Scientist wins unique business competition

Adam Brown, from the Institute for Energy and Environment in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering has won Converge Challenge, a competition run by Heriot-Watt University aimed at discovering and supporting Scotland’s next generation of entrepreneurs.

Adam won after continually impressing the panel of judges with his idea and succinct business plan for ‘Lumen Technology’ – an intelligent condition monitoring decision support software. The software will enable utilities companies to monitor the health and anticipated lifespan of their equipment as well as allow them to predict failures and schedule repairs in advance, resulting in improvements to efficiency, operational output and cost.

With the electricity network infrastructure having been in place for between 40-50 years, Lumen Technology has the potential to support companies and ultimately the public, in making significant financial savings which could reach into the millions.

Adam said of his victory: “I am absolutely delighted to have won Converge Challenge and feel really excited about what the future holds. It was extremely tough and I had never done anything like it before but I now feel more confident about going out there and pitching my idea and hopefully turning it into a successful business.

“The guidance and support I received through each stage has been invaluable and I would fully encourage anyone out there with an idea to enter this competition next year. There is so much advice and information you learn that everyone comes away well equipped and in a stronger position to progress.”

More than 40 applications were received in what was only the second year the competition has run. More people from more universities than before applied to take part and be in with a chance of winning £25,000 in cash and around £20,000 of in kind support.

Olga Kozlova, enterprise creation manager at Heriot-Watt University who was responsible for devising and delivering Converge Challenge said: “Adam is a worthy winner who excelled at each stage of the competition and demonstrated a strong level of awareness and understanding of how he could turn his idea into a functioning enterprise. I wish him every success and hope that in time, he may share his knowledge and expertise with future generations of entrepreneurs.”

John Anderson, chief executive of Entrepreneurial Exchange, welcomed the news. He said: “The success of Converge Challenge in attracting a high number of entries is testament to the hard work of the Heriot-Watt team and the aspiration of researchers from all over Scotland to explore ways of creating a business from their work. This is yet another example of the reality of what is happening every day in Scotland – there is no “lost generation” of entrepreneurs here!”

Eleanor Mitchell, commercialisation director at Scottish Enterprise, which supported the competition said: ”The Converge Challenge programme is a fantastic experience for research entrepreneurs, providing support and advice to build their confidence and skills and enabling them to work on turning their innovative ideas into an exciting business. The commercialisation of technologies which have developed from the truly innovative research in our universities is central to Scottish Enterprise’s Commercialisation Team activities and we’ll be providing continuing support to Adam and Bellrock as he grows his company in Scotland.”