RGU startups honoured at annual SIE Awards

The Scottish Institute for Enterprise (SIE) Awards were held on Thursday 28 March at Glasgow’s Corinthian Club, recognising the winners of SIE’s annual Fresh Ideas competition, the longest-running early stage idea competition in Scotland.

Emma James, founder of Beltfree, was recognised for her range of innovative all-in-one high-quality maternity garments, which provide extra support for pregnant women. Emma is an online student in the Aberdeen Business School.

Along with her fellow four winners of Fresh Ideas, she shared a total of £6,000 prize fund and will also receive ongoing mentoring from SIE’s business advisers.

Emma said: “It means a lot to have this kind of recognition from SIE and I am grateful for all their support and advice as my business has grown.

“I created my first prototype while pregnant as I realised there was very little on the market to help women suffering, as I did, from pain in my pelvis and hips as my bump grew, even though it’s a common problem. The idea has since developed into a range of maternity shapewear that supports a growing bump and pelvis, including tights, leggings and briefs.

“I want to be able to empower pregnant women by giving them freedom and mobility to continue with their busy lives and enjoy the activities they love. The business has just launched, and I aim to have my product available at top retailers within the next year.”

A second student from RGU, Rajesh Kumar, founder of TrackGensis, was awarded a £400 special prize for the development of software which seeks to digitise the supply chain for food and drink industry using blockchain technology to improve efficiency and customer service.

Rajesh recently graduated with an MBA from the Aberdeen Business School and previously completed a Master’s in the School of Computing.

Both Emma and Rajesh are taking part in the RGU Startup Accelerator, which is part of the university’s innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives, and aims to help the region’s entrepreneurs and innovators create new high-growth businesses.

The accelerator programme is run by the RGU Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group, and is funded by the Wood Foundation.

Chris Moule, Head of the RGU Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group, said: “Last night’s awards are a clear testament to the hard work that Emma and Rajesh have put into their early stage business ideas and it was a privilege to see RGU stand out as the only university to receive two awards on the night. I am delighted to see innovation being recognised and thriving in the areas of fashion and food & drink, alongside digital.

“The Startup Accelerator is just one of the many ways in which RGU is engaging student and graduate entrepreneurs, like Emma and Rajesh. RGU’s objective is to create an open and inclusive innovation ecosystem that will have long-lasting impact on the wider regional economy.”

In only 10 months, RGU has created a thriving environment for students, staff, alumni and external entrepreneurs through £1.6 million in funding from the Wood Foundation, which also supports RGU’s strategy of preparing students for the future.

Professor Gordon McConnell, Vice-Principal of Commercial and Regional Innovation, added: “Our startup teams are supported not just by the RGU EIG team but also a wider range of mentors through the Aberdeen Innovation Mentors group. The success at the SIE awards is validation that these startup teams are on the road to success.”

SIE is funded by the Scottish Funding Council to encourage and support entrepreneurial students through competitions and tailored support, and to help all students develop innovation and enterprise skills that will lead to rewarding futures.

Fiona Godsman, chief executive of Scottish Institute for Enterprise, said: “Last night we celebrated some of Scotland’s most promising entrepreneurs. In this rapidly changing world, we are committed to helping even more students to develop the skills and confidence they will need to embrace the opportunities of the future, not just as innovative entrepreneurs but also as talented and future-ready employees.”