A team of pioneering young entrepreneurs from the Mary Erskine School will represent Lothian at the Young Enterprise Scotland National Finals.
Trading as ‘Cozy Companionzzz’, the team creates handmade crocheted toys and bracelets, and impressed the judging panel with their entrepreneurial flair.
The Young Enterprise Scotland Company Programme is an immersive programme which provides a real-life learning opportunity that introduces young people from S5 and S6 to the realities of the world of work.
Participants are required to start their own company, running through the key milestones of developing an idea, conducting market research, creating the product or service, promoting that product and ultimately trading it.
Over 2,000 young people take part in the Company Programme every year in Scotland.
Young Enterprise Scotland, Chief Executive, Emma Soanes said: “The Cozy Companionzzz team is an inspiration and I wish them every success in the Scottish finals later this year.
“Setting up and running their own successful company is a wonderful experience and will have given them new skills to take forward into their learning and future careers. So whatever happens at the finals, they are all worthy winners”.
The Lothian Company Finals were sponsored by Bright Red Triangle, Edinburgh Napier University.
The winning team will now go on to represent the Lothian region at The Young Enterprise Scotland Company Programme Finals on Thursday 29th May 2025 at GTG Glasgow.
Most children in the UK have ambitions to start their own business in future and would like to learn some of the skills that are needed to do so when they’re at school.
The findings come from new research* of 1,000 children aged 9 – 11, revealing their financial habits and entrepreneurial aspirations.
The results show that over two-thirds (71%) of children want to learn about starting their own business at school, while four in five (83%) aspire to start their own business in the future.
The study, commissioned by Virgin Money, also found that children understand the value of saving, with 88% having saved money for something specific before, saving £57 on average.
Despite the rise in digital transactions over recent years, cash remains a crucial part of children’s financial education. The research shows that almost half (47%) of children save their money in a piggy bank or money box, and 44% use cash when paying for things.
Parents play a crucial role in financial education, with a remarkable 82% of children saying they learn how to manage their finances from their parents. The survey also found that 92% of children are engaging in conversations about money with their parents or guardians, highlighting the importance of family time in financial education.
Children also recognise the value of investing, with around two-thirds (64%) preferring to invest to earn more in the future rather than spend it, if they were given £5.
The research by Virgin Money was undertaken to understand more about children’s views on money and entrepreneurship, as part of its Make £5 Grow programme. This programme is designed to develop financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills in 9-11 year olds across the UK, and over 200,000 pupils from over 3,000 schools have so far taken part.
Newport Primary School, in Brough East Yorkshire, has participated in the Make £5 Grow programme since 2020. Their involvement began when a planned school trip to Northumberland was cancelled due to Covid restrictions. In response, the school organised a unique experience for the students by setting up a school camp-out and expanding it into a larger entrepreneurial project.
Since being involved in Make £5 Grow, the students have engaged in various business ideas, including car washing, homemade sweet treats, ice creams, making arts, crafts, and jewellery.
The funds raised from these ventures contribute to a Mini Festival for the students, featuring a silent disco, DJ, ice cream van, pizza trailer, stuntman performances, popcorn machines, and inflatables for the entire school to enjoy. Additionally, the money has been used to purchase scripts and music for the end-of-year school production. This project has not only provided fun and excitement but also fostered a sense of responsibility and teamwork among the students.
Amy Earl, teacher at Newport Primary School said: “The children count down the days until we start the Make £5 Grow project. They work so hard and deserve to make memories that last a lifetime while sharpening their entrepreneurial skills.
“With the incredible support of their families, who help sell these items rain or shine, the children have gained invaluable entrepreneurial skills and created lasting memories. I would always recommend, and have recommended, this project to other schools and teachers.”
Jasmin Sanghera, community manager at Virgin Money said: “Entrepreneurship is a key driver of growth in our economy, so it’s vital that we help to foster the skills needed from a young age.
“Make £5 Grow is designed to empower children with the knowledge and confidence to pursue their business dreams, and we are thrilled to see such strong interest in learning about this from young people.”
Children participating in Make £5 Grow are encouraged to develop innovative business ideas and generate a profit for their school, using a £5 loan per child from Virgin Money. The programme provides pupils with an insight into how the world of business and finance works.
It helps them to build key money management skills by starting a small business, with access to a Make £5 Grow Ambassador for business support and a suite of curriculum-based classroom tools, which have recently been accredited as a financial education resource by Young Enterprise.
The schools keep any profit made after repaying the initial £5 loan.
Through this initiative, Virgin Money aims to empower the next generation to save, invest, and pursue their entrepreneurial dreams, building a financially literate and economically resilient future.
Employment & Investment Minister celebrates Scottish entrepreneurship at 24th EDGE Awards
Tom Arthur MSP attends ceremony as winners take home £1.5 million in prize money –
One of Scotland’s most prestigious business awards returned for their 24th round yesterday as 37 winners took home £1.5 million in prize money from Scottish EDGE.
The awards ceremony took place in the Royal Bank of Scotland Conference Centre in Gogarburn, Edinburgh, and united forward-thinking entrepreneurs from across the country.
Tom Arthur MSP, Minister for Employment & Investment, delivered an opening speech celebrating the awards’ significance for Scotland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Veteran awards categories returned for the 24th round, with the £75,000 Scale EDGE Award, supported by Royal Bank of Scotland, going to international football fan experience disrupter, Triptix Ltd.
Meanwhile, MedTech-focused ventures MedAscend and SimPat were among those victorious in the Scottish Enterprise supported Young EDGE category, which offers grant awards for companies whose founders are under the age of 30, as the top £15,000 winners.
Those successful in Wild Card, which provides a grant to pre-trading businesses, included Seaweed Services, who received the category’s Ailsa Reliability Solutions supported £10,000 award.
The STV-supported award of £70,000 plus £75,000 worth of ad airtime was given to sustainable bedding brand, Ava Innes, while Gut Wealth emerged as winner of the Scottish Government backed Pathways category, winning £100,000 for an innovative bacteria-based digestive health supplement.
Round 24 also saw the return of the £70,000 Circular Economy EDGE Award, which is supported by Zero Waste Scotland, and went to The Bettii Pod Ltd for its world’s first, free to use menstrual cup and disc washer plumbed into the cubicles of away-from-home toilets
Elsewhere, the Creative EDGE Award, facilitated by support from Creative UK, which champions, connects and promotes the development of the creative industries across the United Kingdom, gave a boost of £75,000 to premier video game and film art development studio, Wardog Studios.
Judith Cruickshank, MD Commercial Mid-Market at the Royal Bank of Scotland, said: “Scottish EDGE continues to show what can be achieved when Scotland entrepreneurial ecosystem works together with leading private and public sector organisations.
“Once again Royal Bank of Scotland is delighted to have supported the Scale ESDGE Awards and to host the final here at our headquarters in Gogarburn.
“Scotland remains a capital of entrepreneurial energy and continues to prosper and the Scottish EDGE illustrate the geographical reach and sector spread illustrates this. Triptix is a fine example of what is being achieved and it was an honour to present them with the Scale EDGE award. We look forward to following their success and the other winners this year.”
Jane Martin, Managing Director of Innovation and Investment at Scottish Enterprise said: “Congratulations to all of this year’s winers, especially those in the Young EDGE category, which we’re proud to support again for round 24.
“Entrepreneurship and innovation are vital to Scotland’s ongoing economic success and – with such a high calibre of EDGE participant again in 2024 – the future looks very bright indeed. By supporting the winners at start of their journey we aim to develop Scotland’s scaling businesses of tomorrow.”
Sir Tom Hunter, entrepreneur and philanthropist, said: “The only way to grow an economy is to support and build high growth businesses; Scottish EDGE is a prime mover in that arena – we have seen countless examples of these early stage businesses go to immense scale.
“In my view Scottish EDGE is the most cost-effective means for Government and the private sector together to sow the seeds of a vibrant economy.”
Evelyn McDonald, CEO of Scottish EDGE, said: “It’s an honour for us to continue to help Scottish businesses to fulfil their potential.
“By investing in such a wide variety of businesses, involved in industries as diverse as games, tech, healthcare and renewables, the 24th round of our awards is putting its faith in the huge scope for success contained within our country’s business community.
“Once again, we thank the organisations which continue to support us in this endeavour and look forward to seeing how this year’s winners develop and grow in the future”.
Supported by The Hunter Foundation, the Royal Bank of Scotland, the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise, Scottish EDGE has a key role to play in facilitating the nation’s economic growth.
Scottish EDGE winners
Airspection – £100,000 – Glasgow and West – Providing remote drone services for hard-to-reach infrastructure (offshore wind). Our drones offer long-range, extended hover for efficient, safe, and cost-effective services in harsh environments.
Bebello Ltd – £100,000 – Edinburgh and the Lothians – Bebello create incredible time-saving products that new parents need.
Bespoke Fabrics Ltd – £65,000 – STV Award – Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth – Ava Innes, the premium brand helping people sleep better with UK-made sustainable bedding range including a unique patented cashmere-filled duvet, wool pillows and relaxation accessories.
Cleanifiq Ltd – £100,000 – Glasgow and West – Cleanifiq.com is a price comparison website for cleaners. It helps people and businesses save time, money when it comes to finding cleaners by comparing quotes
Gutsy Health – £100,000 – Pathways – Edinburgh and the Lothians – Gut WealthÆ is an innovative bacteria-based digestive health supplement helps the 1 in 20 people suffering with bloating and inflammation by improving bowel regularity.
Mena – £70,000 – Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth – A scientist, smallholder and keen herbologist, I work with plants, medicinal and culinary herbs, to create products that relieve menopause symptoms and support better health.
North Bridge – £75,000 – Edinburgh and the Lothians – NORTH BRIDGE MEDIA creates, develops and produces scripted primarily scripted television, bringing talented people together and bridging genres to deliver outstanding, entertaining content from Scotland.
Seluna Ltd – £70,000 loan – Glasgow and west – Seluna is a Scottish med-tech startup, developing medical software and wearable technology to support doctors to remotely diagnose and monitor pediatric sleep and respiratory disorders.
SENGUARD – £75,000 – Glasgow and west – The most valuable and most targeted digital demographic are +65s. Unlike other security subscriptions, SENGUARD stops online threats before they even reach the users device(s).
The Bettii Pod Ltd – £70,000 loan – Circular Economy – Ayrshire – Bettii is a world first, an installed, free to use, menstrual cup and disc washer plumbed into the cubicles of away from home toilets
Triptix Ltd – £75,000 – Scale EDGE – Edinburgh and the Lothians – Triptix finds the cheapest offers for UK/I football fans who want to attend games abroad.
Wardog Studios – £75,000 – Edinburgh – Wardog Studios is a premier art development studio with a global reputation for providing best in industry weapons and vehicles for videogames and film.
Your Spin Ltd – £50,000 – Edinburgh and the Lothians – YourSpin is a data-driven tech platform using gamification and instant gratification to provide brands with the tools they need to run continuous highly personalised campaigns.
Wild Card Winners
B&B Cart˘ns – £10,000 – Edinburgh – B&B Cart˘ns develops original Scottish animation IP with global appeal, leveraging international co-productions and expanding into merchandise, books, and games through strategic partnerships.
Digitech Innovation Limited T/A beelineMSKÆ – £10,000 – Edinburgh – We’ve created the IP for beelineMSKÆ, a digital self-assessment for patients with muscle/ joint conditions. We partner with healthcare organisations requiring this digital/AI platform content.
Elansu Ltd – £15,000 – Glasgow – Elansu designs and manufactures high-impact sports bras specifically engineered for fuller-bust, small-band women, addressing a significant market gap with innovative, supportive, inclusive and sustainable products
HUID – £10,000 – Oban – HUID creates food preserving, home compostable alternatives to single use plastic food packaging using an overlooked and abundant source of food waste – onion skins.
Kinteicolor – £10,000 – Glasgow – Kineticolor software enables scientists to use any camera as a non-contact process monitoring tool, alternative to capital-intensive probe-based analytics that dominate the $23 billion market.
Kyle Mcpherson (Ailsa Reliability Award) – £10,000 – Oban – Seaweed Services is company focused on revolutionising the seaweed farming and processing industry.
Northern Light Microscopy – £10,000 – Glasgow – Empowering life-scientists to make the bioscience discoveries of tomorrow by democratizing access to advanced microscopy with our suite of accessible cost-effective, compact advanced imaging
PRO-DISPENSE LTD – £10,000 – Stirling – A protein machine that dispenses a smooth blend of protein and other key supplements such as creatine, on demand whenever the user requires.
Young EDGE
Creator Campus – £10,000 – Edinburgh – Creator Campus is a digital platform designed to support early-stage entrepreneurs. We help universities build engaged entrepreneurship ecosystems that generate successful businesses with strong teams.
Fair Feast – £10,000 – Pitlochry – Fair Feast is a social enterprise that provides food banks with donations of venison, funded by wholesale sales.
MedAscend – £15,000 – Dundee – A training platform allowing medical students to improve their communication skills, ability to diagnose and create tailored treatment plans through virtual consultations with AI patients.
Out N About – £10,000 – St Andrews – A university social network designed to foster meaningful, real-life connections among students, with the mission to combat the growing loneliness epidemic on campuses.
Project Neuro Ltd – £10,000 – Elgin – Project Neuro provides specialist movement and exercise classes for those living with Long Term Neurological Conditions. Creating a social and active hub for the community.
Regeno – £10,000 – Alloa – A single-blade self-installing wind generator to reduce the lifecycle cost of wind power.
Scotia Biotech – £10,000 – Glasgow – Biotech company developing a portfolio of precision medicine, personalised healthcare medical diagnostic devices and therapeutics
SimPat – £15,000 – Edinburgh – SimPat is a novel AI-Powered online medical education platform for future medical professionals providing practice resources including simulated patient experiences.
Skin in the Game – £10,000 – Edinburgh – Skin in the Game provides a holistic-data driven allergen and irritant identification technology to users via an app.
SolarSub Ltd – £10,000 – Edinburgh – A R&D business offering floating solar panel solutions that enhance output through cooling and address environmental concerns by reducing evaporation and algae blooms.
Sunsave Solutions – £10,000 – Glasgow – Sunsave Solutions increases access to solar electricity in low-income female-led or female-majority households in Sub-Saharan Africa (Cameroon) through distributed entry-level solar home systems.
Victoria Gordon Art – £10,000 – Acharacle – Watercolour wildlife art and custom pet portraits, hand printed on premium homeware and gifts. Inspired by Scotlandís wildlife and made eco-consciously, in my home studio.
Vocabua – £10,000 – Glasgow – AI-based language learning app using proprietary algorithms to deliver personalised, effective learning with gradual vocabulary expansion, focusing on memory retention for all skill levels.
WIZARDRIGHTS LTD (t/a STARX MEDIA) – £10,000 – Glasgow – STARX MEDIA empowers top creators on Snapchat through personalized support, driving engagement, revenue growth, and expanding influence with a global, multilingual team.
Expanded support to close the gender gap and attract the next generation of entrepreneurs
Up to £2.6 million is being invested in initiatives to make it easier for women and people from all backgrounds to start a business.
They include a pilot programme, launching initially in the South of Scotland, which will fund specialist enterprise coaches to provide a range of tailored advice and guidance to help individuals – particularly women and other under-represented groups – kick-start their business ideas.
Grants of up to £1,000 will be available to give practical help to turning business concepts into a reality.
The pilot will be delivered by South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) and run alongside a new Scottish Government-administered Pathways Fund to support entrepreneurial activity across Scotland. This builds on last year’s successful Pathways Pre-Start Fund and will provide support, mentoring and advice services for people starting a company or seeking to expand a fledging business. Groups currently under-represented in the start-up community, including women, will be particularly targeted.
The two projects are to receive a total of up to £2.6 million funding this financial year and form part of the Scottish Government’s ongoing commitment to delivering the recommendations of the Pathways report on under-representation of women in entrepreneurship.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: “Economic growth is one of the key priorities of the Scottish Government. Scotland has all the ingredients to be one of Europe’s fastest-growing start-up economies: an economy that is strong, successful and dynamic.
“Entrepreneurship is at the heart of a healthy, vibrant and growing economy. I am clear that the Scottish Government will play a prominent role in helping build the end-to-end support our start-up business community has to develop and grow.
“This expanded package of support for entrepreneurs at the start of their journey continues our drive to ensure everyone, from every walk of life, is given the right support and encouragement to make their business idea a reality.”
Chief Executive of SOSE Jane Morrison-Ross said: “We are absolutely delighted to be delivering the Pathways Pre-Start pilot across the South of Scotland.
“It is a region of entrepreneurs and the Pathways pilot will be key to delivering our vision for a wellbeing and inclusive economy and accelerating the fantastic entrepreneurial pathway work our Innovation and Entrepreneurship team are already doing.
“This work can now be supercharged and will be critical for economic growth, as we will be able to tap into the potential the South of Scotland has to become a rural economic powerhouse.
“During the pilot, our new enterprise coaches will focus on pre-start up stage, and support individuals to realise their entrepreneurial potential and guide them to the next stages of business whilst helping with the development of an entrepreneurial mindset. We would urge all budding entrepreneurs who want to be part of the programme to watch this space.”
Entrepreneur and Investor Ana Stewart, author of the Pathways report on under-representation of women in entrepreneurship, said: “If Scotland is really serious about building a richer, deeper and healthier entrepreneurial economy, we must widen the funnel beyond existing routes to encourage more people to set up and scale their businesses, as opposed to sticking with existing structures and systems; systems we know are not currently reaching a large majority of the population.
“Whilst there is still much more to do to achieve equal access to entrepreneurship, it’s encouraging to see the launch of the SOSE pre-start pilot in tandem with the creation of the light-touch, micro-grant funding, giving would-be founders the best chance of successfully navigating their very first steps into entrepreneurship.”
Are you thinking about setting up your own business? Or maybe you’re already your own boss and want to learn more about how to grow and scale your company? Next week, Virgin StartUp is coming to Edinburgh to host a free Founder Meet Up event.
On Wednesday 20 March at 6pm, Virgin StartUp will be coming to the Virgin Money store on George Street to chat about all things entrepreneurial. The Meet Up event is a great way to meet other budding founders in the area, to share advice, make connections and inspire you to take the next steps.
Jill and Steve Henry, husband and wife team and co-founders of Edinburgh-based outdoor clothing brand Meander Apparel, will be joining the conversation and sharing their experience of starting and scaling a successful business.
Meander Apparel started life in 2018 using a Start Up Loan from Virgin StartUp and the sustainable clothing brand is now targeting revenues of £1.5 million in 2025.
Virgin StartUp is Virgin’s not-for-profit hub for entrepreneurs and its team of experts will be on hand to answer all your questions about start-up funding, investment and business growth.
Virgin StartUp is one of the largest National Support Partners for the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme. Since 2013, it has distributed more than £75 million in funding to more than 5,500 business founders and is aiming to distribute a further £36 million in Start Up Loans before the end of 2025.
Guests attending the Meet Up will also have the chance to win some exciting rewards thanks to Virgin Red, Virgin’s Group-wide rewards club. Virgin Red is bringing its Points Board to the Virgin Money store during the day, and there will still be prizes up for grabs in the evening.
Andy Fishburn, Managing Director at Virgin StartUp, explains: “We know that Edinburgh is a hub for entrepreneurship as we’ve supported many talented early-stage business founders in the city over the years.
“I’m delighted that Jill from Meander Apparel can join us and I know she will have lots of fantastic insights and advice to share.
“Whether you’ve been running a business for a few years and are looking to scale, or you have an exciting idea for a new business and aren’t sure where to start, we’d love for you to join us.”
Hundreds of start-ups supported in first year of programme
Almost 400 of Scotland’s tech start-up businesses have been supported during the first year of the Techscaler programme.
A total of 387 fledgling firms received assistance from the £42 million Scottish Government project – the most comprehensive of its kind in Europe – which provides free mentoring and advice to early stage business owners.
The seventh Techscaler hub will open in Dumfries during this financial year, joining others already operating around the country and underlining the Scottish Government’s commitment to innovative businesses.
The 2023-24 Programme for Government includes an additional £15 million to support entrepreneurs from all walks of life.
First Minister Humza Yousaf visited the Techscaler hub in Stirling to meet start up business owners and learn more about the programme.
The First Minister said: “Growing businesses are fundamental to a thriving Scotland, and the Scottish Government I lead is committed to doing whatever we can to help businesses unleash the enormous economic potential of accelerating a fair, green and growing economy.
“That is why our Programme for Government is investing in the entrepreneurs of the future, building on the valuable work already taking place within Techscalers.
“Tech start-ups right across Scotland now have access to world-class education and mentoring and opportunities for peer learning and networking through the Techscalers – a hugely impressive programme which has made Scotland one of the most tech start-up friendly places in the world.
“We are taking action now, in partnership with business, to help stimulate sustainable and fair economic growth across Scotland.”
Community groups can bid for grants to develop entrepreneurial ideas
A fund to help inspire more entrepreneurs to start or scale up their businesses has been relaunched.
The Ecosystem Fund is being widened this year to include initiatives encouraging young people to consider entrepreneurship from an early age. Applications providing access to support services for under-represented groups including women or those from disadvantaged areas will also be considered.
Community groups, non-profit making organisations, industry bodies, colleges and universities are amongst organisations invited to bid for funding to help boost entrepreneurial activity across Scotland. Grants of up to £50,000 will be available.
Projects could include:
showcasing Scotland’s start-ups globally to attract talent, investment and strategic partners
networking events allowing founders, investors and partners to share expertise and foster connections
training, mentorship and identifying growth opportunities by providing funding for staff, equipment, meeting places or programmes for start ups
encouraging entrepreneurs who support fair work and environmental good practice to make a positive impact on communities
the promotion of learning and teaching in entrepreneurship
tackling barriers or discrimination preventing women and other social groups from accessing support
Wellbeing Economy Secretary Neil Gray said: “This expanded funding will build on Scotland’s international reputation as one of the best places in the UK to do business and help make an impact across the business community.
“Despite representing less than 1% of businesses, start-ups generate more than half the value of all small and medium-sized businesses. The fund will spark innovation while fulfilling our potential to nurture many more inventive new start-up companies and driving sustainable growth.
“We need to instil enthusiasm for business and entrepreneurship at all levels from an early age, which is why I encourage collaborative proposals from a wide range of sectors to enable connections and exchange of ideas. In so doing, we can help those who establish businesses to improve lives – such as advancing renewable energy technologies or creating apps that help tackle food waste.
“The Ecosystem Fund is an important step, but we must make further progress expanding entrepreneurial access and opportunity – ensuring that everyone, no matter their background, has the chance to fulfil their potential.
“Together we can remove barriers and open up access and opportunity to budding entrepreneurs across Scotland. By uniting the business community around this goal, we can create a wellbeing economy which is fair, green and growing.”
Chief Entrepreneur Mark Logan recommended measures to support new businesses in his August 2020 Scottish Technology Ecosystem Review.
Mr Logan said: “Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem to raise a start-up.
“The Ecosystem Fund recognises and supports the vital enabling work of our ecosystem-building organisations. It will accelerate Scotland’s journey towards being an internationally recognised Start-up Nation.”
A total of 24 businesses with high-growth potential have benefited to the tune of £1.4 million after being named as winners in the Scottish EDGE Round 21 awards, which were attended on Friday by First Minister Humza Yousaf and businessman and philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter, as well as entrepreneur and world record holder, Jamie Douglas Hamilton.
Amongst the winners were Glasgow-based Infix Support which won £100,000 towards its Clinician-led, cloud-based scheduling platform that improves NHS theatre efficiency. Clearwell Technology Ltd, a business based in Aboyne which develops exothermic milling systems, also walked away with a prize worth £100,000.
Eight of the prizes went to winners from the Young EDGE Category, where all directors are under the age of 30, with the top Scottish Enterprise prize going to Euro Ticket Club Ltd, which provides flight and ticket offers to British fans of European football. The Institute of Export prize was awarded to LU Innovations Ltd, which creates menstrual products and accessories for adventurers in remote environments. Both winners were recognised for their entrepreneurship with prizes worth £15,000.
Sustainable business practices and a commitment to protecting the planet remain central to the awards. The twenty-first round saw the return of the Net Zero EDGE category, which rewards the efforts of organisations committed to contributing towards the Scottish government’s commitment to reaching Net Zero by 2045.
North Berwick-based Frontier Robotics, which revolutionises marine robots’ sensing and autonomous capabilities, won the Net Zero prize worth £100,000, thanks to additional support from the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Judith Cruickshank, MD of Commercial Mid-Market at Royal Bank of Scotland said: “The time to act on climate change is now and investing in businesses focused on developing solutions through initiatives such as the Net Zero EDGE award is key.
“At Royal Bank of Scotland, we are committed to championing SMEs and each and every one of this year’s winners demonstrates the passion, innovation and determination needed to help bolster and strengthen Scotland’s economy while also making positive strides towards our climate ambitions. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners but in particular, our Net Zero EDGE winner, Frontier.”
The Circular Economy EDGE award, which was introduced in collaboration with Zero Waste Scotland and recognises businesses implementing more circular business methods went to Fife-based Seilich, which harvests skincare product ingredients from the organisation’s own wildflower meadows.
Meanwhile the STV Growth EDGE award, which guarantees airtime went to a consumer-based business, Three Robins, a company creating family-friendly plant-based products, in addition to a financial award of £85,000.
Sharing the accolade of Social Enterprise EDGE winner, Stitch the Gap CIC, which uses sewing tutelage to improve community mental health and environmental impact, and Rhyze Mushrooms, a community mushroom farm and education project, received £50,000 and £20,000 respectively from the Postcode Innovation Trust supported award.
The ceremony marked the final round of the awards for Scottish EDGE Chief Operating Officer Steven Hamill, who has been involved with the awards since their inception in 2013 and has overseen the establishment of partnerships with the Royal Bank of Scotland, the Hunter Foundation, the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise.
Steven Hamill said: ‘Over the course of the last decade, the EDGE awards have acknowledged the innovation, creativity, and future-centred mindset of over 500 Scottish businesses.
“With over £20 million having been awarded so far, Scottish EDGE plays a crucial role in giving businesses with high-growth potential the resources to scale and develop their work. It’s been an honour to collaborate with partner organisations to form long-lasting relationships and ensure that Scottish entrepreneurship continues to be rewarded’.
Jane Martin, MD of Innovation and Investment at Scottish Enterprise, said: “Once again it has been great to partner with Scottish EDGE, which plays an important role in nurturing innovative high growth potential start-ups as part of Scotland’s fantastic entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“I’d like to congratulate all of this round’s winners, who I am sure will go on to do amazing things both for the Scottish economy and for the benefit of societyas a whole.”
Sandy Young/scottishphotographer.com
Full list of this year’s winners (alphabetically)
Category: Scottish EDGE Award
Chorus Training – Aberdeen – £70,000 – In hazardous environments safety culture is key to business performance. It’s essential to perform, comply with regulations, deliver training and promote individual accountability for safety.
Clean Water Designs (ta Novus) –Edinburgh – £80,000 – Our high-speed low-energy distillation technology, enables homes and businesses anywhere in the world, to access consistent high-purity water, without expensive consumable parts or plastic bottles (above)..
Clearwell Technology Ltd – Aboyne – £100,000 – Clearwell Technology is developing unique exothermic milling systems which aim to transform offshore decommissioning by delivering substantial time, cost, and greenhouse gas emission reductions.
Fitabeo Therapeutics Ltd –Edinburgh – £100,000 – A specialty pharmaceutical company that develops and commercialises innovative medicines to address some of the society’s most pressing challenges.
Frontier Robotics – North Berwick – £100,000 – We revolutionise marine robots’ sensing and autonomous capabilities with minimum hardware and software modifications. We focus on the renewable offshore energy sector.
Incharvie Group Ltd – Leven – £60,000 – Feragaia is Scotland’s first distilled alcohol-free spirit. Based in Fife, Feragaia is distilled in Fife, bottled in Glasgow and ships to customers around the world.
Infix Support Ltd – Glasgow – £100,000 – Infix is a clinician-led, cloud-based scheduling platform that significantly improves NHS theatre efficiency. Integration to the NHS showed an increase of theatre efficiency by 26%
Nooku – Glasgow- £80,000 – Nooku is creating an engaging air quality monitor which empowers people to understand and improve their environment in pursuit of better comfort, health, and happiness.
Seilich – Pathhead – £75,000 – At Seilich we create wildflower meadows from which we harvest ingredients for our range of award-winning natural skincare products.
Silver Lion Innovations – Glasgow – £80,000 – SLI exists to provide healthcare solutions based on personal experience. EasyOver, is a ‘smart’ product that safely turns people with mobility issues over in bed.
Three Robins Ltd – Edinburgh – £85,000 – Our mission is to make healthy, great tasting oat milk products that children, their parents and the planet will love.
Tuggs – Glasgow – £75,000 – Tuggs is the country’s first freshly-prepared, insect-based dog food. We create customised meal plans that are delivered to consumers on a subscription each month.
WEETEQ LTD – Glasgow – £100,000 – Weeteq is a ‘tiny’ embedded technology company providing industrial solutions. Our mission is developing circuit-level artificial intelligence solutions to accelerate sustainable growth of smart technologies.
Yaldi Games – Edinburgh – £60,000 – Yaldi Games is a mission-led game developer making meaningful games that inspire real life activities.
Category: Social Enterprise EDGE
Rhyze Mushrooms – Edinburgh – £25,000 – Rhyze Mushrooms is a community mushroom farm and education project. We grow mushrooms from waste and teach others the skills to do so too.
Stitch the Gap CIC – Glasgow – £50,000 – We deliver a mental health and environmental impact at the grassroots of our communities by teaching the sewing skills to repair, reuse and repurpose textiles.
Category: Young EDGE
4SB Mobility Ltd – Peebles – £10,000 – We are engineering a swappable, ‘jerry-can’ electric vehicle (EV) battery. It attaches to the EVs main battery, giving users 90 miles range in 2 minutes.
Augmentum Influencer Solutions – Grangemouth – £10,000 – We’re an influencer marketing agency specialising in growing brands exclusively in the Health and Wellness space by leveraging the power of the creator economy.
Dastardly Line – Glasgow – £10,000 – Dastardly Line are a Glasgow based design studio that creates innovative products around problematic textile waste streams produced by UK industry.
Euro Ticket Club Ltd – Edinburgh – £15,000 – We provide flight and football ticket offers, via a weekly email newsletter, for British fans who want to watch European football.
LU Innovations LTD – Glasgow- £15,000 – LU’s on a mission to annihilate the hurdles stopping menstruators going on adventurers. Designing sustainable products, education and training to ensure good menstrual hygiene anywhere.
Nuclevolve Pvt. Ltd – Glasgow – £10,000 – Nuclevolve is a radiation protection technology company that relies on the development of materials engineering to achieve advancements in the space and medical industries.
Shasha Network – Edinburgh – £10,000 – Shasha Network (SCIO) is an online platform that equips secondary students across Africa with soft skills and career development to achieve their fullest potential.
Studio Lutalica Ltd – Edinburgh – £10,000 – Lutalica is a design studio focusing on Feminist & LGBTQ+ projects and supporting businesses to create safer workplaces for women and LGBTQ+ people.
Livestream discussion will take place on Thursday 30th June 2022 on Amazon UK’s Instagram channel, featuring founder of The Break, Patricia Bright; Foolish founder Olivia Attwood; and Montana Brown, founder of Swim Society – all spilling their secrets on what it takes to grow a business today.
These well-known faces will be joined by entrepreneurs from some of Amazon’s successful small business selling partners, including Human Food and Absolute Collagen.
The livestream panel discussion is all part of Amazon’s support of small businesses ahead of its upcoming Prime Day celebrations, with shoppers also in with a chance to Win Big by Supporting Small.
Amazon announces the launch of Small Business, Big Dreams: an interactive, virtual livestream aimed at helping up-and-coming entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.
The livestreamed discussion will explore the future of young entrepreneurship and how to successfully market a business in the ever-changing social media age of 2022.
To tune in for free, head to Amazon UK’s Instagram channel, at 7pm on Thursday 30th June 2022 to take part and submit questions for the panel.
Last year, Prime Day saw customers spend over $1.9bn globally on more than 70 million small business products during the promotional period, but with a constantly evolving economy, the next generation of entrepreneurs and business owners require the right tools and guidance to help them adapt and succeed online.
Amazon’s Small Business, Big Dreams livestream will give future entrepreneurs inspiration and advice on turning a brilliant start-up idea into a successful business, as well as exploring the impact an engaged online following can have on a brand.
Celebrity business owners, including Patricia Bright, Olivia Attwood, and Montana Brown, will offer their expertise on a range of useful topics for budding business owners, including the power of influence and the impact it can have on start-ups; going viral and its potential effect upon a business; and how to take a business to the next level once the sales start to come in.
Those who tune in will be able to send through questions in advance for the panel which will be moderated by host, Patricia Bright, to discuss and answer.
Alongside the celebrities, small business owners Ky Wright of Human Food, Class of 2022 Forbes 30 under 30’s Darcy Laceby of Absolute Collagen, and Olivia Ferdi of TRIP Drinks will join the livestream panel.
As experienced Amazon small business selling partners, they will share their personal advice on why combining social media with selling on a store like Amazon can be a great way to take a business to the next level, and how events such as Prime Day offer huge opportunities to their respective brands.
The full line-up is:
Patricia Bright, founder of The Break, as panel host
Olivia Attwood, founder of Foolish
Montana Brown, founder of Swim Society
Darcy Laceby, co-founder of Absolute Collagen
Ky Wright, founder of Human Food
Olivia Ferdi, co-founder director of TRIP Drinks
Emma Jones, founder of Enterprise Nation
John Boumphrey, Country Manager, Amazon UK said:“We’re so lucky to have such a talented pool of next generation UK entrepreneurs. We know it can sometimes be tricky to navigate the complexities of launching a business in this digital age, so it’s brilliant to see such a great line-up of innovators and experts coming together to give their insights.
“Over 50% of products sold on Amazon in the UK are from small and medium sized businesses, and key events such as our upcoming Prime Day can have a huge impact on start-ups. Our small business selling partners included in the line-up will be sure to impart their expert advice for those who have a dream of setting up their own successful business.”
Patricia Bright, founder of The Break, an empowering online platform for women, said: “I know from experience that starting your own business is never easy, but I’ve been lucky to grow my brand largely in part to social media and I owe everything to my loyal supporters – many who have been with me since day one.
“I’m excited to lead the panel on behalf of Amazon and to join an important conversation around supporting the future of young entrepreneurs in whatever way I can.”
Olivia Attwood, founder of contemporary luxury brand, Foolish, said: “I’ve put my heart and soul into growing the brand identity of Foolish on social media, as that’s where my audience lives.
“I can’t wait to join the panel to discuss how to navigate social media as a brand and hopefully help others thrive as a result!”
Montana Brown, founder of swimwear brand, Swim Society, said: “It’s really important that we support small businesses as much as possible, especially in today’s climate.
“I hope that people send in as many questions as they can during the livestream so we can help them on their business journey.”
This year Amazon has made it easier than ever to support small businesses on Prime Day:
Win Big by Supporting Small: From Tuesday 21st June until Monday 11th July, for every £1 spent on eligible small business products, customers will receive a chance to win great prizes. Hundreds of thousands of customers globally will have a chance to win Amazon gift cards. To learn more, visit amazon.co.uk/primedaysweepstakes.
Look for the Small Business Badge: Prime members can discover and shop products from small business brands in Amazon’s store with the new Small Business Badge. This new badge makes it easier for members to identify products from small business brands and artisans. To learn more and shop curated collections, visit amazon.co.uk/supportsmall.
Innovators to share in £150K prize fund and other business growth support measures
A host of University of Edinburgh students and alumni who have founded their own startup companies are celebrating after taking honours at this year’s Scottish EDGE Awards.
Xiaoyan Ma, founder of Danu Robotics, an innovative business focused on developing sustainable technological solutions for the benefit of the environment, was named among this year’s main award winners. The company secures £75K in grant funding to accompany its award.
Three other company founders, which have also been supported by Edinburgh Innovations (EI), the University’s commercialisation service, were named as Young EDGE winners. They include Alex Hodson of Podspectrix; Niall McGrath of Robocean; and Elena Höge of Yaldi Games.
Meanwhile Ioannis Stasinopoulos of Prozymi Biolabs, a further EI-supported startup, was named as a Wildcard EDGE award winner. Between them, the four companies will share a further £45K in grant funding along with their awards.
The annual Scottish EDGE Awards, aimed at identifying and supporting Scotland’s up-and-coming, innovative, high-growth entrepreneurial talent, recognises and supports entrepreneurs and startup businesses.
Funded by the Hunter Foundation, the Royal Bank of Scotland, the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and private donors, the competition is delivered twice annually and has to date supported 395 early-stage Scottish businesses with over £15m in award funding.
The winners from this year’s Scottish EDGE Awards will share in more than £150K ingrants and benefit from other forms of support and mentoring to help them maximise their growth aspirations.
John Lonsdale, Head of Enterprise Services from Edinburgh Innovations said:“We congratulate all the University of Edinburgh students and alumni in their success at this year’s Scottish EDGE Awards.
“We are delighted to have supported these emerging companies, all of which are focused on developing innovative solutions to some of the key challenges facing society.
“As an organisation committed to helping University of Edinburgh startups reach their full potential, Edinburgh Innovations is proud of its role in supporting entrepreneurs who are driving economic growth in Scotland and beyond.”
