Scotland’s entrepreneurial community put a new wave of high‑growth ventures in the spotlight last night as 32 businesses shared £1.4m in funding at the Scottish EDGE Round 27 finals in Edinburgh. A The awards ceremony took place on 18 June at the Royal Bank of Scotland Conference Centre, bringing founders together from sectors spanning healthtech, clean energy, food and drink and creative technology.
Billed as the UK’s largest funding competition for high‑growth enterprises, Scottish EDGE has now supported 759 businesses since launch, providing a platform for companies to scale, create jobs and drive wider economic impact across Scotland. A The Round 27 winners emerged from a competitive pitch process in front of a judging panel that included some of Scotland’s most notable business leaders.
Future industries, circularity and creative tech take centre stage
Top prize on the night went to MedAscend, which secured £150,000 in the Future EDGE category, supported by Scottish Enterprise. A The company’s AI platform enables healthcare students to practise lifelike patient conversations through simulation ahead of real clinical care, positioning it squarely in Scotland’s growing healthtech and AI training nexus.
Three further category winners underlined the breadth of the Round 27 cohort. A Nudge Innovations, which designs practical solutions to remove the everyday friction that makes reuse difficult, received £90,000 in the Pathways EDGE category sponsored by the Scottish Government. A GreenFlip, which makes decarbonisation more investable by providing instant retrofit return‑on‑investment assessments, also took home £90,000 in Circular Economy EDGE, sponsored by Zero Waste Scotland. A Real‑E‑Racing, which turns live motorsport data into interactive digital experiences, secured £80,000 in Creative EDGE, sponsored by Creative UK. A
Consumer‑facing brands and social impact ventures among the winners
In the STV‑backed Growth EDGE category, PEAT’D – described as the world’s only range of peat‑smoked tomato sauces – received a £70,000 award plus £75,000 of advertising airtime. A Glasgow Community Sauna CIC, which provides affordable and accessible sauna facilities aimed at improving local residents’ mental and physical wellbeing, won £75,000 in the Social Enterprise EDGE category funded by the Postcode Innovation Trust. A Taken together, these awards highlight how Scottish EDGE continues to back both consumer brands and community‑focused social enterprises alongside more traditional tech propositions.
Founding funders The Hunter Foundation, Royal Bank of Scotland, the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise remain the main sponsors of Scottish EDGE and have provided financial and operational support since the competition’s inception. A For many founders in this year’s cohort, that backing translates into a mix of capital, profile and validation at a critical stage in their growth journey.
Early‑stage and young founders share in the prize pot
Pre‑trading businesses also featured in the Round 27 line‑up. A XYNQ topped the Wild Card category, securing a £15,000 grant to advance its digital notary platform, which records every automated decision that a system makes. A The Wild Card stream is designed to back concepts at a pre‑revenue stage, giving founders a route into the main competition as their businesses mature.
Young EDGE, which recognises companies where all directors are under 30, awarded grants to ten businesses in this round. A Three of those received the top £15,000 award, each backed by a different supporter: Sendix, an AI‑assisted GovTech compliance engine, received the award supported by the Scottish Government; Narrasight, which uses AI to create rich descriptions of online images for visually impaired people, took the Techscaler‑supported award; and Barbara Bell, which is developing discreet jewellery technology for women’s safety, secured the £15,000 prize supported by Mettle. A The mix of GovTech, accessibility‑focused AI and safety tech underlines how younger Scottish founders are targeting both commercial and societal problems.
Government and backers call for clearer support landscape
Tom Arthur, Minister for Business and Fair Work, addressed the finalists on the night, praising their ambition, resilience and contribution to Scotland’s economy and reiterating the Scottish Government’s commitment to backing entrepreneurs across every part of the country. A For founders weighing up their next move after Scottish EDGE, that signal of ongoing policy support will be closely watched.
Sir Tom Hunter, founder of The Hunter Foundation, used his remarks to commend the cohort while calling for a simpler system of startup support. A “Scottish EDGE demonstrates the massive economic potential of Scotland’s entrepreneurs – congratulations to them one and all …The landscape of support for them going forward however, is both cluttered and confusing, hence I hope our new Government sorts that out so these and thousands of other entrepreneurs can accelerate their growth and economic contribution.” Q His comments will resonate with operators who see Scottish EDGE as one of several overlapping routes to public and private backing. C
Darren Pirie, Head of Accelerator & Partnerships at Royal Bank of Scotland, highlighted the role of the awards in helping companies to move from early traction to scale. A “The 27th Round of the EDGE Awards was another incredible showcase of Scottish innovation and entrepreneurship. These Awards are vital in giving Scotland’s startups and scaleups access to the funding and exposure that they need to grow and expand. As a founding partner, we are consistently impressed each year by the strength of the Award entries. Congratulations to all of the winners and to everyone who took part.” Q For investor‑grade readers, the combination of capital and national‑level visibility continues to make Scottish EDGE a useful signal of pipeline quality. C
Scottish Enterprise and Scottish EDGE see long‑term growth potential
From a Scottish Enterprise perspective, MedAscend’s Future EDGE win was positioned as emblematic of the type of innovation‑led company the agency wants to back. A Jane Martin MBE, managing director at Scottish Enterprise, said: “Congratulations to all this year’s winners, and especially to MedAscend on receiving the Future EDGE award.
“MedAscend demonstrates the strength of new ideas coming out of Scotland, using AI to help healthcare students practise realistic patient conversations, get tailored feedback, and prepare more safely for clinical care. It’s a strong example of the ambitious, innovation-led businesses we’re backing to help scale Scotland’s high-growth potential future industries and support long-term economic growth.
“We look forward to seeing MedAscend and all this year’s EDGE winners build on this success as they continue to develop and grow.” Q For founders in similar sectors, that endorsement underlines Scottish Enterprise’s appetite to back applied AI and healthcare training platforms with clear commercial routes to scale.
Scottish EDGE chief executive Evelyn McDonald framed the Round 27 outcome as evidence of the depth and resilience of Scotland’s startup base. A “Our Round 27 winners are a powerful reflection of the ambition, innovation and resilience driving Scotland’s entrepreneurial economy forward. This exceptional cohort is not only building bold, high-growth businesses, they are shaping a more sustainable, inclusive and enterprising future for Scotland and beyond. Backing founders with the vision and determination to turn big ideas into lasting impact is exactly what Scottish EDGE exists to do.” Q With £1.4m deployed across 32 ventures in this round alone, the initiative continues to act as a barometer for where Scotland’s next generation of growth companies is emerging.
