Scotland’s most exciting new businesses have been shortlisted as part of a brand new awards programme.
The StartUp Awards National Series has been launched to recognise the booming start-up scene across the UK, which has accelerated since the pandemic began. In 2020, when most of the world was shutting down, more than 400,000 startups were set up in Britain, with similar increases seen in other European countries.
This marked boost in newfound entrepreneurship is mirrored by 2,500 applications which have been received in response to the Startup Awards National Series’ first ever call for entries.
The Scottish start-ups that made the shortlist are a true snapshot of the future economy, with a collective turnover of over £26m and employing 467 people between them.
Of the region’s great passion for entrepreneurship, one finalist said: “I may be biased, but I think Scotland is the most stunning region in the whole country to live and work.
“There is a real sense of community among most entrepreneurs in the region at various stages of their entrepreneurial journey.”
The cohort of finalists announced today will be considered for the regional prizes by a panel of seasoned judges with experience founding or supporting entrepreneurial ventures. This includes Scotland-based Duncan Di Biase, founder and chief executive of Brillband; Mike Branney, managing director of Oh Polly; and Russell Dalgleish, founder and managing partner of Exolta Capital Partners.
Supported nationally by BT, EY, Dell and Intel, the programme will celebrate the achievements of the amazing individuals across the UK who have turned an idea into an opportunity and taken the risk to launch a new product or service.
Co-founded by the team behind the Great Entrepreneur Awards, the new series follows the success of the Wales StartUp Awards, after organisers recognised the exceptional potential in the startup scene across the other British regions.
Professor Dylan Jones-Evans, the creator of the StartUp Awards National Series, said: “New firms are important for generating economic prosperity, employment opportunities and innovation.
“Given the sheer volume of phenomenal startups we’ve heard from since then, as well as the huge post-pandemic shift in people’s desires to take their career in a new direction and set up a business against the odds, we felt it was the right time to take the programme nationwide.
“We’ve been blown away by the standard of entries from Scotland in this first year and truly look forward to crowning the winners.”
The Scottish final will take place at SWG3 in Glasgow on 7 June.
This year’s StartUp Awards National Series finalists from Scotland are:
B2B Services StartUp
Lisa May & Co, founded by Lisa May Carroll
Copy House, founded by Kathryn Strachan
Sllick, founded by Nicole Christie & Robert Davidson
Cadence, founded by Malcolm MacLennan & John Dougan
IDM Solutions, founded by Iain Macphail & Kyle Smith
B2C Services StartUp
The Black Box Approach, founded by Christo Hudson
The Queer Therapist, founded by Chris Grant
Online Drum Studio, founded by Bob Irving
Construction & Building Services StartUp
Spaces Taylored, founded by Adam Taylor
PMA Recruitment Services, founded by Craig Kenny & Ashleigh Martin
Significant Others, founded by Michelle Ridley & Ruth Galloway
Creative StartUp
Fifty Fifty, founded by James Watson
Fifth House Design, founded by Jonny & Sara Kermode
Make Things Happen Design Studio, founded by Suzanne Gilbert, Philippa Potgieter-Hurst & Bebhinn Burke
Summer Morning Studios, founded by Ailidh MacLean & Robbie McSkimming
Digital StartUp
Excell Ecom, founded by Andrew Carpenter
Highbeat Digital, founded by Hollie Irvine
G1gabyte, founded by Maxwell McKay
Ethical Intelligence Associates, founded by Matt Henderson
Fintech StartUp
Know-it, founded by Lynne Darcey Quigley
Hubb, founded by Mark Costello, John Costello & Ed Halsey
MoneyMatiX, founded by Tynah Matembe
Food & Drink StartUp
Savora Drinks, founded by Matthew Walker
Manifesto Coffee, founded by Alexander MacIntyre & Lukasz Lewaszkiewicz
Brite, founded by Simas Jarasunas
Global StartUp
FreightonWorldwide, founded by Rhys Paterson
Boozy Events, founded by Gregor Sey & Cameron Esson
Noisy Clan, founded by David Law
Graduate StartUp
Two Raccoons, founded by Lasse Melgaard Rasmussen & Elliott Martens
Pink Sphynx Media, founded by Erin Smith
Etive Watches, founded by Daniel Bryan
Green StartUp
Ocean Plastic Pots, founded by Alasdair Mitchell
POTR Pots, founded by Andrew Flynn, Martin Keane, Alex Cochrane & Eilidh Cunningham
ecoeats, founded by Stewart McGown
Innovative StartUp
The Helmet Inspection Company, founded by Martin Slowey
LinkFORTY2, founded by Matthew Pybus & Eric Doyle
Welcome Eyecare, founded by Jennifer Wilson
Manufacturing & Engineering StartUp
Adalec, founded by Ken Adams
J&S Subsea, founded by Phil Reid
MacKinnon Watches, founded by Belinda Antal & Matthew Murphy
Medtech & Healthtech StartUp
Lenus Health, founded by Paul McGinness & Craig Turpie
Fitabeo Therapeutics, founded by Mallikarjun Chityala
OK Positive, founded by Charlie Winton
ProFactor Pharma, founded by Jaymin Amin
Mobile & Emerging Technologies StartUp
TransformologyXR Innovation, founded by Hazem Fayyad
Fixzy Assist, founded by Paul Greaves
DragonflAI, founded by Hannah Mercer
Online Retail StartUp
PAWS UK, founded by Emma Fraser
Falling Leaf Clothing, founded by Lindsay Galloway-Hall
Second Cashmere, founded by Lotti Blades-Barrett
Loomi Life, founded by Anne Weir
Professional Services StartUp
McNally Recruitment, founded by Steve McNally
Boddice Accounting, founded by Vicki Boddice
Richard Jennings Mortgage Services, founded by Richard Jennings
Bull Project, founded by Franco Di Stefano
BALIFE, founded by Linda Parker, Julia Newell, Gavin Ross & David Strachan
Rising Star Award
BIZPIX, founded by Jordan Gilmour, Aaron Fincham, Heather McEwan & Sarah Panganiban
Shaka Social, founded by Ali Olivier & Grant Macdonald
Gloh., founded by Isobel Reid
Kleurstof Apparel, founded by Jonathan Corr, Kieran Lalley, Steven Smith, Terence Henderson & Alistair Maxwell
Wearyoursmile, founded by Eirini Tamousi & Panagiotis Tamousis
Rural StartUp
P J Gaul & Co, founded by Alan Gaul
G.H.Q. Spirits, founded by James McNeill
Yozobo, founded by David Brown & Tekena Fubara
Social StartUp
covid:aid, founded by Michael MacLennan
AberNecessities, founded by Danielle Flecher-Horn
REFEO, founded by Mariam Diakité
Social Good Connect, founded by Caroline Mckenna
Tourism & Leisure StartUp
Harmony Coach Holidays, founded by John Docherty
The Wedding Fairy, founded by Katherine Taylor
FreeFlow Technologies, founded by David Hemming
Young Entrepreneur
MADFITT, founded by Madeline Riddell
Imi Studios, founded by Imogen Evans
H2O Jewelz, founded by Munib Azim & Uwais Azeem
Studio Lutalica, founded by Cecilia Righini
Cleah Creative, founded by Amy McCallum & Hannah Birnie
Edinburgh StartUp
Significant Others, founded by Michelle Ridley & Ruth Galloway
Ethical Intelligence Associates, founded by Matt Henderson
Noisy Clan, founded by David Law
Glasgow StartUp
Hubb, founded by Mark Costello, John Costello & Ed Halsey
Welcome Eyecare, founded by Jennifer Wilson
PMA Recruitment Services, founded by Craig Kenny & Ashleigh Martin
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