News
Ministers welcome new loans that will ‘kickstart’ business innovation
Ministers have welcomed plans by the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) for a new type of loan for high-growth businesses, saying it will help “kickstart” business innovation in Scotland.
From next year, Scottish firms will be able to secure borrowing against the value of their intellectual property (IP), instead of traditional assets such as buildings and machinery.
Source: STV
Senior UK government figures get behind Scotland’s Global Investment Summit
Four senior UK government minister will be attending Scotland’s Global Investment Summit in Edinburgh this week, hosted by Scottish Financial Enterprise (SFE) and the Lord Mayor of London.
Source: Scottish Financial News
How mushroom-powered trees are growing Scotland's future forests
How mushroom-powered trees are growing Scotland's future forests
Pellets developed by Midlothian-based start-up Rhizocore Technologies, contain native ectomycorrhizal fungi that form underground networks to support tree growth.
Source: The Herald
Converge 2025: Awards, Record Funding and New Partnership
Converge has announced the recipients of its 2025 awards, from life-saving food safety technology to breakthrough medical devices, with 22 prizes sharing a total prize pot in excess of £400,000.
This year’s cohort celebrates another exceptional year of university-led innovation, demonstrating Scotland’s position at the forefront of global entrepreneurship and research commercialisation.
Scottish company data platform launched to drive investment
An open access platform of information on start-ups, scale-ups and established private companies in Scotland has been launched.
Developed through a partnership between the University of Edinburgh, Scottish Government and Techscaler, the Scottish Ecosystem Platform provides includes funding round tracking, investor profiles and market trends.
Source: Business Insider
'Revolutionary' skin sensor could change how eczema is treated
For years, people living with eczema have endured endless trial-and-error treatments and long waiting lists to see a dermatologist.
Now, scientists at Heriot-Watt University believe they’ve developed “ground-breaking technology” that could revolutionise how the condition is diagnosed and treated.
Source: STV
Scots University Projects Receive Gov Funding to Go Commercial
The Scottish government is awarding projects across ten Scottish universities with the £2.95m Proof of Concept Fund to support harnessing their ground-breaking academic ideas for commercial use.
Source: DIGIT
Edinburgh spin-out SeaWarm secures funding
University of Edinburgh spin-out SeaWarm has secured £550,000 to roll out its renewable heating system across Scottish communities.
The investment includes £250,000 from angel investment syndicate Equity Gap, £250,000 from development agency Scottish Enterprise and £50,000 from University of Edinburgh in-house venture fund Old College Capital.
Source: Business Insider
Associate feature: A Manifesto for Health and Growth
Every advance in medicines – from vaccines to treatments that extend life – depends on strong partnerships between government, the NHS, academia and industry. This “triple helix” drives Scotland’s life sciences growth, contributing over £1.7 billion to the economy and supporting 15,000 high-value jobs.
Source: Holyrood
Scottish Government backs 'innovative industries' with £5 million
The Scottish Government has announced a nearly £5m investment package backing businesses in innovative industries.
It will provide more than £2m of support for new market clusters set out in Scotland’s Innovation Strategy, including space, robotics and critical technologies like semiconductors and quantum systems.
Source: Business Insider