Partner News: £12k of funding available for creatives, entrepreneurs and startups now!
Applications are open now for the next round of Creative Informatics Resident Entrepreneurs.
Applications are open now for the next round of Creative Informatics Resident Entrepreneurs. If you are an individual or startup that would like to develop a new product, service or experience using data, you can apply for £12,000 of funding, plus mentoring, access to resources and additional support to get your next creative project started.
To date, Creative Informatics have funded 52 Resident Entrepreneurs, supporting designers, artists, makers, community organisations, creative technologists and publishers to develop innovative products and services.
Applications for this penultimate round of Resident Entrepreneurs close on Wednesday 20th April at 5pm. If you are based in Edinburgh or South East Scotland and interested in applying, join the Creative Informatics team for their next online RE Discovery Workshop, taking place on Tuesday 5th April at 2pm.
Find out more about some of the individuals and organisations that have received funding from the Resident Entrepreneur programme so far:
Design
Design projects funded through the Resident Entrepreneur programme include Ploterre, a design studio founded by Rebecca J Kaye. Rebecca uses environmental data to create artwork from processes and discoveries within the natural world, combining principles from the fields of mathematics and design to create stunning limited edition prints and products.
+Argonauts is an aspiring data-driven 3d-design, rapid fabrication and e-commerce brand with a new attitude towards material consumption, founded by Jason Morenikeji, who used his Resident Entrepreneur funding to develop +Argonauts’ design processes and operational set up.
Konpanion integrate elegant design with artificial intelligence, pioneering a unique direction for domestic robotics and creating an entirely new species of alternative pets. Through their RE project, they are developing Maah, the only robot in the market using a cover entirely made of a fabric, bringing smart technology to life in the form of an artificial pet.
Crafts
Jeni Allison is a knitwear brand based in Edinburgh, prioritising digital design and simulation technologies to make the product development process as accurate, sustainable and visual as possible. Jeni’s Resident Entrepreneur project is focused around building a web-based application to facilitate affordable, bespoke knit customisation.
Edinburgh Tool Library supports their local community, providing a low-cost method for borrowing tools along with expert advice, practical workshops, and guidance for young trainees. Their Resident Entrepreneur project focused on developing a carbon calculator and data tool that can be used to demonstrate the impact, social and environmental benefits of tool libraries.
Performing Arts
Civic Digits blend digital technology, gaming and live performance to create innovative and interactive experiences that question what it means to be a digital citizen in the 21st century. Through their Resident Entrepreneur project they are developing their Data Driven Actor, building an on-stage robot that can perform with human actors in response to live data inputs, which can be created by audiences using Civic Digits’ software on their own mobile phones.
Centrline is a new collaboration platform for the theatre sector co-founded by Craig Fleming and David Kelly, which aims to address the operational challenges presented by the transient nature of a predominantly freelance workforce in the theatre industry. The Resident Entrepreneur programme has supported the development of Centrline’s platform, enabling Craig and David to develop tools and resources that will enable individuals and organisations to work together more effectively.
Publishing
The Flock is an ethically driven women’s magazine site, launched in June 2020 amid the UK’s first Covid-19 lockdown. Launched as an advertising-free platform, the focus of The Flock’s Resident Entrepreneur programme was to explore innovative reader-funded models that would ensure The Flock’s sustainability and allow them to pay contributors at a fair rate for their work.
The Book Whisperers CIC is a social enterprise and a publishing company with a twist, focusing on generating and supporting new writers and developing talent. Through their Resident Entrepreneur project, The Book Whisperers are developing an online community platform, which will enable them to gather data from their community to better inform their online publishing and support services for writers, authors, illustrators and other creatives.
Software and computing services
Playable Technology specialise in developing creative technology. Through their Resident Entrepreneur project, Playable Technology are developing Beat Blocks, an app that re-purposes the ubiquitous construction block (e.g. Lego), to make music in real-time, leveraging the computing power of AI on smartphones and tablets.
Amicable Animal is the moniker of Edinburgh-based university lecturer and Scottish Bafta winning indie games developer Tom Methven. Through his Resident Entrepreneur project, Tom is developing Fabricate Reality, a new game where players takes the role of a newly self-aware AI who seeks to learn more about humanity, and what it means to be human.
If you have any questions about applying to be a Resident Entrepreneur, contact the Creative Informatics team at creativeinformatics@ed.ac.uk.