Winners of the Scottish EDGE announced

More than £704,000 of funding has been awarded to Scotland’s brightest and most innovative start-ups, Finance Secretary John Swinney confirmed tonight at the second Scottish EDGE Awards.

Eighteen young Scottish businesses that have demonstrated the greatest potential to grow and succeed have secured awards of up to £50k through the Scottish Government’s Scottish EDGE fund, which aims to support and encourage entrepreneurial activity in Scotland. The Scottish Government has worked closely with Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, SDI, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), Prince’s Trust, Prince’s Youth Business Trust, Business Gateway and Entrepreneurial Spark in developing the new fund.

Launched in October 2012, this round of the competition received 217 applications and 30 of these were shortlisted to pitch their ideas in person tonight. Applications for funding were considered by an Investment Panel, composed of Scotland’s leading business people, who selected the finalists to go on to pitch for the prize money.

The panel of Sir Willie Haughey (City Refrigeration), Julie Grieve (Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust), Kevin Dorren (founder of Diet Chef), Crawford Gillies (Chairman of Scottish Enterprise) and Gordon Merrylees (RBS) decided on the winners.

Finance Secretary John Swinney said:

“I am seeing a new spirit of entrepreneurship developing in Scotland, building on our nation’s proud tradition as innovators, and this second round of the Scottish EDGE Awards celebrates and supports fresh Scottish business talent.

"This Government and our enterprise agencies are focused on maintaining Scotland’s position as the most supportive environment for business in the UK. Scottish EDGE targets ambitious entrepreneurs wishing to establish or grow their business and will provide real opportunities for them to contribute to Scotland’s economic success.

“The Scottish Government recognises that the private and public sector must work together to assist business growth in Scotland and the Scottish EDGE fund is able to unlock investment for entrepreneurs.

"We are focused on maintaining Scotland’s position as the most supportive environment for business in the UK. The Scottish EDGE has already awarded 17 ambitious entrepreneurs with funds to establish or grow their business and contribute to Scotland’s economic success.

“Entrepreneurial Spark has been a key part of this fund and the Scottish Government has been delighted to facilitate this innovative new approach to business support, which I consider will be crucial in developing some of the ambitious next generation entrepreneurs.

“I would like to congratulate the winners and the runners-up in this first round of funding. The eighteen successful enterprises have demonstrated their growth potential and I wish them every success in the future.”

Crawford Gillies, Chairman, Scottish Enterprise, said:

"By encouraging and supporting a growing ecosystem of entrepreneurial activity across Scotland, we can help deliver long-term sustainable growth for the Scottish economy. The Scottish EDGE sets out to do exactly this and I extend my congratulations to all of those who were successful today, as well as to all of those who pitched to the panel."

Gordon Merrylees, RBS, Managing Director of business banking in Scotland and EDGE judge said:

"We're delighted to work with the Scottish Government on the EDGE fund to help build an ecosystem between public and private sectors which supports entrepreneurship and helps provide much needed oxygen to start ups and early stage businesses in Scotland.

“The finalists of the second round of awards showed that the calibre of new Scottish entrepreneurs is extremely high and RBS will continue to support the winners by providing them with mentoring, essential advice to help protect many aspects of their business and a free banking package."

The winners are:

£30,000: The Service Directory, Gary Maitles (Glasgow)

The Service Directory is the UK’s first and only one stop purchasing portal specifically designed for the Care Sector. They make it their business to give time back to those who care. Customers receive one phone number and one email address for any product or service they may require, and the Service Directory then uses their ability to leverage pricing guarantees to reduce the purchase costs.

£35,000: Internet Anywhere, John Fitzgerald (Glasgow)

This EDGE applicant has a solution to Scotland’s rural broadband problem. They are Scotland’s largest resellers of the Tooway system – an innovative satellite broadband system which doesn’t need a phone line.

£48,700: Desk Union, Victoria Arnold (Glasgow)

Desk Union provides an online marketplace connecting the micro-business community (tenants) who need workspace with businesses that have space (landlords). Desk Union solves two distinct customer pain points, firstly providing landlords with a revenue stream from otherwise vacant space and secondly, providing tenants with workspace that is affordable and has flexible lease terms. The platform can be used to rent all types of workspace from offices, studios, retail, industrial units and workshops.

£50,000: Log Six Systems Limited, Brian Deuchar (Dumfries)

Log Six Systems was established specifically to develop faster, more effective, safer and cheaper methods of killing pathogens (agents of disease - viral, bacterial, fungal and sporicidal) within healthcare, food manufacture and community environment sectors.
Their product has the potential to save lives, time and money and intends to create direct employment in Dundonald and manufacturing support jobs in Irvine.

£24,000: Coolside Limited, Michael Corrigan (East Kilbride)

Coolside are a design-led company; driven to create products that enhance the lives of fast-paced, hard-working individuals. Our core focus is in the travel industry – we have managed to create a product which makes sleeping on any journey easy and comfortable for the first time.

£48,500: Tsumanga Studios Ltd, Graeme Harvey (Ayrshire)

Tsumanga Studios is a new Game Publisher and Developer. The company sources and acquires global media entertainment rights to be developed into the next generation multiplayer mobile and tablet games. They have identified a gap in the online and mobile gaming market, specifically for girls aged 5 to 13, who feel that the games available to them are either too young and/or don’t meet their needs in terms of social game play and creativity.

£35,000: Hebridean Sea Salt, Natalie Crayton (Isle of Lewis)

Currently Scotland’s only sea salt producer, based on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Hebridean Sea Salt produce and sell culinary sea salt to independent retailers and foodservice providers in Scotland.
Their salt was launched in July 2012 and is positioned as a premium Scottish food product stocked in over 100 independent Scottish outlets and used by some of Scotland’s leading chefs.

£50,000: TV Squared, Calum Smeaton (Edinburgh)

TV Squared provides a cloud based software solution for measuring and optimising the effectiveness of TV Advertising response for web, telephone and SMS. Using the insight TV Squared can help dramatically improve the performance with a 10-30% increase in efficiency, of direct response television

£34,000: Sevenly Media t/a Flavourly.com, Ryan O’Rorke (Edinburgh)

Flavourly.com deliver directly to your desk or door a carefully selected 'Flavour Box', jam packed with the best fine foods and gourmet goodies from selected independent producers from all around the UK on a monthly basis.
They work with an ever changing range of independent food producers and act as their first ever direct, cost-free and effective marketing channel, rapidly getting THEIR products into the hands of targeted food loving consumers and shop owners on a nationwide scale.
For EVERY ‘Flavour Box’ purchased via Flavourly.com website, they donate one meal to the FareShare food bank charities located in Edinburgh and throughout the UK who work hard to put an end to food poverty.

£40,000: Mark-Up Digital Ltd, Barry Gear (East Ayrshire)

With innovative software built from the ground up, Mark-Up Digital help provide an online solution for apparel retailers. Their powerful visual merchandising tools, cross channel sales support, and fulfilment tools are built to fit the processes of a modern warehouse.

£33,000: QuipuTV, Jack McGill (Glasgow)

QuipuTV are a multimedia production company specialising in the live streaming of international sport. They are the leading sports live streaming company in Scotland and aim next to be the leading live streaming production company in the UK.
The company has have developed an innovative production model that delivers live, global, online coverage that is affordable for sports organisations.

£32,000: iPower Action, Dory McIntosh (Stirling)

Over the winter of 2010 an additional 27,000 people died of cold-related deaths. This should be unimaginable in any developed country but is the harsh reality in the UK where 29% - over one in four of the population - are living in fuel poverty.
iPower can help to prevent these deaths and transform the lives of those living in fuel poverty through the introduction of an innovative fuel cell called BlueGen. Each
BlueGen unit is the size of a washing machine and converts natural gas to electricity.

£43,480: LDC Scotland Ltd t/a The Lost Distillery Company, Brian Woods (Kilmarnock)

In the last century, almost half of Scotland’s Whisky distilleries have been demolished; many historical closures were driven by prohibition in the USA; many were “surplus to requirements” of drinks conglomerates and consequently destroyed.
The Lost Distillery Company now owns twenty lost distillery trademarks, 1/5 of all operating distilleries today. Using an archivist and master blender, they identify the story and whisky profile of our lost distillery whiskies. They then vat together the finest aged single malt whiskies to faithfully recreate the taste, smell and full craft whisky experience of Scotland’s lost whisky legends.

£42,153: IC Mobile Lab, Lee McLaughlin (Glasgow)

IC Mobile Lab Ltd develops and maintains mobile apps across the dominant mobile platforms. They are innovating by being the first to bring 3D Artists, who create brand-able interactive content and advertisers, who want deeper consumer engagement, together.

£46,500: Giglets Ltd, Craig Johnstone (East Ayrshire)

With a vision to become a world class digital media and education business like Disney Education, Giglets is a media & education business whose core product is Giglets SmartReads, cutting edge ebooks, novel in their design to Entertain, Engage & Educate your children which are shortened, modernised and brought to life using digital animation, music and sound effects.

£20,000: Dribble Delights, Cheryl Ryder (Glasgow)

A young company offering a unique range of baby and toddler food which is allergy friendly. Dribble Delights are innovative by being first to market providing a baby food range without gluten, wheat, dairy, egg, nuts and soya.

£40,899: Ambassador Union t/a Mallzee, Cally Russell (Edinburgh)

Mallzee is a revolution in online shopping. Their website recommends clothes to users from 297 big name retailers based on their own unique style. Users take a short quiz and are then only shown clothes from their favourite stores that suit their tastes. To create a better online shopping experience where users can then chat with their friends, browse together and recommend clothes to each other, in real time. To increase loyalty we pay users ‘Mallzee Dollars’ when they buy through us, which they can accrue and spend through Mallzee.

£50,000: Cake Cetera, Pauline Quigley (North Lanarkshire)

On discovering that hospital wards had banned flowers and realising that many people brought cake instead, Cake-Cetera have filled the gap with a cupcake bouquet which looks like flowers! It is beautifully designed, lovingly crafted and delicately presented in pretty flower pots and sent as delicious gifts. A perfect alternative to flowers and a unique gift for many occasions.