Who we are
Working in collaboration with Scotland’s higher education institutions, 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 Scottish higher education institutions on their journey from academia to entrepreneurship, supporting them every step of the way.
Meet the teamOur latest news, thoughts and events
EVENTS Converge 2021 Workshop Series
Are you considering entrepreneurship as a career option? Are you looking to access support, guidance and training to make it happen? Don’t miss our 2021 workshop series for aspiring academic entrepreneurs.
Converge 2021 Workshop Series
NEWS Converge Searches for the Next Generation of Innovators
Converge 2021 is now open for applications and the race is on to find Scotland’s next generation of academic trailblazers!
Converge Searches for the Next Generation of InnovatorsOur families and kindness towards others are the things that really matter
I don’t see how we can ever go back to caring just about profit, about our own health and not our neighbours, says Converge Director, Claudia Cavalluzzo.
Our families and kindness towards others are the things that really matter
Celebrating 10 years of economic impact and job creation
Become a partner and help us make the next 10 even better
Find out more