Who we are
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 university staff, students and recent graduates across Scotland, our programme is designed to springboard new businesses through intensive business training, networking, 1-2-1 support, generous equity-free cash prizes and expert advice from our roster of industry partners.
We run four challenge categories tailored to developing business across all sectors and stages of development.
400+
Entrepreneurs trained200+
Companies created500+
High value jobs created£103m
Follow-on funding raisedFind your challenge
- £50k top prize
- £20k runner-up
- All sectors and enterprise types
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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- £20k top prize
- £10k runner up
- Creative Industries
Creative Challenge is open to business ideas rooted in creativity, skill and craft, with the potential to develop into sustainable businesses in Scotland’s creative industries.
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- £20k top prize
- £10k runner up
- Social & environmental focus
Impact Challenge is designed for mission-led enterprises with a social or environmental cause at their heart. We’re looking for product and service-based ideas that have the potential to make the world a better place.
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- £10k top prize
- £5k runner up
- Early-stage business ideas
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 HughesNovosound, 2017 Winner
Welcome to the family
Hundreds 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.
Supporting you, every step of the way
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.
Meet the teamOur latest news, thoughts and events
NEWS New Inventions from Scotland’s Universities Could Change Life as We Know It
A novel vaccine production platform that could prove decisive in the battle against Streptococcus; a fun, social robot designed to promote and instil handwashing behaviour in schoolchildren and an electric alternative to the jet engine to enable sustainable flight - these are just some of the revolutionary ideas that have made it to the 2021 semi-finals of Converge.
New Inventions from Scotland’s Universities Could Change Life as We Know It
NEWS Converge & Chiene + Tait Announce New Partnership
Chiene + Tait has signed a three-year partnership deal with Converge designed to help drive further growth of the organisation’s network of entrepreneurs behind university sector spin-out and start-up companies
Converge & Chiene + Tait Announce New PartnershipMaking the Impossible, Possible
It is now widely accepted that our planet is in danger and that, if we don’t act now, our children will face a crisis a hundred times more serious than the Covid-19 one.
Making the Impossible, PossibleChoose to Challenge
While our minds are busy with concepts like furlough and home schooling, it's still important that we take a moment to celebrate women around the world and their achievements says Converge Director, Claudia Cavalluzzo.
Choose to ChallengeFunding Scotland’s Tech Start-ups
Paul Atkinson, Founding Partner of VC firm Par Equity and Converge Board Chairman, on why we need to think bigger about funding Scotland's tech start-ups.
Funding Scotland’s Tech Start-ups
Celebrating 10 years of economic impact and job creation
Become a partner and help us make the next 10 even better
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