A quarter of the 28 finalists in this year’s Converge Challenge competition, which champions academic innovation in Scotland, are from the University of Edinburgh.
Excellio Labs, IDXSense, EVA Biosystems, Ujamaa Spice, SolarSub, Seasat and SymphoMe will now compete for a share of the £270,000+ prize fund, plus in-kind business support from Converge’s network of professional partners which includes lawyers, investors and business experts.
Competing across four challenge categories – Converge, Create Change, Net Zero and KickStart – this year’s finalist roster showcases a diverse range of emerging businesses from sectors pivotal to Scotland’s economic growth and global standing, including life sciences, energy, AI, and digital technology.
Converge Challenge
In the main Converge Challenge category is startup Excellio Labs, founded by Vet School PhD student Kamila Malysz and Kasia Maj. Kamila Malysz was named Emerging Female Entrepreneur at the Edinburgh Innovations’ Inspire Launch Grow entrepreneurship awards this year for her company, which equips exosomes with tissue-specific GPS systems, improving drug delivery and increasing safety and efficacy of advanced therapies.
Also in this category is IDXSense, led by Professor Marc Vendrell of the Institute for Regeneration and Repair, dedicated to creating in vitro diagnostic tests for a range of severe inflammatory conditions.
Create Change Challenge
SymphoMe, founded by Edinburgh College of Art alumni Ifeanyichukwu Ezinmadu, has made the Create Change Challenge final for its gamified and tailored music education app. SymphoMe aims to make music education affordable and accessible to everyone by offering learners real-time feedback and helping teachers enhance the student learning experience within and outside the classroom.
And previous finalist Ujamaa Spice, founded by molecular biology PhD student Rist Van de Weyer and CEO Jawahir Al-Mauly, aims to decolonise the spice trade industry by purchasing spices directly from farmers in Zanzibar and promoting the use of single origin spices in the UK.
Net Zero Challenge
In the Net Zero category is E.V.A. Biosystems (main picture), founded by Alexander Speakman, who finished his PhD in the Institute of Bioengineering. This company is developing selectively degradable plastics for packaging. These bioengineered plastics will be able to detect if they are in a specific environment, such as seawater or landfill, and degrade themselves in response.
Other Net Zero finalist SolarSub, founded by School of Engineering alumni Sebastiaan Schalkwijk, has developed a cooling system to improve the efficiency and extend the lifespan of solar panels that float at sea.
Kickstart Challenge
Kickstart finalist SeaSat, founded by School of Engineering PhD graduate Solomon White, uses satellite images and machine learning algorithms to monitor ocean health, assessing biological productivity, ecosystem development and carbon sequestration and predicting how oceans will respond to global warming.
Edinburgh Innovations is also working with Kick Start finalist Catriona Liddle, an academic at Queen Margaret University, to commercialise her sustainable alternative to palm oil, PalmAlt.
Dr Andrea Taylor, CEO of Edinburgh Innovations, said:
It’s fantastic to see so many of our brilliant founders make it through to the Converge finals. Their ideas offer solutions in the world’s biggest challenge areas of future health and care and climate and sustainability, and we are proud to support them on their journey towards making a difference. We wish them all the very best of luck at the finals in October. ”
Adam Kosterka, Converge Interim Director, said:
Scotland’s goal as an innovation nation is to foster a culture of research, entrepreneurship and collaboration to drive economic growth and address societal challenges. This year’s Converge finalists are a shining example of that ambition in action, showcasing the power and potential of university research to translate groundbreaking ideas into real-world impact that will shape our future.
Their success is a testament to the talent and dedication of Scotland’s academic community, and it inspires us to continue investing in innovation and supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs. "
Winners and runners-up will be named at the Converge Awards on Thursday 3 October in Edinburgh.
