The Scottish tech sector is home to a wide range of early-stage startups, all of which play a crucial role in contributing to the country’s flourishing ecosystem.

Spanning high-growth areas such as fintech, healthtech, AI and cybersecurity, many early-stage startups find their beginnings in Scotland’s universities, which have traditionally played a vital role in supporting and enabling the Scottish startup scene.

Companies such as ZoneFox, Exscientia, Current Health and Cyacomb all stand as testament to the powerful influence and positive impact universities have on the nation’s tech scene and aspiring founders.

In June, seven exciting early-stage Scottish startups took part in the Converge Inside Innovation Challenge; a unique pitching competition which offers founders the chance to showcase their vision and secure vital investment.

With that in mind, DIGIT has profiled the seven promising finalists; exploring what they each have to offer.

Agrecalc

Join thousands of agricultural and food supply chain professionals who already benefit from useful mitigation recommendations, grounded in years of science and practical farm carbon footprinting experience. Sign up on our website: https://t.co/bHiuKJWXNg pic.twitter.com/2wWoSOBnOx

— Agrecalc (@agrecalc) June 30, 2022

Developed as a spinout from SRUC, Agrecalc scooped up the top prize in the Inside Innovation Net Zero challenge pitch this year.

The firm is an independent, evidence-based carbon footprint tool which helps organisations operating across the food supply chain to identify and measure their main source(s) of carbon emissions.

The innovative tool enables users to monitor improvements in carbon emissions, benchmark key performance indicators and meet ambitious net zero targets.

Bennu.ai

Also joining us now is Jonathan Feldstein @bennuAI – a tech company originating out of @EdinburghUni that develops #AI #Robotics solutions to help businesses meet their #NetZero targets while also saving money #InsideInnovation pic.twitter.com/PEV4puHLJL

— Converge (@ConvergeC) June 23, 2022

Bennu.ai develops AI-Robotics solutions to help business achieve net-zero targets while saving on operational costs.

The Edinburgh University spinout’s first flagship product is a pioneering smart bin that sorts trash automatically. According to company founder Jonathan Feldstein, the patentable technology can more accurately identify and sort waste into the correct bins compared to humans.

Danu Robotics

Thank you Converge team for organising this fun event and providing a platform for us to showcase our business, it was a very enjoyable night. https://t.co/VuE3KfVBlB

— Danu Robotics (@DanuRobotics) June 24, 2022

Danu Robotics aims to streamline and enhance waste management to create a cleaner world.

Founded by Xiaoyan Ma, this Edinburgh University spinout is developing an advanced and sustainable robotic system to automate manual processes in recycling to sort through waste accurately and rapidly.

Deep QA

Edinburgh-based startup Deep QA hopes to transform software testing by using artificial intelligence to hunt for bugs.

Founded by Edinburgh University student Thomas Cartwright, Deep QA’s AI platform helps devs identify bugs such as broken UI in web and mobile apps and remove costly testing overheads, allowing companies to release bug-free software more efficiently.

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Eye to the Future

Founded by Emanuele Trucco, Eye to the Future is another exciting healthtech company which aims to transform patient outcomes.

Built on two decades’ worth of joint research, this spinout harnesses software to assist optometrists in diagnosing a range of eye conditions.

The firm’s software can help frontline practitioners to treat patients more efficiently.

Kaiba

And now we have Daniele Marini @UniStrathclyde with #Kaiba – a tech company developing #AI & data-driven strategies to quantify & digitalise industrial behaviour. One of the company’s key missions is to help #OEMs develop greener, more efficient supply chains #InsideInnovation pic.twitter.com/lyNS0lpGq0

— Converge (@ConvergeC) June 23, 2022

Kaiba markets itself as the first technology company to quantify and digitalise industrial behaviour.

Founded by Daniele Marini, the University of Strathclyde spinout leverages artificial intelligence to develop greener, more resilient supply chains and identify new markets for manufacturers.

Theo Health

who’s looking forward to seeing our smart-clothing!? 👀 https://t.co/CLieKzoR9S

— Theo Health (@theohealth) June 20, 2022

A spin-out from the University of Dundee, Theo health uses smart clothing to bridge the gap between physical injury and mental wellness.

The company’s unique compression shorts use sensors to provide real-time insights into muscle development, enabling users to measure, track and analyse progress and aid long-term recovery from serious injuries.

Founded by Jodie Sinclair, Theo Health recently won the Insider Innovation Converge challenge pitch competition.