Converge announces biggest ever cohort

Converge is today announcing its 2025 cohort comprising some of the most innovative and creative thinkers from Scotland’s Universities.

Selected from a record-breaking crop of over 300 applications, this year 125 academic entrepreneurs will be joining Converge’s prestigious programme and ultimately competing for a slice of the prize pot worth over £400,000.

Successful applicants include projects from all 19 universities across Scotland. There is strong representation in the technology, engineering and life sciences sectors, with many developing emerging technologies underpinned by AI.

The compelling trend this year across a significant majority of projects, as noted by the judging panel, is a strong and consistent commitment to purpose-driven innovation.  Converge participants are striving to improve the lives of people with disabilities, develop sustainable energy solutions and revolutionise the future of healthcare.  This ambition to drive meaningful change strongly underscores Converge’s mission to exploit the power for academic research to solve critical global challenges. 

Some of this year’s projects include:

• A sensing technology directly addressing the slow and often frustrating treatment cycles for millions of people living with inflammatory skin conditions, aiming to speed up treatment revisions, offering a faster, more data-informed path to relief. 

• A real-time monitoring system to detect and analyse harmful algal blooms. Offering fast, cost-effective analysis of surface and deep waters, this project hopes to transform water quality monitoring by providing early warning alerts to water utilities, environmental agencies and aquaculture industries. 

• A training project aiming to change the way that older people with a learning disability are viewed and supported. Co-developed with people with a learning disability, SquarePeg Training aims to support professionals working in health, social care and third sector organisations to prepare for this emerging older population.

Commenting on this year’s new intake, Adam Kosterka, Converge Executive Director said:

“It’s a great privilege to welcome such an exceptionally talented group of aspiring entrepreneurs to our programme. Their innovations cut across numerous fields, offering solutions with the potential to not just boost our economy but to transform people’s lives. We can’t wait to see how they progress.

We are delighted to offer more places than ever on our programmes, with the highest number of applications to date validating the demand for Converge’s unique model of supporting entrepreneurial ambition.”

Helen Cross, Director of Research and Innovation at the Scottish Funding Council, said:

“The reputation and respect Converge has built since it began 14 years ago is reflected in the incredible response to this year’s programme and in the fact that all 19 of Scotland’s universities are represented in the 2025 cohort.

“I’m delighted to see such success for a programme that does so much for enterprise and innovation and encourages such transformational projects.” 

Participants will now receive business training to develop their entrepreneurial skills with finalists progressing to the Converge Awards in October with a record prize pot of £400,000 awaiting the winners. 

Shortlisted participants from Converge’s main challenge categories are listed below. The shortlist for limited-edition challenges, Hydrogen and Performing & Production Arts, will follow shortly:

Converge Challenge

Create Change Challenge

Net Zero Challenge

KickStart Challenge

The following are participants in our two, new limited-edition challenges:

Performing & Production Arts

Hydrogen Challenge