Innovation at the heart of RGU Startup Accelerator 2023
Celebrating the fifth year of the acclaimed business development programme, 2023's RGU Startup Accelerator programme was open exclusively to RGU students and alumni within five years of graduation.
The application process for this year’s programme was as competitive as ever with new enquiries still incoming now despite applications closing in December. Following the deadline, the Accelerator boot camp was held in mid-January, during which our final teams were selected to officially join the programme starting later that month.
Each cohort participant will benefit from five months of business training and support; at least £2,000 in equity-free seed funding with thousands more up for grabs during the programme; mentorship; and free city centre co-working space at the ONE Tech Hub.
During the process, all start-ups are supported in their growth by ourselves in the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group (EIG) where they can explore their innovations further by testing assumptions; conducting market research; undertaking business model analysis; and working on their ever-important financials. Perhaps most exciting, the team will also be helping them to prepare their pitch for this year’s showcase event, taking place on Thursday 11 May at the Sandman Hotel in Aberdeen.
Early-stage ideas in this year’s programme, funded by the Wood Foundation, range from generative artificial intelligence to an asylum seeker support organisation. All progressing brilliantly, you can learn more about each of 2023’s RGU Startup Accelerator cohort here:
Members Guest Ltd
Founded by: Stuart Wright
The Members Guest app is designed to bring together golf club members and nomad or travelling golfers to share their love of the game. Inspired by the short-term rental homes market, the aim is to allow golf club members to showcase their golf course at reasonable prices whilst gaining commercially for their time and efforts. The App aims to build a strong community of golfers throughout the UK and Ireland initially, and globally eventually, whilst capitalising on under-utilised tee times and providing additional financial support for Golf clubs.
Birch Blossom Project Consultants
Founded by: Tara Murray
Birch Blossom Project Consultants provide professional and tailored project management support to climate change community groups and organisations in the North East of Scotland, to plan and complete projects which benefit their community and the environment. Its aim is to save customers time, money and stress so they can focus on other aspects of their worthwhile project.
Overlook Digital
Founded by: Grant Learmonth
Overlook Digital is a digital marketing agency that provides tailored marketing support and education for SMEs in the North East of Scotland. They want to take the mysticism away from digital marketing and allow SMEs to be able to confidently run their own campaigns from start to finish after working with Overlook Digital.
Sparebill
Founded by: Dhanush Roy, Akhila Joe
Sparebill is developing a centralised application that offers a hassle-free return process with automated receipt storage. The app also stores all product warranty and guarantee receipts for easy access throughout the user's lifetime. Additionally, it tracks auto parts invoices and alerts users when parts need replacement. With AI integration, Sparebill categorises purchases to allow customers to track spending by category. Finally, users can create groups to share bills by logging into their accounts. By digitizing all receipts, the app promotes eco-friendliness by reducing paper usage.
Alturo
Founded by: Amy Davys, Kirsty Main
Alturo is the future of social prescribing in healthcare and is striving to lower the rate of suicide globally through free and accessible support. To achieve this, Alturo offer a self-sustainable solution that is 2-fold: 1) an online platform designed for people to find support groups and other related services and 2) provide service providers (i.e. charities, community groups, wellness activity hosts) with the research and marketing tools that can help them scale with ease. Think Airbnb for peer support and that's Alturo. Join them on this journey towards a world where everyone has access to the support and resources they need to thrive.
Exhibition
Founded by: Adam Hanzely, Liam Wilson, Catherine Fahey
Exhibition is creating an online platform for art, fashion and design students to sell their work and build their portfolio by posting creations for sale or display on their profiles and the feed of our website. The site will also offer features that encourage and allow for future collaboration or commissioned works. Its aim is to increase students’ prospects, while creating a motivating and inspiring community, as well as offer individualistic works from up-and-coming creators to potential buyers and art enthusiasts.
Rebatt
Founded by: Ilanchezhiyan Balasubramanaian
Rebatt is developing a one-hub platform that offers a sustainable solution for repurposing retired batteries, providing usable Li-ion batteries for energy storage applications. Their data-driven approach, utilising information from EV industries and government websites, allows them to create a lithium-ion data platform for the market, enabling stakeholders to connect and streamline the process of buying and selling these batteries.
Assetworx
Founded by: Edwina Asumang, Joshua Ekekwe, Oghosa Igiehon, Wissam Nacef, Samuel Oyewusi and Kofi Yeboah
This team is creating Assetworx, an online digital asset platform built primarily for architecture, engineering and design students. The subscription service aims to provide users with a content-rich library of dynamic creative and technical assets ranging from cadblocks to vector files. Assetworx believe they will be the one-stop shop for students to access the assets they need to save time and make their work a success.
ExaSync
Founded by: Ememandu Freedom, Ifionu Juliana and Ememandu Teddy-Livingstone
ExaSync is building the next generation payment infrastructure. It is a seamless and secure blockchain payment gateway platform that empowers individuals and businesses to easily get paid in digital currencies by anyone and from anywhere in the world. In addition to payment processing, ExaSync will provide additional features such as real-time transaction monitoring, fraud detection and prevention, automated tax calculations and ledger reconciliation.
Highland Moss
Founded by: Craig Troup and Pamela Adamiec
Highland Moss is a houseplant shop with a specialisation in moss. Moss is a fascinating, beautiful kind of plant with versatile uses in horticulture. They harvest their own moss and make stunning products with it such as moss poles, terrariums, art and more. In addition to unique products, Highland Moss aim to make houseplants more accessible by offering easy to access care guides, free advice via a plant hospital service and by running fun workshops in their local shop. Highland Moss sell both online at highlandmoss.com and in store at 61 Constitution St, Aberdeen.
Hololabs
Founded by: Samuel Adebiyi, Ivan Okoli-Ejike
Hololabs’ VR platform offers an immersive and interactive learning experience tailored specifically for students with ADHD and autism spectrum disorders. By leveraging the power of VR technology, it creates a safe and engaging environment where students can develop crucial skills such as attention, focus, and social communication. Their goal is to empower students with the tools they need to succeed academically and beyond.
Net Triad
Founded by: Nagashree Ramamurthy, Israel Effiong, Abhishek Byrasandra
Net Triad is a cybersecurity app that aims to tag and trace data running on mobile phones that can be expanded to add on to laptop/PC as well. This will aim to protect against data theft and minimise the threat of a cyber-attack.
Asylum and Refugee Care (AARC)
Founded by: Jayne Smith, Jenny McDonald
Asylum and Refugee Care is a charity which offers support to asylum seekers and refugees in the North East of Scotland. We support survivors of human trafficking and exploitation, partnering with other organisations to offer specialist person-centred trauma support. AARC ensures that all New Scots feel welcome and have their basic needs met in order to help them integrate into their new communities. They offer trauma informed, person-centred support. Examples of this are: supporting at medical appointments, helping to convert qualifications in preparation for getting permission to work, and supporting to access ESOL. AARC is led and informed by the experiences and voices of those we support, in order to ensure value for all.
Mensura
Founded by: James Beckwith
Aiming to make professional quantity surveying accessible to this market by providing a fixed price product that can be purchased via an online shop.
Pace Press
Founded by: Lewis Church
The business will offer risograph printing as a service for local artists in need of a means to produce and print their work economically with minimal negative environmental impact.
Codelion
Founded by: Marcin Jędrol, Shibo Mitchell
Codelion is an interactive and collaborative social network platform that allows users to create instant content, such as games and animations, using code. With an emphasis on the educational part of coding to enable children to share their work and get support from others.
Thanks to the Wood Foundation for their continued support. You can find out more about the programme by heading to:
Image shows participants of one of the bootcamps at RGU's campus.
