Scottish EDGE24 Winners

Scottish EDGE is Scotland’s premier business funding competition, designed to support and accelerate the growth of the country’s most innovative and high-potential startups. Awarding up to £100,000 in funding, the competition opened for applications in August and closed this week as the winners of EDGE24 were announced.

As proud support partners of Scottish EDGE, we were delighted to go along and watch as the 24 finalists presented their final pitches last week (28th November), presenting to business heavyweights across two pitching rooms. The competition started early with the fantastic hosts, Matthew Quinn and Greg Summers, initiating some friendly rivalry of their own with the hashtag #downstairsbestroom.

The first award was won before the finalists took to the stage as EDGE welcomed its youngest ever audience member. Vladimir Scutelnic, founder of Cleanifiq, a platform which connects local cleaners with customers in a fair and friendly way, brought along family members including his eight-year-old son, really emphasising the sense of community in EDGE and hopefully inspiring some early talent along the way.

Finalists then took to the stage to pitch. There is some incredibly impressive talent in Scotland as we heard a range of pitches from gut health supplements and games made for detecting early stages of cognitive decline to undersea robots. The finalists then answered questions from the judges, which offered some food for thought, getting them to think about their business models and the future of the industries in which they operate.

Then it was time for some seasoned professionals to take a turn. We heard a partner pitch from Derek Polowyj and Ewan Anderson at Talent Spark, a recruitment service designed to help early-stage businesses find the right talent. While the judges humoured their ‘headhunt-ache’ over recruitment firms, the sentiment was clear – people make businesses grow. Scottish EDGE is dedicated to creating a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem in Scotland, providing businesses with the resources and support they need to thrive.

We also had the privilege of hearing some words of wisdom from Oli Norman, founder of itison, during a fireside chat with EDGE CEO Evelyn McDonald. Oli drew from personal experiences to highlight that business is all about self-belief, resilience, and perspective – especially when the infamous Elfingrove received a bit of a frosty reception.

Already supporting 569 early-stage Scottish business with more than £25million in award funding, this week’s EDGE awards ceremony was a night to remember. Celebrating the incredible achievements of 37 winners across various categories, including the main Edge, Young Edge, and Wild Card Edge. These innovative winners collectively received a share of £1.5 million in funding.

Tom Arthur MSP, Minister for Employment and Investment, spoke at the awards dinner, praising Scotland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and the crucial role of funding initiatives like Scottish EDGE. He emphasised how current EDGE winners, by growing their businesses in Scotland, will shape the future of the Scottish economy. Jamie Burns of Ailsa Reliability, a previous winner from round 20 and one of this year’s award sponsors, shared his inspiring journey. He highlighted the pivotal role Scottish EDGE funding played in his company’s success and the importance of giving back to the community.

Hoping to follow in the footsteps of the previous EDGE winners, a huge congratulations is due to this year’s winners, which included:

• Gut Wealth, a liquid sachet with a blend of vitamins, minerals and a postbiotic ingredient designed to support your digestive wellbeing, was awarded an impressive £100,000 in funding and received the Scottish Government Pathways award. Bebello, a baby bottle washer that automatically cleans, sterilises and dries bottles and breast pump parts, secured £100,000 in funding. Matthew McLean, founder of Airspection, a business using drones from accessible locations to inspect hard-to-reach infrastructure also took home £100,000, as did Cleanifiq, with its platform for connecting cleaners and customers.
• There were a number of businesses which were recognised for their social and environmental impact. The Betti Pod, a business dedicated to promoting sustainable menstrual practices was awarded £70,000 in funding and received the Circular Economy Prize. Pride Outside, LGBTQ+ inclusion experts helping other organisations to achieve their own inclusion goals, received £75,000 and the Social Enterprise EDGE award.
• A number of businesses were in health and tech related sectors. The STV prize was awarded to Ava Innes for her sustainable bedding brand and SENGUARD, assisting the most vulnerable with cybersecurity threats, won £75,000. Mena, a herbologist creating products to relieve menopausal symptoms received £70,000 and Seluna, a med-tech startup developing wearable technology to remotely diagnose sleep disorders secured a £70,000 award.

The social and economic impact of all EDGE awards up to and including round 23 is truly remarkable, with 4,172 new jobs created, £736million in additional turnover facilitated, and £450million in additional investment. The excitement continues with the upcoming launch of Regional EDGE on Monday, covering Dundee & Angus, Highlands & Islands, Perth & Kinross, and the north east.

However, Scottish EDGE offers more than just financial support. The competition provides invaluable mentorship and guidance, helping entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of growing a business. The Scottish EDGE team conducts workshops and provides resources to assist applicants in crafting strong applications and delivering compelling pitches.

There is an ever-growing sense of pride here at Harper Macleod for being support partners of Scottish EDGE. Part of our involvement includes our mentorship scheme offered to all winners – a free programme designed to give growing companies the benefits of an in-house general counsel to call upon, without the cost. More information on our support packages for Scottish EDGE, Young EDGE and Wild Card EDGE winners and finalists is available here 

Once again, a massive congratulations to the winners and those who took part in EDGE 24!