Pioneering ideas take centre stage at annual Converge showcase

Last night the Everyman Cinema in Edinburgh, a place where stories are brought to life on the big screen, provided an inspiring setting for Inside Innovation, Converge’s annual showcase of university ingenuity with 50 academic innovators from this year’s cohort sharing their groundbreaking ideas in a rapid-fire pitching competition.

Representing the leading edge of innovation from Scotland’s universities, the event offered our 200-strong audience of academic staff, entrepreneurs, business leaders and members of Scotland’s innovation ecosystem, a rare window into tomorrow, revealing pioneering ideas across healthcare, renewables, technology and other key sectors that could fundamentally reshape our economy and society.

Coming at the end of a full week of business training and pitch coaching for participants in Converge’s advanced cohorts, this year’s showcase put the critical skill of pitching – essential for anyone seeking investment to start and grow their business – to the test. Among the strong contenders, three pitches captured the attention of our judging panel who were looking for a compelling story, a clear competitive advantage and a precise ask. 

Triumphing in the Create Change Challenge was University of Edinburgh graduate, Ana-Maria Railean with KUMA, a project preserving family stories by transforming them into private podcasts and audiobooks. Taking ‘Best Pitch’ in the Net Zero Challenge was another University of Edinburgh graduate, Sam Evans, who is building aerodynamic HGV trailers that cut fuel consumption and emissions by capitalising on empty trailer space. Winning in the Converge Challenge category was Michael Crichton from TissueMetrics, a Heriot-Watt University project developing sensing technologies to address the slow and often frustrating treatment cycles for millions of people living with inflammatory skin conditions.

Beyond the pitches, the event featured a diverse group of speakers offering invaluable insights into navigating the journey from academia to commercial success.

Among them were three Converge alumni who have firsthand experience of translating academic innovation into flourishing businesses. They included Pooja Katara, Founder and CEO of Glasgow-based immersive design studio, SENSECity, who offered a powerful perspective, highlighting that the mismatch between an ambitious vision and limited resources isn’t so much a hurdle but where innovation thrives. Dr Alex Speakman, Founder of E.V.A Biosystems and winner of Converge’s 2024 Net Zero prize, emphasised the need for visionary entrepreneurs to transform good intentions into lasting impact by leveraging enterprise. Rounding off the alumni segment was Dr Stuart Hannah, Co-founder and CEO of Microplate Dx, who described winning the Converge Challenge runner-up prize in 2021 as transformational, giving his diagnostics company the crucial momentum it needed to raise significant investment.

The event also featured guest speakers including former Converge Director, Dr Claudia Cavalluzzo, along with Brian McNicoll and Simon Fraser of 532 Design, who shared their collective experience of making the leap from enterprise support roles to the dynamic business world. 

Adam Kosterka, Executive Director of Converge commented:

“Giving Scotland’s aspiring academic entrepreneurs the chance to articulate their vision is absolutely essential and our national showcase provides that vital stage. Based on what I’ve heard this evening, this year’s cohort are developing innovations with immense potential and I’m genuinely excited to see how they progress”

“Huge congratulations to all of them including our three pitch winners”