Read about some of the talented individuals we’ve supported through our Starter for 6 programme.
Young SET Ambassadors Ltd
Young SET Ambassadors Ltd focuses on encouraging talented young people to consider careers in science, engineering and technology. The programme is designed to give pupils hands-on experience of science, engineering and technology, and to encourage work related learning within an industrial enterprise.
Vetpulse.tv
Vetpulse.tv is an online video podcast that covers the latest advances in veterinary research, pharmaceuticals and technology and is of use and interest to a global audience of veterinary professionals.
Plora
Plora’s product range sees beautiful, handcrafted knitted textiles developed into products for fashion and interiors. Inspired by the beauty of the Scottish landscape, all products are made in Scotland using the finest geelong lambswool.
Collectable jewellery
Alice Gow has launched an innovative mix-and-match jewellery collection. As well as being interchangeable, the jewellery is striking, modern and can be bought in stages, allowing a customer’s collection to gradually build.
Tiger Textiles
Alison Macleod is a textile designer/artist based in the Isle of Lewis. Alison’s designs are created using a variety of techniques, such as screen printing, stitch, CAD, digital printing, collage, drawing and painting. Her work is mainly inspired by the history of the Hebrides, surrounding colours, and the Gaelic language.
BlueGreen&Co
BlueGreen&Co. is a community business specialising in the design and manufacture of beautiful, sustainable furniture. The furniture is made from reclaimed materials otherwise destined for landfill.
Allan MacIntyre and John O’Leary website
CV Demon
Allan Ruddiman and Claire Wishart are developing an innovative CV-building and job-searching website, which will go live in late autumn 2008.
D-I-O’ (Design Interaction Online)
D-I-O’ (Design Interaction Online) is an interactive product design company that allows users to interact with digital product designs and have them manufactured as a ’one-off’. The designs will be developed in collaboration with recognised designers and creative SMEs.
Mamma Fashionista
Mamma Fashionista provides stylish, versatile and functional maternity and breastfeeding wear for fashionistas who don’t want to compromise their style when pregnant or nursing.
Red Button Design
Red Button Design, founded by James Brown and Amanda Jones is an internationally award-winning Design House focussing exclusively on products for the humanitarian markets. Their flagship product is a water transport, sanitation and storage device for the developing world.
Dotty Rhino
Dotty Rhino aims to educate and inspire children by highlighting the importance of wildlife preservation. Via interactive lessons, online content and illustrated books, Dotty Rhino links a rhino sanctuary in Tanzania to primary schools across the UK, allowing children, teachers and parents to explore relevant conservation issues in a progressive and imaginative way.
Printeriffic
Printeriffic from Blueprint Animation is a new learning channel to help teach primary school children. The channel complements common teaching methods of almost any subject. Printeriffic also has the potential to expand into a toy product for the home market.
Sign-now.com
Sign-now.com has developed a web-based video conferencing system, which allows deaf and able-hearing people to communicate efficiently online. It is the only technology company managed solely by deaf people in the UK. As Sign-now.com is web-based, there is no need to download software or install specialised hardware.
Greene Jam Studios
Greene Jam Studios is a silkscreen printing studio that specialises in environmentally-friendly production methods. Its first product range to be launched is ‘Jambalicious’, a kidswear range using organic fabrics and green printed designs.
Extravagant Underground
Extravagant Underground is an eco fashion label specialising in corsetry and headpieces. The garments are inspired by a fusion of street fashion, theatrical dress and customisation of existing garments. It aims to replace eco fashion’s rustic, bland stereotype, with a sense of decadence and refinement.
Angela Searle and Emma Creighton website
Angharad McLaren
Angharad McLaren designs and makes limited edition woven textile products using environmentally friendly materials and ethical production methods. Traditional techniques are combined with the latest technology and materials to create fresh, modern, functional designs. A consultancy and small batch production service is also offered to other fashion, interiors and sportswear companies.
ISANA
ISANA creates contemporary designs inspired by Asia. Combining intricate patterns with beautiful packaging the ISANA range provides a perfect gift, including products for the home and fashion accessories.
HINTERLANDscotland
HINTERLANDscotland.co.uk is a Scottish company on a journey from green to colourful. They design and create clothing, accessories, toys and gifts, all of which reflect the beauty of the Scottish highlands. Each product is made in an ethical and environmentally-friendly way.
Pageant
Pageant is a creative studio/boutique in Edinburgh operating in art, fashion and communication. It acts as a breeding ground for revolutionary design, art and music, where people in Scotland can discover up-and-coming talent without heading south.
Anna Stride and Claire Anderson website
Graphic Babbling Ltd
Graphic Babbling Limited offers painting and colour workshops for babies and toddlers, starting with observation work and progressing to active artworks. They promote a child-orientated approach to early art education and encourage parent-child bonding through creative activities.
Barbara designs and makes jewellery inspired by decorative patterns and forms. She uses computer-aided design (CAD) and photo etching and laser cutting techniques to produce the jewellery which she sells in galleries, shops and online.
Arika
Arika curate and produce festivals, events and tours bringing the most exciting experimental music, sound, film and visual art to diverse and enthusiastic audiences.
Barry Esson and Bryony McIntyre website
Seeking Simplicity
Seeking Simplicity design complete storage solutions and products to for the kitchen. Using a modern approach to form and function they create convenient solutions to everyday tasks performed in the kitchen.
FilmLive!
FilmLive! is a creative community that aims to connect, inspire, and educate emerging and established filmmakers by providing them with practical opportunities, and a platform to showcase their creative talents.
The Fit Zone
Beverley Gove, a fitness instructor from Aberdeen, has developed a new fitness concept – The Fit Zone™. This fun new piece of equipment has various exercise programmes suitable for adults and children. It is easily stored and can be used at home, in the gym and outdoors. It is also being developed for aquatic use.
Brendan develops solutions for the hospitality industry which reduce cost and increase efficiency. He also provides an independent auditing and advice service to customers to help improve their systems and reduce costs while maintaining quality of service.
RESQROLL
Emergency Extrication System aimed at casualties who have life threatening injuries & potential spinal injury, RESQROLL immobilises the spine and allows rapid removal of a victim from a vehicle after a Road Traffic Collision or confined spaces. This will also help reduce time at scene for victims who require life saving surgery.
Brian Langstaff’s product is designed to save time and money for the building industry. With a safety aspect at its core the product will solve problems encountered with particular aspects of decorating.
TreeGreen
TreeGreen provides energy-intelligent solutions to the public, through appliances that respond to the user’s unique needs and environment.
Standalone Power Ltd
The technical design and aerodynamics of Campbell Semple’s wind turbine, which operates on a vertical axis, has numerous applications in the rapidly evolving green power market.
Made In The Shade
Made In The Shade promotes and nurtures emerging creative talent by providing innovative retail and showcase opportunities and offering bespoke, sector specific business services to small scale UK designers and makers.
Carrie MacLennan and Clare Nicolson website
Solo Equestrian
Keen rider Cath Brown has created a range of equestrian equipment primarily for people who handle horses alone. Her first product, Solo Harness, makes it easier and safer for someone to single-handedly load and secure a horse into a trailer.
Jordon Shaw Ltd
Designers and producers of fire safety equipment. Hob Angel, for example, aims to reduce the number of hob-related fires, particularly chip pan fires.
Elsie Dodds’
Elsie Dodds’ is a soft furnishing and homeware accessory label for children that encourages their inquisitive nature and stimulates their imagination. Information about the products process and history is used as the inspiration for the designs which present fun, colourful and educational narrative patterns.
Petit Pea
Petit Pea produces original, design-led babywear using organic cotton and knitwear made in Scotland.
Photomatic Solutions
Chris Findlay has created Photomatic Solutions, an automated web-based service to help photographers quickly and easily identify who is in each of their photographs. It is expected to be of particular benefit when tracking down an individual captured as part of a group event, such as a marathon. Traditionally, this involves manual indexing. Chris’s solution saves time and administrative work for professional photographers.
Chris Gay is developing software for Computer Aided Design and Manufacture (CAD/CAM).
Christie Alexander
Christie Alexander produces knitwear for those who love wearable, luxurious fashion. The fine knit silk garments are dyed by hand and layered with pure woollen pieces to create a versatile look. Each item is carefully finished by hand in Scotland, ensuring a high-quality result.
Sanctuary of Wilderness
Sanctuary of Wilderness is an illustration-led design studio providing specialist art direction, editorial design, exhibitions and installations. The company designs and produces all its bespoke products and limited edition prints from its London studio.
Daniel Sutherland
Daniel Sutherland is an award winning design consultancy. They provide services in product design and development, website design, animation, new media graphics, and print work.
Aesthetic lighting for plants that can also be used as supplementary light for plant growth. The design also allows people to enjoy plants in a new and novel way.
Audience 2.0
Audience 2.0 is an online tool designed to help creative producers build, manage and interact with audiences, in order to generate revenue.
Kabloom
Kabloom is a small product design and manufacturing company based in Scotland. A business dedicated to producing unique and innovative products in an ethical and eco-friendly way Kabloom’s products exist to encourage interaction with nature and promote environmental awareness. Manufactured from a combination of reclaimed, recycled, organic and locally sourced materials our products challenge convention without compromising on quality.
Weight Angel
Weight Angel is a load measuring system for commercial vehicles. It enables users of commercial vehicles to know the weight of their load without the need to visit a public weighbridge and helps prevent dangerous overloading of commercial vehicles.
Gum disease is the most common health problem in cats. David Ewen’s device allows cats to clean their teeth on their own.
M I Events
M I Events is a computer games developer and publisher of Super Spy Camp, an online interactive game for the tourism and leisure industry.
The National School Newspaper
The National School Newspaper takes articles written by pupils aged 13-17 and publishes them nationally, in both online and print newspapers.
Blast Design
A family-run explosives engineering business, specialising in pioneering uses of explosives. This includes Blast Art - a sculpture range, formed using explosives and explosive welding.
Umbrella Media
David Muir is developing an internet TV channel, Sportsfilms, to play 100 hours of sports documentary and movie content to a worldwide audience. An established documentary and feature film-maker, David aims to provide innovative, niche content to attract an audience size, which will prove appealing to advertisers.
Prosperic
Prosperic provides online and face-to-face business networking and training solutions. Training academy “Let’s Train Business” and virtual networking facility “Let’s Talk Business”, focus on developing soft skills to business clients, while giving them the opportunity to network in a structured manner at a time that suits.
mrdeanbrown.co.uk
Dean Brown is a product designer focusing on the relationship between people and technology. His work aims to use technology to create simple, playful digital products for the home.
Craft Trails
Craft Trails is a one-stop online shop for unique Scottish crafts, inspired by Scotland’s stunning rural and coastal landscapes.
LIV (Local Information Vending)
LIV (Local Information Vending) is a Blue Tooth based tourist information translation device. With LIV base stations situated at locations of historic interest, a visitor, can use the Blue Tooth mode on their mobile phone to download tourist information as a voice message, in their native language.
The Journal
The Journal is a free fortnightly newspaper targeting all students and graduates studying, working and living in Edinburgh. Established in 2007 by Scotland’s leading young journalists, The Journal is distributed to Edinburgh’s five higher education institutions, it offers a reliable opportunity for businesses to communicate with a hard-to-reach market.
Duncan MacKenzie is developing an online portal to make it easier for people to make climate-friendly travel arrangements. His service aims to take the hassle out of arranging journeys, ensuring environmentally-friendly travel is simple, affordable and pleasant.
Rev Drive
Rev Drive is a gearbox aimed at the downhill sector of the cycling industry. Offering an enclosed set of nine gears it is compatible most framesets.
Lost Values
Lost Values create products that evoke the beauty and melancholy of craft work.
Intimate Session Events
Elgar Finlay co-founded Intimate Session Events Ltd to broadcast live music events in real time over the internet. Broadcasts will be in "full screen" and as close to high definition as possible - to enable anyone with broadband to enjoy a live music event.
Elin Isaksson Glass
Knowledge of Scandinavian and European glass-making techniques has enabled Elin Isaksson to bring architectural glass together with blown installations, lighting and sculpture, creating a whole glass experience.
Moody Monday
Moody Monday produces contemporary printed textiles lighting and interior accessories by using a fusion of methods in the designing-making process.
Green Door Studio
The Green Door Studio is a community analogue recording studio located in Argyle Studios in Glasgow. It offers clients 16 track, 1" tape analogue recording, valve amplifiers, compressors, microphones and other boutique gear including protools, logic, digital options. It also offers after-school workshops for young musicians.
Eco Drama
Eco Drama is an educational theatre company delivering fun, interactive shows and workshops to primary schools across Scotland. Using eco-gadgets, music and storytelling while touring in ‘The Magic Van’, a vehicle run on 100% biodiesel made from waste cooking oil, Eco Drama sustains a green ethos while motivating children towards greener, healthier lifestyles.
ExecSpace
Need to find a meeting room but haven’t the time to phone multiple venues to check that they have the availability and resources to accommodate your company’s needs? ExecSpace source and manage all meeting venue requirements, and will respond with suggested venues within 24 hours (Monday to Friday).
Cut Out And Collect
Cut Out And Collect is an environmentally friendly, limited edition clothing line. It specialises in handmade, recycled and organic clothing, and collaborates with young designers by incorporating their designs into other Cut Out And Collect pieces.
Ersi-Paraskevi Giannoulatou and Paul Williamson website
Euan is fascinated by both Art and Engineering and combines these two areas through his career in design. He is currently enjoying support from the University of Edinburgh based EPIS programme at Edinburgh College of Art, and with additional support from NESTA he hopes to take several new and innovative products to market over the coming year.
Optimal Athlete Design
Optimal Athlete Design aims to develop innovative products that enhance strength and flexibility for improved physical performance, while preventing muscle strain.
ShaplaLily
ShaplaLily designs and creates exquisite evening and occasion wear for women. By combining distinctive Asian elements with western fabrics and techniques it offers a genuine Asian alternative that meets the changing needs of its customers. ShaplaLily garments can be purchased separately or with others to form unique outfits for all occasions.
Bluebellgray
Bluebellgray’s interior products are created by printing onto natural cloths using state of the art digital printing technology.
GoatCoat
GoatCoat is a product and brand concept for design-led, performance outerwear aimed at high-end niche markets. Cashmere is core to the brand, combined in an innovative double-face fabric to create the ultimate crossbreed; a hybrid of luxury, performance and design. Soft, weightless, warm, weather-protected and desirable, the outerwear is a fusion of contrasts and extremes, form and function. The garments are made in Scotland and Mongolia.
hART & SOUL
An interactive gallery destination that will bring art and the environment together. Consisting of an eclectic mix of functional art that utilises the spirit of nature and environmental awareness to create innovative works.
Cruizer
Cruizer specialises in the creation of technically and specifically designed bicycle seats. The seats are custom designed and form an extensive range that attracts clients of all ages and requirements.
Pulse: The Stuff of Life
Pulse: The Stuff of Life is an innovative university spin-out service aimed at the scientific community. It offers advice and assistance in using traditional hand skills as well as new technologies, such as rapid prototyping, to create models. Services include model making, workshops and training, and the creation of forms for the practice, communication, and teaching of both science and art.
Cheeky Beak
Cheeky Beak produces stylish, original, eco-friendly greetings cards designed by a professional artist. The website includes stories linking to the cards, and the business aim is to be as environmentally friendly as possible.
nothingGrinder
Gabriel Ortiz has co-founded web design company, nothingGrinder, offering e-commerce and easy-to-use content management systems designed with clients, for clients. Using designers and developers from New York, Edinburgh and Tokyo, nothingGrinder aims to be a full-service solution for new media marketing strategy.
Las Guapas have created a Storage Pod for Hair Straighteners. The Storage Pod ensures hot plates are stored closed and incorporates a timer delay that switches off straighteners accidently left on.
hedout
hedout is a mobile and web based entertainment guide that uses the latest in mobile positioning and internet technologies to provide information on nearby events, bars, clubs, restaurants and cafés.
Smart Patents
Smart Patents combine bright ideas, technologies and engineering in dedicated project management processes to develop better products for a more efficient world. One such product is a unique power monitoring system for bicycles that helps to optimise cycling for commuters using bikes as well as those using cycling for fitness.
TWM
TWM’s primary product is an innovative multifunctional baby support device designed for babies aged 0 - 6 months. It is the first of several products aimed at improving the health and development of infants.
Sat Nav Scotland
Sat Nav Scotland provide GPS tours of the Loch Ness area. Allowing customers access to a cost-effective method of tour guiding.
Graham Kerr
Graham Kerr’s unique concept - an inflated shoe tree - is also an advertising tool for retailers in the sports shoe market.
YRock Ltd
YRock aims to provide young musicians with a network, resources and access to the wider music industry at an early age. YRock also provides events for young people to develop their talents and musical ability.
Radius Glasgow
Hannah Clinch is launching the brand Dear Green Place. Her first product is a Green Map for Glasgow, which helps people locate green services, such as charity shops and recycling points, as well as promoting awareness of sustainable development. She plans to extend the brand with eco-friendly products such as reusable bags. With the first Green Map due for publication in July 2007, Hannah is now working on launching an online version.
Heidi Proven
Heidi Proven has created an online social network that allows friends to share recommendations and updates while out and about. Accessed across mobile and wireless devices, the network uses photos and texts to create a mini blog that keeps friends up to date.
Button Dolly
Button Dolly is a fashion and accessories label that creates unique and unpredictable designs from personally selected, recycled textiles. Each hand-made piece has a bespoke quality, telling a story of past and present, and creating a patchwork of memories and secrets.
Walkhighlands
Walkhighlands provides reliable route information for walkers in the Scottish Highlands. Each walk has a detailed description, beautiful photographs, Ordnance Survey mapping and waymarks for your GPS.
Helen Webster and Paul Webster website
Ludgate
Ludgate country wear and accessories incorporate both modern and traditional Scottish tailoring. Quality is paramount and Ludgate approves only the finest of Scottish materials. It is influenced by a mythical departed era of quintessential lairds and exotic and elegant ladies.
Henrietta Mackay-Ludgate website
Factored-Translation
Factored-Translation aims to create products and services that will make translation easy, fun and indispensable. Hieu foresees a future where Factored-Translation will be as widely used as mobile phones, laptops and GPS receivers.
Hilary Grant Design
Hilary Grant Design has created a collection of knitted textiles that allow the user to manipulate the use and shape of the textiles in her range, which include screens and lighting.
Spinsight
Spinsight aims to provide a technology for real-time and automatic collection of sports performance data improving insight into team performances for both fans and coaches’.
Evenchure
Evenchure has developed a website that provides interactive data, knowledge services, and tools to support event managers. It will help them to deliver, promote and evaluate events more effectively and efficiently. The site also provides access to matchmaking within supplier industries/networks, and a platform for professional and social networking around events.
Creative Waste Products Ltd
Creative Waste Products Ltd produces a range of planet friendly, design led, stationery items made from their own bespoke paper, Reecover. Reecover is contains 75% industrial waste, made from the manufacturing of feminine hygiene products and normally destined for landfill.
Iona Crawford
A graduate of Edinburgh College of Art, Iona’s vision is to modernise and challenge the way Scottish fabrics such as cashmere, pure new wool and leather, are viewed by consumers. She aims to achieve this through the design and creation of innovative, unique and immaculately constructed garments.
Instead Design
Isabelle Moore designers and produces ergonomic, computer-operated chairs with integrated peripherals.
Chazal
Chazal is a fashion label and online boutique specialising in dresses made from sustainable cottons and silks.
Shortwaves
Jack Coghill founded Shortwaves to create customised music and audio post-production for Scotland’s expanding broadcast industry. The business has created the music and worked on the sound for several broadcasted television programmes and animations. Shortwaves has also produced music for a number computer games.
DAE
DAE is a one-stop audio production service to meet today’s ever-changing music market. It combines online, real-time music mixing and mastering services, with the transfer, archiving and restoration of analogue mediums to digital formats. This range of services makes DAE Scotland’s first all-in-one digital audio solution.
TAG Games Ltd
TAG Games are a small and dynamic group of game developers brought together by a strong desire to make a difference in the mobile games market. In a market starved of originality and innovation TAG Games aims to change the mobile game players diet of safe but dull mobile games to one of groundbreaking and exciting content that is based on two fundamental questions: "What’s new?" and "What if?"
Wingboards Ltd
Wingboards Ltd is an extreme sports design company, pushing the boundaries of extreme board sport design. Its market entry product is a ’Wakeboard with Wings’. This aerofoil-shaped board generates additional lift force when being pulled behind a boat or kite, and allows riders to experience increased airtime.
Bleep Purple
Bleep Purple provide creative mobile marketing solutions to businesses looking to take advantage of this platform. They hope to act as an international window to Scotland’s talent and collective output, nurturing mobile content production and platform development.
Go Guide Scotland
Go Guide Scotland is a series of products which use technologies, such as CD, MP3 and Sat-Nav, to create self-drive guided tours of Scotland.
Jamie Struthers and Simon Lee website
Affect Labs
Affect Labs is a software business drawing meaning from online chatter. By looking at the emotions and opinions expressed on the web and across social networks, Affect Labs allows customers to monitor opinions around subjects such as branding, reviews and politics, to find out what people are really saying online.
Veneerlamps
Veneerlamps manufacture unique lighting products using a combination real wood veneers and plastics. Products such as table lamps will be sold directly through the website and a bespoke design service will also be available.
Joanne and Nicole have developed a new piece of waxing equipment for the beauty industry that is hygienic, quick and easy to use.
Johanna Basford Designs
Johanna Basford creates bespoke and limited edition wallpapers, fabrics and surface accessories from her Scottish studio. All designs are drawn by hand and traditionally silk screen printed to create unique pieces for distinctive interiors.
Pressure Alert
Pressure Alert helps prevent damage to a patient’s airway during the common general anaesthetic procedure, known as ’Intubation’.
Judy Clark
Judy Clark’s online bespoke boutique is aimed at individuals who are captivated by having an avant-garde selection in their wardrobe. The boutique retails elegant and timeless garments that are made and designed in the Scottish Highlands.
Oldkitchen
Oldkitchen is dedicated to creating contemporary furniture and homewares from recycled materials. Specialising in chipboard with durable synthetic surfaces, the product range of is both eye-catching and functional. Oldkitchen products are also sourced, manufactured and sold as locally as possible.
Keira’s unique leather tailoring label designs and manufactures all its products in the UK. Her garments and accessories are designed to stand the test of time with their style and durability.
Missing L:nk
Missing L:nk makes unique and practical accessories from used bicycle chain that is cleaned and made into Missing L:nk products.
Latitude 56 Degrees
Latitude 56 Degrees Ltd (LAT56°) commercialises innovative products for the adventure sports market. LAT56° has patented the Rat-Pak, a portable suit carrier that meets the expectations of urban adventurers, ranging from cycling commuters to business travellers.
Kevin Fox and Lawrence Broadley website
Kevin Robson is improving the system currently used to produce carbonated soft drinks. He hopes the idea will reduce customer complaints and increase profitability for those who use the modification.
Kirsty Franey
Using a unique and quirky mix of colour, fabric and print, Kirsty Franey has created an innovative fashion label, carefully designed for the style conscious consumer who appreciates high quality and sophisticated individuality.
Narrative
Narrative is an online, wholesale, and mobile ’roadside attraction’ that works as an evolving retail showcase for local artists. It allows a broader audience to interact with local creative talent and purchase their merchandise.
A design studio specialising in printed textiles/wallpapers and ceramics, catering to individual customers, architects and interior designers. Creating products that utilise recyclable materials, such as ceramic and textile waste, and use eco-friendly production techniques. Designs are traditional but eclectic, servicing a growing niche market of environmental-friendly products.
Laura Turner Interior Textiles
Laura Turner Interior Textiles create traditional screen-printed wallpapers, and textiles for soft furnishings, and upholstery.
Using luxury silks and woollen fibres, Lauren Crawford creates unique, hand-made fashion accessories using a combination of traditional and innovative weaving techniques.
A2Z Animation
Using simple animation techniques to engage children and young people with literacy issues, Lesley Anderson aims to make them engage and interact in learning in a new and exciting way.
Libby Day, is a design graduate who uses a combination of traditional and new craft production technologies to produces lighting, interiors and jewellery collections.
Lisa Mann
Lisa Mann’s designs consider how surfaces can be created through manipulation and experimentation. Creating textures through vacuum forming neoprene rubber, her multi-purpose pieces of fabric can be transformed into garments, placemats, oven gloves, soundproof wallpaper and many other items.
PICDEX
PICDEX is a picture coding system, which acts as an alternative to remembering passwords and pin numbers. Helping anyone with a special need, disability or purely to take the stress out of memorising passwords and pins.