Two University of Edinburgh spinouts were recognised last night at the Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards 2026.
Social enterprise spinout EPIC Think Learn won two awards: Making a Social Difference and Research and Innovation in Digital Health and Social Care.
Sustainable heating tech company SeaWarm won jointly in the Place-based Impact category.
EPIC, co-founded by Professor Sinead Rhodes and Dr Iona Beange of the Institute for Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Research, provides resources for parents, caregivers and teachers of autistic children and those who have ADHD, dyspraxia or were born prematurely.
Based on decades of research and co-designed with those they are designed to support, the resources are available via an innovative digital platform, with 1000 places recently subsidised by Scottish Government.
By equipping families and professionals with practical, research-based strategies, EPIC improves children’s wellbeing, enhances early intervention, and strengthens Scotland’s capacity to support neurodivergent learners at scale.
SeaWarm was co-founded by Professor Christopher McDermott, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences, former University hydrogeologist Dr Gus Fraser-Harris, and CSM Plumbing and Heating’s Cameron Muir.
The company’s modular, low-cost, heat exchanger technology harnesses natural warmth from rivers, lochs, seawater, and minewater to deliver affordable, sustainable heating and cooling.
The award recognises SeaWarm’s work with Growforth Ltd, Port Edgar Marina, Museum of Lead Mining and Lar Housing Trust to build the evidence, partnerships and capacity needed for large-scale deployment and future international expansion.
The 11th annual Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards, organised by innovation support organisation Interface, took place at the Macrobert Arts Centre, University of Stirling, on 19th March.
Amelia Whitelaw, Director of Interface, said:
These awards highlight the impact that collaboration between business, the third sector, the public sector and academia can have in driving innovation and delivering real benefits for society.
This year’s winners show the breadth of that impact, from modernising traditional industries such as whisky making to using Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality to improve patient experience and health outcomes. ”
Dr Andrea Taylor, CEO of Edinburgh Innovations, said:
It’s an absolute pleasure to congratulate our founders Professor Sinead Rhodes and Professor Chris McDermott on these awards, which celebrate the power of partnerships to create innovation.
At Edinburgh Innovations, we are proud to have supported these teams to form companies and take their research and technology out into the world, where it is already improving lives.”
