Six businesses with links to the University of Strathclyde have been awarded a total £280,000 of funding in the latest Scottish EDGE competition.
Scottish EDGE is the UK’s biggest funding competition for high growth potential businesses.
Airspection, which was founded by alumnus Matthew McLean and specialises in using drones to inspect hard-to-reach infrastructure in remote locations safely and reliably, was awarded £100,000.
Next step
Drones launched from the shore replace the need to send crewed vessels into the open ocean to inspect offshore wind turbines, and Matthew McLean said: "Our next step is an offshore trial with a customer next year, and we’ll also be working on developing the necessary regulations to enable us to scale up.”
Tech start-up Senguard which is developing software to help protect the over-50s from online threats secured £75,000. Seluna, which is developing medical software to help doctors rapidly diagnose paediatric sleep disorders, also won £75,000.
A £10,000 Wild Card award was given to Dr Marc Reid of Kineticolor, who is also a lecturer in Prue and Applied Chemistry at Strathclyde. The team is developing software that provides scientists in the pharmaceuticals and other chemical sectors with a non-contact process monitoring tool. Peter Tinning and Ralf Bauer from Northern Light Microscopy also received a £10,000 Wild Card award.
Adam Foulis from Scotia Biotech, which is working on a portable medical diagnostic device, operable by anyone, that can rapidly evaluate the extent of concussion more accurately, was awarded £10,000 in the Young EDGE category.
Strathclyde Inspire
The companies have all received support from Strathclyde Inspire, the University of Strathclyde’s flagship entrepreneurship programme, which supports and encourages entrepreneurship in all its forms, offering entrepreneurial opportunities and training to all students, staff and alumni.
Meryl Levington, Strathclyde’s Director of Innovation and Industry Engagement, said:
These fantastic awards reflect the calibre of the Strathclyde led spin-outs and start-ups emerging from the University and we’re proud to be supporting them all on their entrepreneurial journeys.
The winners were announced at a ceremony on December 5, where £1.5 million in prize money was awarded to 37 innovative businesses.
Evelyn McDonald, CEO of Scottish EDGE, said: “It’s an honour for us to continue to help Scottish businesses to fulfil their potential.
“By investing in such a wide variety of businesses, involved in industries as diverse as games, tech, healthcare and renewables, the 24th round of our awards is putting its faith in the huge scope for success contained within our country’s business community.”