AN entrepreneur is hoping to pitch the idea behind his “virtual balloon race” to business impresario Sir Richard Branson.

Mike Phillips is the managing director of Bolton-based Rentaballoonrace.com — which he says is the world’s only 100 per cent eco-friendly virtual balloon race in which everything is real except the balloon.

The races work using software which factors in real global weather data to simulate what an actual latex balloon would do when let off into the sky.

Now, Mr Phillips is hoping to get an audience with Richard Branson as part of the “Pitch to Rich” competition.

The Bolton company is currently in the top 50 firms in the competition and must remain there when the first round of voting closes next week.

If successful, the businessman will aim to then go through to a live final event in London in June where he will pitch directly to Sir Richard Brandon — and potentially win a share of more than £1,000,000 in prizes including advertising campaigns, cash investments and mentoring.

Mr Phillips said: “We were invited by Virgin to take part in the competition several weeks ago — it meant making a huge online submission and waiting to hear if we made the 'Pitch to Rich' long shortlist, which we did.

“To be successful, get to the short shortlist and meet with Sir Richard in person, we need enough votes to attract notice.

“The company with the most votes is not necessarily the winner — it’s just a matter of getting enough votes to be seen."

He said he believes Mr Branson will love the idea behind his company.

He added: “We can help organisations caring or helping vulnerable people or wildlife to raise crucial vital operational funds and our product has major educational and learning components.

“I think Mr Branson will admire that the company is run by a pensioner entrepreneur and we also feel that the idea will appeal to Sir Richard’s love of ballooning and adventure.”

The entrepreneur now wants people in Bolton to help his cause by voting online.

Visit http://rabr.co.uk/virginvote