Converge helps students, graduates and staff across Scotland’s universities and research institutes turn their creativity, ideas and innovations into commercial reality.
Regardless of your background, location and business readiness, by joining one of our challenges you’ll gain the tools, support and funding opportunities to springboard your business into the world.
And it won’t cost you a penny. Zip, zilch, nada, zero.
Working in collaboration with Scotland’s universities, we uncover emerging spinouts and start-ups, acting as a catalyst to accelerate the creation of innovative products and services that will improve lives and safeguard our planet.
Open to students, graduates and staff across Scotland's universities, our programme springboards new businesses through intensive business training, networking, 1-2-1 support, generous equity-free cash prizes and expert, professional advice from our roster of industry partners.
We run four challenge categories tailored to developing business across all sectors and stages of development.
Converge Challenge is open to high-calibre, innovative projects with serious growth potential. If you have a ground-breaking idea, this is the challenge for you.
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Designed to support Scotland’s efforts in becoming a carbon neutral nation by 2045, we welcome projects that can deliver maximum impact for Scotland’s net zero goal.
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If you're a social shaker or creative thinker looking to change the world for the better, then this challenge is for you.
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KickStart Challenge is a first step towards commercialisation for early-stage business ideas. It’s designed to test the robustness of your idea, equip you for the realities of entrepreneurship and prepare you for our more advanced challenge categories.
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It's the best thing I've done in my career. The PR it created allowed the business to grow very quickly by drawing in significant investment.
Dave HughesHundreds of aspiring academic entrepreneurs have been through the Converge programme. We think of them as family and are behind them every step of the way, supporting their journey and celebrating their success.
We are an experienced, hands-on, approachable team ready to help make your business idea a reality. We work closely with participants from Scotland's university network on their journey from academia to entrepreneurship, supporting them every step of the way.
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NEWS Converge is aiming to dispel the myth that you need to call yourself an “entrepreneur” to set up a business.
Converge aims to dispel ‘entrepeneur’ myths as it opens for applications
NEWS Scotland’s top academic innovators were celebrated at the Converge Awards ceremony in Edinburgh, with life sciences innovations dominating alongside start-ups in various technology, product design and net zero-related fields.
Scotland’s Top Academic Innovators Celebrated at Converge AwardsLike every parent, I want the best for my child. I want her to be confident whilst feeling supported, loved and self-sufficient. I couldn’t help but see the connection with my team and the kind of leader I aspire to be.
Learning to lead like a motherAccording to data from the 2019 Rose Review female entrepreneurship is still significantly lagging. So, what more can we do to bring the UK in line with the best international standards?
Break the bias? Let’s give women the tools to succeedEnvironmental, societal and governance (ESG) has become highly topical in the world of business and investment.
Vital that everything we do as businesses benefits the environment and our society
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