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Scottish start-up wins global Impact Summit competition



Scottish start-up LiberEat has won the inaugural Impact Summit competition, claiming the top prize worth more than £20,000 and a place on the FutureX Silicon Valley Scale programme.

The Aberdeen-based business was declared the winner after an online pitch live at Impact Summit on 20 May.

The app aims to make life safer and easier for those with dietary requirements such as food allergies, intolerances and medical conditions.

It beat strong competition from Dr. Faisal Ghani of SolarisKit, Jenifer Clausel-Tormos of Develop Diverse and Bara Wahbeh of AKYAS Sanitation, who had all beaten over 100 applicants from across the world to reach the live final.

Separately, LiberEat has announced that it is embarking on a “significant fundraising drive” to grow its volume of users and further enhance its offering.

It is in the process of raising upwards of £1m investment, with the money used to accelerate roll out of its technology to address allergen errors for food production and restaurant chain clients.

The Impact Summit competition is a showcase for start-ups which set out to use business as a force for good. Companies applied from more than 20 countries.

The top prize is a business support package from Sharktower, HappyPorch, ParlayMe and The Herald, as well as a fully-funded place on the Silicon Valley-based scale-up programme.

Previous entrepreneurs on the programme have met with the leaders and investors in Google, Facebook, Netflix, Linkedin, SurveyMonkey, Y Combinator, Fitbit and Tesla.

LiberEat founder Barry Leaper will have the opportunity to learn from industry leaders and will be joined on the Silicon Valley programme by founders of Cyan Forensics, Talking Medicines, Tricres, and last year’s Startup Summit competition winner, Frog Systems.

The programme was launched in 2014 and is designed to help founders explore international expansion, receive peer-to-peer support, and learn from global leaders.

Leaper commented: “The competition has allowed us to raise awareness of our story and the Silicon Valley Scale program and other support will be really valuable in helping us achieve our ambitions.”

Competition judge Priya Oberoi, managing general partner at Goddess Gaia Ventures, said: “It was a fantastic group of finalists who have put impact and impactful solutions at the forefront of their products and creativity, exactly what we need in today’s world.”

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