Eleven academic innovators at the University of Strathclyde have been named as part of the class of 2026 of Converge, the entrepreneurship programme for Scottish universities.
The companies established by Strathclyde academics, students and alumni are part of this year’s cohort of more than 100. The University is represented in four of the programme’s five categories.
The Strathclyde finalists work in fields including health, structural inspection, NHS estates planning and martial arts fightwear.
Experienced entrepreneurs
The selected 123 start-ups and spinouts will receive intensive training from entrepreneurs with experience of starting and running successful companies. The programme gives successful projects the opportunity to test and validate their business ideas, experience live pitching and peer-to-peer networking, with a £400,000 prize fund at stake for the most promising projects.
The Strathclyde contenders are:
Converge Challenge
• Hamish Dow (CEE) for ALICS (Adaptive Lighting for the Inspection of Concrete Structures)
• Dr David Li (Biomedical Engineering)
• Alumnus Hugo Spinola for Quantinance
Create Change Challenge
• Alumna Yazmín Cáceres for SABRAIN
Net Zero Challenge
• Dr Aleksandr Shchukin (EEE)
• Dr Sandeep Pandey (Pure and Applied Chemistry)
• Dr David Campos-Gaona (EEE); Kick Start Challenge
• Kingston Tagoe (Business School) for Gift Alliance
• Dr Laura MacLean (DMEM) for Mosaic Landscapes
• Hifza Hafeez (DMEM) for NanoLith
• Gabriel Kelly (DMEM) for Netax Fightwear.
Meryl Levington, Director of Innovation & Industry Engagement at Strathclyde, said:
Strathclyde has an excellent track record in Converge, with many worthy winners and finalists. Each has made a valuable contribution with innovative, imaginative projects and many have gone on to thrive as businesses.
Executive director of Converge, Adam Kosterka, said: “Each year, the quality of applications to our programme astonishes us with the breadth and depth of innovation displayed. The 2026 cohort is very strong and we are looking forward to working with them as they take the next steps towards making their ideas a commercial reality.”