A University of Strathclyde spinout developing rapid testing technology for food safety has been named the 2025 winner of the Converge Challenge university entrepreneurship competition.
Biosers, based at the University of Strathclyde, has received the award for its FoodShield device, which is capable of delivering listeria test results in five minutes, compared with current methods, which can take between one and seven days.
Prevent outbreaks
The technology could prevent listeria outbreaks and costly product recalls, while also providing cost-effective detection for food testing labs and manufacturers.
Biosers will receive £50,000 in cash and in-kind business support and has become Strathclyde’s third Converge Challenge winner in five years, following welding inspection technology spinout InProcess in 2024 and pharmaceutical company Fitabeo Therapeutics in 2021.
The Biosers team comprises four researchers from Strathclyde’s Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry – Dr Hayleigh May, Dr Andrew Callander, Professor Karen Faulds and Professor Duncan Graham – and commercial champion Mark Zwinderman.
Dr May said: “We’re honoured by the Converge Challenge award that recognises the opportunity we have created in taking technology from research to economic and societal benefit.”
Many years of hard work have gone into this with valuable contributions from various collaborators to get to this stage and we look forward to the exciting next steps for Biosers.
Listeria kills 20-30% of those infected and is one of the deadliest foodborne pathogens, yet prolonged waits for test results increase the potential risk of contaminated food reaching consumers.
Reliability
FoodShield uses advanced biosensor technology for definitive confirmation of listeria presence, with the same reliability as traditional laboratory testing.
Another Strathclyde venture, navigation system company MARKED, co-founded by Garance Locatelli and Mark Smith, was also the runner-up in the awards’ Create Change category, winning £10,000 in cash and in-kind business support.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, who attended the awards ceremony, said: “Coming hot off the heels of the Scottish Government’s Proof of Concept funding this increased, multi-year backing for the Converge Programme provides a real injection of support for our university researchers, start-ups and spinouts.
Critically, it also brings added weight to our ambition to convert more of the world-leading innovations being generated in Scotland into successful business.
Adam Kosterka, executive director of Converge, said: “At Converge, we believe Scotland's universities are home to the next generation of world-changing innovations. This year's winners exemplify exactly what's possible when brilliant academic minds are equipped with the business expertise and networks to transform their ideas into commercially successful, impactful companies.”
Biosers and MARKED have received support from the Strathclyde Inspire entrepreneurship programme and from the University’s Innovation and Industry Engagement Directorate.