmatic points. It was super interesting talking to him about it - he gets it.'

The fourth round of Pitch@Palace was won by start-up Knyttan, which was co-founded by mechanical engineer Hal Watts.

The company aims to turn clothing into a digital product, allowing people to design their own garments.

Andrew said all of the pitches, which ranged from potentially life-saving portable baby incubators to digitised packaging pallets, were stand-outs

The Duke of York (right) is joined on stage by winners (left to right) Yarden Jacobsen, Jonathan Gan, Malay Sanghavi, Ross Bailey, and Hal Watts, during the Pitch@Palace entrepreneurial event at St James's Palace, London

The idea was previously knocked back by the Pitch@Palace events.

The Duke said that was not a reflection on Mr Watts's ability, but more to do with the sector in which he fitted.

He said: 'It shows that if you keep on going, things will change.

'I think entrepreneurs probably know they've got to jolly well keep going, but there's no harm in reminding them.'

Andrew said all of the pitches, which ranged from potentially life-saving portable baby incubators to digitised packaging pallets, were stand-outs.

The Duke said the programme offered a greater awareness for a key category of people who are 'decision-makers' in the entrepreneurial process.

He said: 'Perhaps they might be trying to do something where they've not got the opportunity to see this collection of people.

'That's the advantage of my job and what I'm doing - I can convene the sort of people that an entrepreneur needs. Let's see what happens.'