Converge

Ready to turn your university-born innovation into a viable venture that prioritises people and planet alongside profit? Then don’t miss the chance to apply for our Impact Challenge! Designed in partnership with The Ventures Lab by Challenges Group, and aimed at early-stage, Scotland-based projects, this is your chance to access intensive training, expert mentorship and the chance to win equity-free funding to bring your venture to life. To find out more about this great new opportunity, and to understand what our judges are looking for in a successful application, sign up now for one of our free online information sessions. Choose your date: Tuesday, 12 November (1-2pm) – register here: https://buff.ly/4bOg4cc Tuesday, 19 November (1-2pm) – register here: https://buff.ly/zI6a3qB

Looking to Connect for Impact? Our partners at The Ventures Lab by Challenges Group are hosting an in-person networking morning on 6 November for purpose-led founders, entrepreneurs and changemakers in Scotland. If you're navigating early-stage challenges, scaling fast or looking to explore new partnerships, then this is your chance to share learnings and to make meaningful connections. When: Thursday 6 November, 9:00–11:00 Where: The Bakery, Edinburgh Register now: https://lnkd.in/eSjPD4wx

We're thrilled to announce that we’ve joined forces with our strategic partner The Ventures Lab by Challenges Group to launch a brand new, limited-edition Impact Challenge designed to support the next wave of university-born innovators. If you're a researcher or early-stage founder committed to building ventures that solve real-world problems and prioritise people and planet alongside profit, then this is your opportunity to access intensive, in-person business training and expert mentorship to commercialise your idea. You'll also have the chance to compete for equity-free funding. We’re looking for early-stage, Scotland-based projects focused on: ·       Health & Wellbeing ·       Climate & Sustainability ·       Inclusive Communities ·       Future Work & Skills ·       Social Systems & Policy Applications close on 25 November with in-person training taking place in Edinburgh on 7-8 January 2026. For more info and to apply visit: https://buff.ly/Gc3mRn7 Eoghan Mackie Adam Kosterka Angie Lee Lissa Rocha Herron Sheila McLeod Kathryn Slater Robbie Broomfield

We're now in Day 2 of this year's SULSA - Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance - IndAc Conference, a bi-annual event bringing together the life sciences industry and academia to explore the latest in industry-academia collaboration, commercialisation and career development. If you’re here today and curious about taking your research into the world, then make sure to come by our stand! 

Yesterday was our first ever "Winners' Day" which saw our 2025 winners gather together in Edinburgh. For some it was the opportunity to sit down with our professional partners to start mapping out how their in-kind business support can help their businesses, and for everyone it was a chance to cement the relationships built up over the year and reinforce those invaluable peer-to-peer networks. The day ended with some very inspiring remarks from Dave Hughes, Converge winner in 2017, reflecting on his 7 years at the helm of spinout novosound. We can't wait to see what the future holds for Dave, and of course, for our Class of 2025! MBM Commercial LLP CT: Accountants Advisers HLK i4 Product Design Firefinch Software The Ventures Lab by Challenges Group

What a lovely behind-the-scenes look at our recent awards from the unique perspective of a very worthy winner! Congrats Nathan Dudley and the team at New Found Hope!

A podcast is not my usual style - but it was great to be out of my comfort zone discussing a topic that is very close to my heart! Thanks to the amazing Sarah McLusky for making it a warm experience for me! Commercial talent is key to the success of great spin outs. When pairing a great academic with a knowledgeable, experienced and networked commercial executive - we see success. However i do understand that the role in itself is often misunderstood and in some ways open to interpretation. I hope through this podcast I dispel some of the "myths" around the role of the commercial champion and it opens the conversation to how we bring more commercially experienced individuals to our incredible pipeline of spin out opportunities in Scotland. If this is something you wish to discuss further, or if you see yourself as a future commercial champion then please let me know! #spinout #commercialtalent #highgrowth Scottish Enterprise The Academic Adventures Podcast

Want to develop the skills to grow your business? Our online workshop series is back! Join our first session 'Understanding your market' on Tuesday 4 November to learn how to interact with potential customers and use their feedback to shape your proposition. Key topics include - ✅ Identifying your target market and its size and value ✅ Customer engagement tips ✅ A customer-centred approach to proposition development Take a look our upcoming series and register your place here - https://lnkd.in/e_jtPWxs

As the Scottish International Storytelling Festival kicks off this week, we’re proud to spotlight a powerful example of storytelling as a tool for transformation — Isaac Burnett, a postgraduate student from the University of Stirling, and winner of the Performing & Production Arts Challenge at this year’s #ConvergeAwards. Designed to empower performers, producers and technicians from across Scotland’s universities to turn their talent into viable businesses, our new limited-edition challenge was co-developed with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and presented by Mark Logan, former Skyscanner COO and a leading voice in Scotland’s tech and creative economy, at this year’s Converge Awards on 2 October. Isaac’s interdisciplinary project, Mimetolith, works in criminal justice settings — including prison education — using immersive performance and transformative storytelling to improve lives and foster rehabilitation. With festivals like #SISF exploring new ways to tell old stories, Isaac’s work reminds us that the future of performance isn’t just creative — it’s deeply impactful. 📷 Pictured at the Converge Awards, L-R Mark Logan, Isaac Burnett and Dr Lissa Herron from Converge.

Here’s another chance to meet the 12 finalists who made it onto this year’s KickStart Challenge shortlist. Representing university innovators from across the length and breadth of Scotland, their bold ideas include: · An AI-powered app translating sign language into speech and speech back into language, in real time · A versatile, textile lap tray designed for wheelchair users · A low-cost, chemical-free filtration system to recover valuable phosphorous from wastewater Watch the video to meet the inspiring founders shaping our future.