Scottish EDGE

JOIN US! With the Semi-finals starting this week, we're excited to release tickets for the #EDGE25 Live Final, taking place on 9th May at Royal Bank Conference Centre, Edinburgh! Owing to the success of our new format, trialled in the previous round, we will again be running a dual-pitching event - two simultaneous pitching sessions in one venue. We're delighted to welcome back our fantastic partners and supporters to the exhibitor and networking atrium - on hand to offer expert advice on all areas of business growth. The event will consist of the usual mix of pitching, networking, competitions, and speakers - details of which will follow soon. The winners will be announced at the EDGE Awards dinner on 20th May. This year's event promises to be one of our most exciting yet, with a brand-new format designed to enhance your experience. Join us for: 💥 Impressive Multi-Sector Finalists 💥 Advice from industry expert exhibitors 💥 Sector specialist workshops 💥 Great speakers 💥 High profile judges 💥 A £1.5M+ Prize Pot Finalists, workshop schedule, judges and speakers will be announced over the coming weeks. 🎟 Grab a discounted EARLY BIRD ticket and we'll see you on 9th May: scottishedge.com/edge25

Thanks to all winners, partners and friends who sacrificed watching the Scotland team secure a victory to join us for yet another incredible #EDGEAlumni event in Glasgow, hosted by Royal Bank of Scotland Business at the stunning itison house. After a welcoming intro from EDGE CEO Evelyn McDonald, Royal Bank’s Regional Accelerator Director, Heidi Simpson (nee Barnes), updated us on some exiting upcoming additions to the Accelerator Programme (announced soon). EDGE COO Kevin Walls returned to stoke our alumni’s competitive streak with the now legendary Kev's Kwestions (the pub quiz sponsored by ChatGPT) . Our ridiculously impressive speakers, Paul Crawford of Panther M*lk and Rebecca Shirley Cleary of Nami Surgical delivered a healthy measure of inspiration with medical precision (see what we did there?), with relatable start-up stories and the overarching message of preservance against the odds. 👏 Support Partner Ülane Vilumets of the Republic of Estonia e-Residency put across a convincing (and very entertaining) case for exploring the opportunities the e-Residency can unlock, as well as the similarities between Estonia and Scotland- “We both love a good side hustle!” Tough acts to follow, but nevertheless our entertainter for the evening, Chris Forbes - whom you may know as Duncan, the other Murray Brother, sent our guests off to network with a comedy set that had us laughing all the way to the buffet table. A brilliant night all ‘round that has no doubt led to some fantastic connections and collaborations. See you soon for the next one!

Mark your calendars and grab a discounted SUPER EARLY BIRD ticket for the Scottish EDGE Round 25 Live Final, taking place on Friday 9th May! Owing to the success of our new format, trialled in the previous round, we will again be running a dual-pitching event, two simultaneous pitching sessions in one venue. We're delighted to welcome back our fantastic partners and supporters to the exhibitor and networking atrium - on hand to offer expert advice on all areas of business growth. The event will consist of the usual mix of pitching, networking, competitions, and speakers - details of which will follow soon. 🎟️ ➡️ https://lu.ma/subiat3d

Well, that was fuuuun!! Scottish EDGE team just spent the past 3 weeks on the road delivering the first ever #RegionalEDGE Finals. Our pilot scheme to get more EDGE funding out to businesses in rural and local areas has been met with great support and success. Thanks to our amazing partners Opportunity North East Limited, GrowBiz Scotland - rural enterprise support, Elevator and Highlands and Islands Enterprise who got on the fast train to deliver a brand new EDGE concept from first applications to cash out the door in just 12 weeks! 💥 Total fund = £400k for awards provided by The Scottish Government. Aberdeen, ONE, 20th Feb - 12 finalists, 5 winners = £100,000 funding. 🚀 Perth, GrowBiz, 24th Feb - 12 finalists, 5 winners = £100,000 funding 💥 Dundee, Elevator, 26th Feb - 12 finalists, 5 winners = £100,000 funding 🥳 Forres, HIE, 6th March - 12 finalists, 5 winners = £100,000 funding 🍾 Thanks to the partner leads Jane MacLeod, Karen Nichol, Cat Ward and Caroline MacLellan for your brilliant and fast past organisational skills. Nailed it. Many thanks to the 16 fabulous final's judges provided by the partners! They were all amazing! 👏👏 My personal thanks to Evelyn McDonald and Jack Proctor for the laughs, pizza, beer and smashed TV on the road. It was a blast and a pleasure to deliver it with you both. Additional thanks to rest of the EDGE team Andy Palmer, Myles Bax, Marta Eizaguirre, Tracey Hogarth for listening to my endless checking and double checking every detail of the process!! 🙏 Hopefully we can do this again......

Our #RegionalEDGE finals finished on an apt high with five brilliant Highlands and Islands-based businesses taking a share of the region's £100,000 prize pot, delivered with support of Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The awards ceremony took place at the picturesque Horizon Scotland building in Forres, with previous EDGE winner Andrew Slorance of PHOENIX INSTINCT LIMITED, doing the honours as keynote speaker. Of the twelve shortlisted finalists, Thistle and Cloth and Highland Domes took home £10,000 for handstitched kiltmaking and geodesic structures, respectively. Awarded the £15,000 prizes were outdoor sauna company, Haar Sauna, and Crofter's Kitchen - an outdoor farm-to-fork and dock-to-dish eatery. The main prize of the evening, £50,000, was awarded to Rescue Winch Ltd, a revolutionary paddlesport safety equipment company. HIE Chief Executive Stuart Black opened the event by recognising the value of the partnership in the economic development and support of the Highlands and Islands. Earlier in the day, David Reid, Sarah Medcraf, john mackenzie, Freda Newton and Paul Callaghan, undertook the challenging yet rewarding task of assessing the outstanding group of pitching businesses and selecting the evening's winners. And finally, Joan Johnston of Ava Innes reinforced the notion of entrepreneurial perseverance as a multi-time EDGE applicant and finalist, now sharing her 'winner's story'. Caroline MacLellan, Senior Innovation Manager at HIE, said: “Regional EDGE showcases the incredible innovation and entrepreneurial spirit thriving in our region. It offers ambitious entrepreneurs crucial funding and support needed to bring their visions to life. We are proud to support these high-growth businesses as they contribute to a vibrant and sustainable economy. We’re delighted to be working with our partners to deliver the new Regional EDGE programme. It’s a great opportunity for rural entrepreneurs and we look forward to helping them win a share of the prize pot.” Overall, a remarkable end to our Regional EDGE series that showcased the incredible talent of the Highlands and Islands. 👏

We’re at the midway point of our #RegionalEDGE Finals as Highlands and Islands delivers an incredible shortlist of Finalists thanks to delivery partners Highlands and Islands Enterprise. A huge thanks to today’s expert judging panel for undertaking the rewarding but challenging task of selecting the winners. Well done to those who have pitched so far and good luck to those still to go. Tune in tomorrow for a full run down of tonight’s awards. Panel: David Reid Freda Newton (morning john mackenzie (afternoon) Sarah Medcraf Paul Callaghan

Congratulations to the five incredible businesses that have won a share of the #RegionalEDGE Dundee and Angus prize fund of £100,000, delivered with support of Elevator. The awards ceremony took place at the iconic DC Thomson building, with Owen Wyatt, Chief Growth Officer, doing the honours as keynote speaker and representing the entrepreneurialism that is driving innovation across DC Thomson's communities. Of the twelve shortlisted finalists, AgriAudit and Konglomerate Games took home £10,000 for a farm audit platform and social purpose game design, respectively. Awarded the £15,000 prizes were Murdoch Wood Ltd, for professional tree services, and The Green Co., for condensed, eco-friendly cleaning solutions. The main prize of the evening, £50,000, was awarded to MedAscend, a training platform allowing medical students to improve their communication and diagnostic skills through virtual consultations with AI patients. Elevator CEO Designate Rachel Ross opened the event by highlighting that the awards make a powerful statement - that innovation, ambition, and entrepreneurial excellence are thriving in Dundee and Angus. Earlier in the day, Rachel, alongside fellow judges Scott Mathieson, Mary B. Ballantyne and David Romilly, undertook the challenging yet rewarding task of selecting winners from an outstanding pool of businesses. And finally, Jevin Zac shared his "Winner's Story", offering insights from his startup journey and emphasising the importance of perseverance, no matter how many times you're told to give up Overall, a brilliant and inspiring day highlighting the remarkable business talent that Dundee and Angus have to offer. 👏

#EDGE25 is now CLOSED! Thanks to everyone who took the time to apply, and to those who helped us spread the word. We'll be in touch soon. Good Luck!

Huge congrats to the five high-growth start-up businesses that have won a share of the #RegionalEDGE Perth and Kinross prize fund of £100,000, delivered with support of GrowBiz Scotland - rural enterprise support. Of the twelve excellent shortlisted Perth and Kinross finalists, Tara Scott and Paul Scott of Enriched Being Microgreens and Cornelia MacWilliam of Little Birdie Foods received £10,000 for their nutrient-packed shots and award-winning coffee roster produce respectively. Taking home the £15,000 prizes were John Hume of Bookr for a SaS scheduling platform for the Healthcare Education industry, and Susanna Macintyre and Lauren Gentry of Nowhere Sauna for a wood-fired sauna experience based by the mill pond at Comrie Croft. The main £50,000 prize was awarded to Morven Greig/Shaw of Selaura - a food supplement formulation supporting all 48 symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. Provost Xander McDade welcomed the Awards Evening delegates, and First Minister of Scotland John Swinney joined the proceedings to provide a keynote in which he hailed the impetus that the venture brings to the nurturing of business growth and support in the area. Jackie Brierton spoke of the support of the rural economy that drives GrowBiz's practices and was a primary driver of the EDGE partnership, and EDGE winner Helen Avril Stewart gave an inspiring (and funny) perspective on the benefit of going down business 'rabbit holes'. Mark Scott of Bella+Duke gave insight on behalf of his fellow Judges - Kirsty Lunn, Gordon Hector, and Charlotte Blackler, on the challenges and rewards of both assessing and growing a business. In all, a fantastic day that showcased some of the incredible business talent Perth and Kinross has to offer. 👏

We’re at the halfway mark with our #RegionalEDGE Finals as Perth & Kinross delivers an exceptional group of Finalists thanks to delivery partners GrowBiz Scotland - rural enterprise support. A huge thanks to today’s expert judging panel and all pitching businesses, you were brilliant! Good luck for tonight’s awards. Tune in tomorrow for a full run down of the event. Panel: Kirsty Lunn Gordon Hector Charlotte Blackler Mark Scott