Scotland’s most promising young businesses have been recognised at a new awards ceremony last night.
The StartUp Awards National Series debuted this year to highlight the dynamic start-up scene across the country that has grown during the pandemic.
The series has been rolled out in nine UK nations and regions, supported nationally by BT, EY Breakthrough Incentives, Clearco, Dell Technologies & Intel, Moblox, Fearless Adventures – and with regional support from Glasgow City Council, GS1UK and the Moja Group.
The Scotland final was held at SWG3 in Glasgow and saw 23 awards given out, after much deliberation by a panel of prominent Scottish judges, including Laura Birrell of Sticky Heelz, Danny Campbell of Hoko, Emma Macdonald of The Tartan Blanket Co and Russell Dalgleish of Exolta Capital Partners.
The overall Scotland Start-up of the Year was won by Potr, which provides busy plant-lovers with self-watering plant care via flat-pack pots and vases, delivered through their letterbox. The system allows plants to self-regulate their water intake for up to three weeks and the flat-pack design cuts the carbon footprint associated with transport.
Originally formed as the Wales StartUp Awards in 2016, the Awards Series has joined forces with the Great British Entrepreneur Awards to take the celebration of newly-formed businesses nationwide. Creator of the awards, Professor Dylan Jones-Evans, said the inaugural event not only celebrated the best new firms in Scotland, but recognised the amazing entrepreneurial talent across the nation.
He said: “We’re so proud of the amazing reception the first year of the StartUp Awards National Series has had across the country, from initially calling for entries right up to awards night.
“There are some exceptional stories of dedication and passion from Scotland’s new entrepreneurs, and it was an honour to showcase them and their achievements in Glasgow last night.
“The importance of always being inspired and stimulated in whatever you do should not be underestimated – it’s clear that our Scottish finalists have been spurred on to succeed by tapping into their own passions and talents, setting and reaching goals which are meaningful to them.”
Alan Lees, BT’s director for corporate and public sector in Scotland, said: “It has been a privilege to be a judge for the Start Up Awards National Series and I was very impressed by the high quality of the entries across the different categories.
“It’s inspiring to see the passion, innovation and determination among the start-up community in Scotland and I’m pleased we’re able to sponsor these awards which shine a light on the fantastic work they are doing.”
The full list of winners:
Scottish start-up of the year
Business-to-business services start-up of the year
Consumer services start-up of the year
Construction and building services start-up of the year
Creative start-up of the year
- Make Things Happen Design Studio
Digital start-up of the year
- Ethical Intelligence Associates
Edinburgh start-up of the year
Fintech start-up of the year
Food and drink start-up of the year
Glasgow start-up of the year
Global start-up of the year
Graduate start-up of the year
Green start-up of the year
Innovative start-up of the year
Manufacturing and engineering start-up of the year
Medtech startup of the year
Mobile and emerging technologies start-up of the year
Online retail start-up of the year
Professional services start-up of the year
- Richard Jennings Mortgage Services
Rural start-up of the year
Social enterprise start-up of the year
Tourism and leisure start-up of the year
Young entrepreneur of the year
- Madeline Riddell of MADFITT
Rising stars
- WearYourSmile
- Shaka Social
The StartUp Awards National Series is a collaboration between the founders of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards – an established programme nationally receiving over 5,000 applications annually – and the Wales Start-Up Awards, the only regional awards currently celebrating new businesses in the UK.
Don’t miss the latest headlines with our twice-daily newsletter – sign up here for free.
