Scottish EDGE announces finalists and gives nod to Glasgow’s Future City ambitions

University of Strathclyde’s state-of-the-art Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) will play host to day one of the two-day Scottish Edge Round 14 Live Final, which returns to its traditional venue, RBS Conference Centre, Edinburgh for day two.

The split-day pitching format was introduced last year following additional funding input from Scottish Enterprise which has allowed for a greater number of businesses to be supported.

The current round of Scottish Edge kicked-off in late January, attracting a record number of applications from across the country. During an intensive four-day long semi-final, 63 shortlisted entrepreneurs pitched their businesses to a collective panel of 20 judges.

The emerging 37 multisector finalists will now pitch for a share in Scottish Edge’s prize pot of £1.3 million to a heavyweight panel of judges, chaired by Margaret Gibson of EY Foundation and Simon Hannah of Filshill on 28th and 30th May. 

An evening awards ceremony will follow soon after the finals, during which around half of the finalists will be awarded a share of the money on offer, with prizes ranging of up to £150,000.

This round will additionally see the first up to £100,000 Circular Economy Edge winner, which was introduced with support from Zero Waste Scotland, to recognise businesses that keep products and materials in the economy for as long as possible. Also announced at the Awards Ceremony will be the winners of Young Edge, a sub-category of Scottish Edge for entrepreneurs under the age of 30, and Wild Card Edge for businesses who have yet to commence trading. Both offer awards of up to £15,000 grant funding.

The competition, which is supported by the Royal Bank of Scotland, the Hunter Foundation, Scottish Government, and Scottish Enterprise - has been a springboard to over 300 businesses. Trtl, Ooni, Brewgooder, Caresourcer, and Beauty Kitchen, are just some of the companies to come through Scottish Edge in recent years.

Past winners have, to date, created 1,652 Scottish jobs, generated £131m in turnover, and received additional investment of £108m. In the last round of Scottish EDGE, cash prizes of almost £2 million were shared amongst 37 winners across all categories.

Scottish Edge CEO, Evelyn McDonald, said: “Glasgow as an Edge semi-final destination has been on our radar for some time. At the time of Edge’s inception, Glasgow was lauded for its smart city technology and joined a network of Future Cities around the world and we have always shared a common value of nurturing globally recognised advances. 

“Likewise, our current and longstanding relationship with the University of Strathclyde has enabled us to witness first-hand how the institution embraces challenge and delivers on innovation, so we are delighted to be hosting our first Glasgow final in the University’s state-of-the-art Technology and Innovation Centre venue.

“Holding the Final across two such iconic cities and venues provides the perfect platform to showcase our 37 magnificent, multisector finalists. I wish all of them the best of luck in the competition and look forward to supporting the winners to grow their businesses in Scotland.”

Olga Kozlova, director of innovation and industry engagement at Strathclyde said: “We are honoured to be Glasgow’s first host of the prestigious Scottish Edge competition. As a leading partner of the Glasgow City Innovation District, Strathclyde has a strong commitment to growing the collaborative relationships between academics and businesses to drive economic growth and tackle global challenges.

“Several Strathclyde supported and alumni businesses have seen success from the Scottish Edge competition, and we are delighted to have five Strathclyders represented in the Round 14 Final.  We are looking forward to welcoming EDGE’s entrepreneurial community to Strathclyde and wish all finalists the best of luck.”

List of finalists:

• Alterwaste - Brand-new, fully compostable material made from industrial eggshell waste and has the potential to replace plastic - Edinburgh
• Bespoke Fabrics - Luxury cashmere filled duvets and pillows from a sustainable source - Elgin
• Bounce Back Drinks - Scientifically proven drinks for specific health challenges - Glasgow
• Carbogenics - Producer of the carbon-based additive CreChar for anaerobic digestion - Edinburgh
• CensorPic - Protects children by removing access to a device’s camera upon real-time detection of nudity - Glasgow
• Chastity - Developed a “zero-alcohol spirit” to meet “Halal” standards - Glasgow
• Sofa forLife - A sustainable, zero-waste modular Sofa - Glasgow
• e-chair.com - Web platform where hair and beauty Salons can rent out their space to freelance professionals - Glasgow
• Fodilicious - Food business offering the UK’s first allergen free, FODMAP friendly products - Livingston
• Galloway Modular Construction - Re-purpose used shipping containers to create modern and contemporary office space – Newton Stewart
• Rocio - Seller of premium wooden handbags and clutches internationally - Glasgow
• IX Tech Global - Developed Datasaur, an e-commerce assistant software for SME and e-commerce businesses - Edinburgh
• Kingdom Scotland - Scotland’s First Fragrance House creating modern perfumes for men and women - Edinburgh
• Leaseloco - Comparison site for car leasing, aggregating prices from brokers and dealers - Kilmarnock
• LiberEat - App to make life easier for people with allergies when grocery shopping, eating out and finding recipes - Aberdeen
• Love Rose Lingerie - Designs and creates appealing lingerie for women who have had breast surgery - Edinburgh
• Miigen (UK) - Online tools to support later life living utilizing voice tag technology - Stirling
• Molke - Manufacture body positive and breastfeeding friendly underwear in bright and eye-catching designs - Perth
• My Customer Lens - Feedback platform that turns multiple sources of feedback into business intelligence in real time - Glasgow
• MycoNourish - Harnesses the power of beneficial microbes to enhance crop production - Dundee
• Origin Peptides - Manufacturer of peptides for cosmetic and pharmaceutical use - Edinburgh
• Phox Water - Innovative water filter to offer a more environmentally friendly option for drinking water - Glasgow
• R3-IOT - Collects sensor data wirelessly to enable organisations to gain insight into their operations - Glasgow
• Revive Eco - Waste recycling service focused on producing innovative products from used coffee grounds - Glasgow
• ScreenIn3D - Screening services that help drug developers to validate effectiveness of their compounds - Glasgow
• Seltza – Utopia, flavoured water for children containing no sugar or artificial sweeteners - Balfron
• Sensalytx Energy - Q-DOS, a pioneering software platform for the oil and gas decommissioning market - Aberdeen
• Sentinel Biosensor - State-of-the-art, medical grade, wearable, vital-signs monitor that works in hospitals and in patients’ homes - Lanark
• Sentinel Subsea - Environmentally friendly monitoring of suspended and decommissioned subsea oil and gas assets - Aberdeen
• SiMologics - Conjugate gold nanoparticles to antibodies for treatment of head and neck cancer - Glasgow
• Soar - Build technological platforms to help credit unions grow and operate more efficiently - Glasgow
• SoundBops - Musical education instruments designed for children - Glasgow
• SussMyBike - Vehicle suspension analysis company for mountain bikers to help optimise suspension settings - Innerleithen
• The Tartan Campervan Co - Offer tartan wraps and conversions for VW Campervans - Dundonald
• Udrafter - Platform where businesses can post one-off jobs to be completed by skilled students - Aberdeen
• Wester Spirit Co - Rum distillery which produces a spiced rum which is distributed across the UK and Europe - Glasgow
• Yummikeys - Designs and sells stainless steel sensory teething toys for babies - Aberlady