Double win at Converge Challenge
Edinburgh staff are celebrating after winning awards in a leading company creation competition and entrepreneurship development programme.
Dr Fiona Denison and Juan Pablo Echenique both won prizes at the Converge Challenge awards ceremony last night (Thursday, 28 September).
More than 200 of Scotland’s most successful and respected business and entrepreneurial leaders attended the event at the dynamic Glasgow Science Centre.
Speakers included the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon MSP.
A prize fund of £170,000 of cash and in-kind prizes was awarded at the competition, which this year received 212 applicants from 17 of Scotland’s universities and research institutes.
Digital entrepreneurship
Dr Fiona Denison, of the MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, won the KickStart Digital Entrepreneur Award, which recognises internet entrepreneurialism and online marketing skills.
She was awarded the prize for her concept, Birth Mirror. The mirror is easily adjustable, submersible and illuminated to help midwives and all new mums view the birthing process.
Dr Denison’s idea was chosen in an online vote that was open to the public in the weeks leading up to the awards.
Early stage project
Juan Pablo Echenique, of the School of Engineering, was awarded the KickStart Award prize and £6000 for his project, Power Enable Solutions.
The award recognises promising early stage projects that are still in their infancy.
Power Enable Solutions uses algorithms that enables the maximisation of end-to-end performance for wind turbines, and has the potential to be a disruptive technology in the energy sector.
Congratulations to all this year’s winners and finalists, the projects have been by far the strongest to date, demonstrating a real step change in ambition and participation.