Lisa McMyn
1nhaler Ltd, Borders
Life Sciences: Medical device innovators selling worldwide their patented drug delivery platform for more sustainable medicine delivery use.
Stewart Arbuckle
Agricarbon UK Ltd, Dundee
Agritech: Ground-breaking technology for measuring soil carbon stocks in agriculture and other landscapes at low cost and high accuracy.
Thomas Farrugia
Beta Bugs Ltd, Edinburgh
Agritech: Creates and sells high-performance insect genetics for the insect farming sector.
Andrew Smithsimmons
Braided Communications Ltd, Glasgow
Technology and engineering: Software that enables effective conversation in exploration-class space flight negating time delays in comms due to very large distances.
Ishani Malhotra
Carcinotech Ltd, Edinburgh
Life Sciences: Manufactures 3D bio-printed mimicked cancer environments for drug testing, discovery, pre-clinical trials and precision medicine testing
Saber Khayatzadeh
Crack Map Ltd, Glasgow
Digital: Aims to reduce the cost, time and risk associated with structural health monitoring while improving reliability of fractures assessment.
Alison Olivia Wood
Dream Pads Ltd, Edinburgh
Textiles: Creators of Lilypads, comfortable affordable reusable period pads, with 10% of revenue used to subsidise pads internationally.
Gareth Claase
Gecko Glazing Ltd, Edinburgh
Technology and engineering: Innovative secondary glazing reducing heat loss of any window far more cheaply, quickly and easily than any existing product.
Steve Skill
Greenskill Env. Tech. Ltd, Edinburgh
Biotech: Develops and deploys platform technology to exploit greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution.
Claudia Freigang
Hearing Diagnostics Ltd, Edinburgh
Digital: Develops and commercialises novel hearing testing technology to make hearing tests as common, reliable, and accurate as eye testing.
Alexander Macdonald
HS Vision Ltd, Edinburgh
Technology and engineering: Patent-pending sports sunglasses using world-first lens technology which allows rear vision for commuters/competitive cyclists.
Alan White
Interactive Health Ltd, Inverness
Digital: Develops and delivers person-centric digital health solutions, based on AI and Machine Learning to support occupational and mental health.
Jamie Bankhead
Konglomerate Games Ltd, Dundee
Creative: Video gaming developers specialising in developing healthcare support gaming, ie serious games.
Hamish Cathcart
GeddesLenz Ltd, Edinburgh
Technology and engineering: Patented product for railway operators that provides greater wheel-rail interface to remove the knock-on effects from poor weather.
Jamie Lindsay
Lind Ltd, Glasgow
Glasgow
Technology and engineering: Low carbon technology converting domestic wet central heating systems for energy storage via a novel flow battery system.
Francisco Carreno
Loch Electronics Ltd, Edinburgh
Technology and engineering: Innovates, designs and brings to market consumer electronics focused on reducing global carbon footprint.
Eve Hanks
MI:RNA Ltd, Edinburgh
Technology and engineering: Offers innovative diagnostic testing solutions to the veterinary market.
Judith Simms
Mygo4ward Ltd, Inverness
Life Sciences: Low cost, wearable technology to improve the mobility and the lives of spinal cord injured patients and those with neurological disabilities.
Alex McVey
OGI Bio Ltd, Edinburgh
Biotech: Provides innovative solutions for growing and analysing bacteria, yeast and algae to help their customers innovate more efficiently.
Celia Davies
Omanos Analytics Ltd, Glasgow
ADM: Processing space data to monitor environmental and social impacts, offering data analysis products for a range of global clients.
Emily Rogers
Pomelo Collective Ltd, Edinburgh
Technology and engineering: Powers circular economy/reuse systems for the 21st century, helping companies make data-driven and environmentally sound decisions.
Paul McGinley
Pyramid Wifi Ltd, Glasgow
Digital: Empowers anyone, regardless of technical ability, to protect their privacy online.
Anthony Magrath
Reshape Technology Ltd, Edinburgh
Digital: A platform that enables organisations and individuals to work together to make better decisions, accelerating the path to net zero.
Fergus Moore
Revive Eco Ltd, Glasgow
Food and Drink: Extracting high value, natural chemicals from used coffee grounds for use in the cosmetics, food and drink, and textiles industries.
Pooja Katara
SENSEcity Ltd, Glasgow
Digital: Specialising in the development of software and augmented reality experiences using 3D for tourism sector enhancement.
Alicja Dzieciol
SilviBio Ltd, Edinburgh
Agritech: Creating seed coatings to increase germination rates of tree and vegetable seeds in moisture deficit conditions.
Niall Fotheringham
Solexsys Ltd, Fife
Energy: Designs, manufactures and sells domestic energy controls and unique battery storage equipment using AI for reductions in carbon emissions.
Edward Mitchard
Space Intelligence Ltd, Edinburgh
Digital: Sells essential services to businesses by developing nature-based solutions to climate change by applying AI to big data from space.
Robert Hall
Studio Vans Ltd, Isle of Uist
Technology and engineering, Innovative: Installation systems converting standard vans to campervans for eco-friendly refits, using global artistic collaborations.
Sean Kerr
Sustainable Thinking Scotland CIC, Falkirk
Food and Drink: Tackling food poverty, reducing landfill use and to working with the community to bring about action on carbon-based climate change.
Kerry-Anne Quinn
TCS-Eco Ltd, Ayrshire
Textiles: Manufacture premium quality bespoke reusable sanitary pads made 100% ethically in Scotland – saving the planet one period at a time.
James Iain Mann
The (Global) Future Forest Co. Ltd, Isle of Mull
Forest Industries: Profitable reforestation of land and co-deployment of carbon removal technology.
David Robertson
Thistle Rocketry Ltd, Galashiels
Space: Provides more cost-effective dedicated launches to space for cube satellites.
Christopher Helson
Tiny Air Ltd, Dumfries
Technology and engineering: Designs and produces technology for decontaminating surgical instruments.
Zakareya Elmo Hussein
Touchlab Ltd, Edinburgh
Technology and engineering: Uses cutting-edge electronic-skin tech to transfer the sense of touch to machines with applications for space and hazardous environments.
Javier Dominguez
TWEFDA Ltd, Aberdeen
Energy: Renewable energy technology company, developing and commercialising wave and tidal energy and storage.
Dr Alireza Abbassi Monjezi
Waterwhelm Ltd, Edinburgh
Energy: Commercialising a process for low-carbon wastewater treatment, desalination and renewable energy generation.
Vasileios Vamvas
Wenverter Ltd, Glasgow
Energy: Research and development in marine wave energy.
Aslihan Penley
Zoex Power Ltd, Aberdeen
Technology and engineering: Helping Offshore Industries achieve net zero goals by clean electricity from ocean waves in a safe and cost-effective way.
Meet the SE 2018-19 cohort




















Who’s involved
Ian Arbuckle – Managing Director, LINIAN Supply Co Ltd
(Opens in new window)Kenny Arthur – Managing Director, Kaliaaer Ltd
(Opens in new window)Paul Blackler – Director & Co-Founder, Drink Baotic
(Opens in new window)Stephanie Terreni Brown – Managing Director, Clean Water Wave
(Opens in new window)Scott Dickson – Founder, Phox Water
(Opens in new window)Iain Findlay – CEO Director, Aurora Sustainability Ltd
(Opens in new window)Hannah Fisher – New Business and Marketing Director & Co-Founder, The Start-Up Drinks Lab
(Opens in new window)Calum Haggerty – Director, COCO Chocolatier
(Opens in new window)Jo Halliday – CEO, Talking Medicines Limited
(Opens in new window)Celia Hodson – CEO & Founder, Hey Girls
(Opens in new window)Joan Johnston – Creative Director & Founder, Bespoke Fabrics
(Opens in new window)Alan Mahon – Managing Director & Founder, Brewgooder
(Opens in new window)Douglas Martin – Managing Director, MiAlgae
(Opens in new window)Loral Quinn – CEO & Co-Founder, Sustainably
(Opens in new window)Steve Regis – COO & Co-Founder, ARX Maritime
(Opens in new window)John Robertson – CEO, Drinkly
(Opens in new window)Scott Simpson – Managing Director, IndiNature
(Opens in new window)Lisa Thomson – CEO & Founder, Purpose HR
(Opens in new window)Deborah Wake – CEO, MyWay Digital Health
(Opens in new window)Scott Weir – CEO, Pillow
(Opens in new window) Download participant biographies
Meet the companies







“The fact that our country is doing this is great. You speak to people from other countries who are entrepreneurs and these kinds of programmes and support system doesn’t exist. Being part of this cohort makes me incredibly proud. Looking around the table, there’s some brilliant businesses there so I’m going to learn from them and already we’re having conversations where I’ve shared a particular issue we’ve been having and am learning from people who have had the same issue and importantly, how they’ve handled it.”
Hannah Fisher, The Start-Up Drinks Lab
“Being part of Unlocking Ambition has really helped with the broader support as an individual working on an idea on your own. This has been brilliant for me to help support the idea, the progression of it, to provide funding but also to the momentum – to keep going with it.”
Joan Johnson, Bespoke Fabrics
“It is hugely prestigious and I think giving the access to the speakers, the workshops and of course to the other cohort and the other businesses involved is invaluable, you can’t buy that expertise, so to be part of UA is really exciting for us.”
Stephanie Terreni Brown, Clean Water Wave
“We have a long tradition in Scotland of changing the world through inventions. If you can see the Skyscanners, the Brewdogs, the FanDuels that are out there, that example is only going to filter through to the next generation of entrepreneurs like myself or even younger than me, and we should encourage that and live out everything we have in our potential to make Scotland one of the most enterprising countries in the world.”
Alan Mahon, Brewgooder