Hat trick of ECCI start-ups bag Scottish EDGE awards
Three ECCI supported start-ups won funding in the 12th Scottish EDGE awards last week.
Entrepreneur Douglas Martin claimed the highest amount in the competition - £100,000 - for his start-up’s novel approach to algae production. MiAlgae, currently on ECCI’s Climate-KIC Accelerator programme, uses waste water to grow microalgae that can be turned into Omega-rich feed for livestock and farmed fish.
Alterwaste and Farm-Hand also bagged £15,000 and £10,000 respectively in the Wild Card EDGE category for businesses who have yet to start trading.
Alterwaste creates eco-friendly products out of industrial waste by-products. The company’s current focus is a new material they’ve developed from eggshells.
Farm-Hand is an affordable smart irrigation system that provides ‘right-time, right-volume’ irrigation to crops. Aimed at farmers in water-stressed India, it uses smartphones to change wasteful practices like leaving water pumps on all day. Both are supported by ECCI’s Climate-KIC Accelerator programme.
Douglas Martin, founder and CEO of MiAlgae said: "The last few months have been unbelievable! Winning Scottish EDGE funding is a huge achievement and comes at the point that it will greatly speed up the company’s scale."
Alterwaste Director Martina Zupan said: "Winning the top prize in the Wild Card EDGE category is a wonderful achievement and it’s great to get this recognition from Scottish EDGE and the judges involved.
“The financial support will help us with some big steps to move forward and I am excited to have received an opportunity to go straight to the live final of the Scottish EDGE in the future.”
Each of the winners took home their share of the £1million Scottish EDGE will also receive an all-encompassing package of support to help them fast-track and grow their business.
As the UK’s largest business funding competition, Scottish EDGE has awarded over £10 million over 12 competitions.
ECCI currently supports 23 start-ups through our Climate-KIC business support programmes.