First Minister Nicola Sturgeon last night applauded the innovative businesses that reacted and adapted to the challenges caused by the pandemic.

Ms Sturgeon told those attending the 20th round of the Scottish Edge pitching competition that it symbolised the spirit of enterprise her government was keen to develop.

A total of 42 businesses shared more than £1.6million to fund their growth plans. One of the biggest recipients was Edinburgh-based Rival SC, which aims to revolutionise supply chain management for the next generation of SMEs. It received £100,000.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Ten years after it started, Scottish Edge is now the largest funding competition of its kind anywhere in the UK, and I am immensely proud of everyone who has played a part in its remarkable growth. 

“Recovery from the pandemic and the current cost crisis we are facing has caused huge challenges across our business sector – but the innovative ways businesses have adapted and reacted has been remarkable. Scottish Edge epitomises the kind of entrepreneurial spirit that we want to encourage, more widely, across our economy. 

“The Scottish Government recognises the vital role new businesses and new ideas play in creating jobs and prosperity across Scotland, which is why we are delighted to supporting Scottish Edge.” 

Sir Tom Hunter, entrepreneur and philanthropist and guest speaker at the event, said: “Scottish Edge plays a pivotal role in the entrepreneurial ecosystem helping build high growth businesses, many of them going on to scale and indeed several now being funded to do so by the Scottish National Investment Bank.

“We are proud to fund Scottish Edge alongside many others as it continues to play a critical role in the future of our economy.”

Evelyn McDonald, CEO of Scottish Edge added: “It has been humbling and rewarding to witness the continued creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience of Scottish entrepreneurship, despite the challenging circumstances we find ourselves in.”  

Scottish Edge is supported by The Hunter Foundation, the Royal Bank of Scotland, the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise. This round received 200 applications with finalists pitching to judges on 6 and 7 December in front of a live audience.  

This year’s recipients (alphabetically)  

532 Designs Ltd – Dundee – 532 Design strives to create globally recognised, design-led sports brands that bring true value and enjoyment to players in an ethical and responsible manner – £10,000 

Ailsa Reliability Solutions Ltd  – Dundonald – Utilise cutting edge technologies to eliminate unplanned downtime of client’s critical assets – £60,000 

Airspection Ltd – Perth – Innovative drone technology for inspecting offshore wind turbines – £10,000 

Argyle IT & Education Ltd – Edinburgh  – EDTech blended learning platform to meet West African Higher Education needs – £50,000 

Ava Innes Ltd – Elgin – Ava Innes, the new Scottish premium brand helping people stay warm at home, using their unique UK-made natural, sustainable insulating fabric in clothing and bedding – £20,000 

Beastly Brews t/a Panther Milk – Glasgow – The world’s first oat milk ready-to-drink cocktail – £75,000 

Beira Moda – Juniper Green – Crafts ethical limited edition womenswear from discarded high-end fabric – £50,000 

BioLiberty – Dundee – Soft robotic glove and digital platform to help stroke survivors with remote rehabilitation – £100,000 

Bliss Hot Tub Hire Ltd – Livingston – Premium hot tub rental service, bringing affordable luxury to Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire – £10,000 

Bobbll – Glasgow – Gamifying job applications for entry level jobs aimed at Gen-Z – £10,000 

Bounce OT – Stirling – Activity-based Occupational Therapy support to children and adults with disabilities – £10,000 

Bovine Dental Company Ltd – Biggar – Developing a tool to support specialised dental treatment for cattle – £10,000 

Curbar Lothian Ltd – Edinburgh – Birding social media app Chiffchaff and a new AIoT bird identification device – £10,000 

DeepQA – Edinburgh – DeepQA uses artificial intelligence to fully automate the software testing process – £10,000 

EcoCascade CIC – Glasgow – First multi-purpose primary purposing company serving seaweed farmers – £75,000 

Fleming Technologies Ltd – Glasgow – Automated robotic handler that precisely moves and mixes liquids for experiments – £10,000 

GaitAR Ltd – Lossiemouth – Developing mobility solutions for Parkinson’s patients, in the form of Smart Glasses- £75,000 

Gledfield Distilleries Ltd – Sutherland – Developing Sutherland’s first modern botanical spirit in a paper bottle – £10,000 

Hoolr Education Ltd – Edinburgh – Technology company that helps organisations manage, scale and understand their coaching cultures – £60,000 

Inclu – Edinburgh – Inclusive kettle that is safe and simple to use for elderly or disabled people – £10,000 

Mask Logic Ltd – Edinburgh – Designs individual, bespoke, re-usable and scientifically proven facemasks to healthcare and other sectors – £100,000 

Meander Apparel – Edinburgh  – Outdoor clothing brand making ethical garments for everyday adventures – £60,000 

Measured Health Ltd – Edinburgh – Measured Health help hospitals treat 30% more patients by replacing face-to-face consultations with online self-completed patient assessments – £10,000 

Mena – Perth – A scientist, smallholder and keen herbologist, Mena work with plants, medicinal and culinary herbs, to create products that relieve menopause symptoms and support better health – £10,000 

Microplate Dx  – Glasgow – Specialise in antibiotic susceptibility testing diagnostics reducing antimicrobial resistance – £70,000 

Orkney Cloth Company – Kirkwall – Woven textile business making heritage, artisan scarves and blankets in limited collections – £10,000 

Palaemon Maritime – Dunfermline – Provide anti-piracy barriers on a rental basis for ships, costing less than razor wire – £70,000 

PicSea Ltd – Edinburgh – Ocean digitisation provider that uses its swarms of underwater robots to collect data – £75,000 

RIVAL SC Ltd – Edinburgh – Tech platform that sets out to revolutionise supply chain management for SMEs – £100,0000 

 SENSEcity Ltd –Glasgow -SENSEcity is currently developing a product called Historiscope which is an Augmented Reality viewing scope for Heritage Sites to enhance the visitor experience – £10,000 

S’wheat – Edinburgh – World’s first reusable bottle made from plants – £100,000 

The Habitat People – Inverurie – Offers sustainability assessments and a unique carbon offsetting service through creation of wildflower meadows – £10,000 

The Frangipane Bakery – Eyemouth – Gluten-free bakery dedicated to closing the disability-employment gap – £20,000 

Thistle Rocketry Ltd – Galashiels – Space launch start-up currently developing scalable rocket systems for cube satellites – £100,000 

Today Agency Ltd – Edinburgh  – Student-driven media agency connecting businesses with creative local students – £60,000 

QIoT Ltd – Glasgow – IoT Healthcare company who are developing a platform alongside connected medical devices to real time monitor the circumstancial, environmental and medication consumption of Asthma/COPD patients – £10,000 

Unbaggaged – Glasgow (& West) – On-demand luggage storage platform that picks, stores and returns bags where and when needed – £40,000 

Water Electronics – Glasgow – Innovative solutions that takes advantage of state-of-the-art advancements in sensors and robotics for inspecting live water mains for leaks – £10,000 

Your Spin Ltd – Edinburgh – Uses technology and gamification to influence buying behaviours positively in hospitality venues – £10,000 

Zephyrus Aerolabs Ltd – Aberdeen – Carbon-efficient drone that monitors greenhouse gas emissions directly from ships – £15,000