The 2025 Startup Accelerator: The 18 start-ups shooting for the moon
From clothing created with locally sourced wool and leather to wind turbine systems and unique artisan pizza, these are the 18 Aberdeen start-ups taking part in the 2025 Startup Accelerator - now in its seventh year.
RGU’s flagship start-up programme has helped create over 130 new ventures in addition to many jobs and positive economic impact. There have been many success stories, including the recently heralded Archilink and Highland Heritage Woodworks. This year, applications were open to anyone, anywhere, who is aiming to launch a business based in Aberdeen City.
For the selected start-ups, in addition to pragmatic and seasoned entrepreneurship education, programme highlights include £1,000 equity-free seed funding, mentorship, plugging into academic and entrepreneurial ecosystem support, and, of course, opportunities to exhibit and live pitch for cash prizes at the hotly anticipated Startup Showcase event.
Due to popular demand, this event will once again be held at our mothership RGU campus in Garthdee, Aberdeen, taking place on Wednesday 26 March 2025. Promising out-of-this-world surprises for guests travelling from Sri Lanka and beyond, this year we are delighted to announce special award categories, including the Felix Chung Sustainability Prize and the SRM Foundation Prize for Innovation – both of which will be worth £5,000 each - plus the Mentor/Judges Prize.
See more information on this year’s start-ups below:
AeroGen
Founders: Rumeth Sandinu; Shamal Rathnayaka; Thenumi Sedara; Naveen Wanshapura (all current students at IIT, partners of RGU)
AeroGen's goal is to ensure business travellers arrive at their destination on time even if their flight gets delayed or cancelled. The Sri Lankan team will forecast flight delays and cancellations using blockchain and AI to show a reliability score for each flight option before booking.
Anonfeedback
Founder: Francesco Gruosso (Alumni)
Transforming student feedback into actionable insights with real-time AI analysis and HCI techniques to reduce cognitive load and boost participation. Effortless, anonymous feedback that empowers educational institutions to improve continuously.
Auticore App for Autism and Learning Disability
Founder: Chibuzor Okongwu (Alumni)
This learning app empowers children with autism/learning disabilities by offering a personalised, sensory-friendly platform that promotes cognitive and social growth. It provides essential resources for parents and educators.
ChumCore
Founders: Ademola Akinlabi (Graduate); Kelechi Nwankpa (Alumni); Lekan Abodunrin (Alumni); Oyindamola Adekunle
ChumCore addresses the issue of impersonal and fake reviews by prioritising trusted recommendations from friends and family, providing a personal, authentic way to discover ideal spots and sustain connections.
Cyber Nandhini
Founder: Nandhini Thiruneelakandan (Alumni)
Cyber Nandhini secures IoT environments using the powerful Kerberos authentication protocol to safeguard user data and ensure controlled device access.
FlowIT
Founder: Shoaib Rasul
FlowIT turns your miles into exclusive rewards and discounts at local restaurants and shops. No commissions for partners, just healthier lifestyles and unique rewards for all.
Grounded
Founders: Oscar Nicol-Schwarz (Current Student); Alastair Thomson (Current Student)
Grounded provides plant pot systems that allow people to cultivate their own renewable eco-sponges grown from plant roots.
Illumint
Founder: Madina Intykbayeva (Current Student, MBA)
Illumint offers AI-powered emissions management solutions, utilising satellite data, drone-based inspections, and real-time analytics to detect and reduce methane emissions, helping companies improve their environmental performance.
IM Innovation
Founders: Jennifer Innes (Current Student); Lauren McCann (Current Student)
IM Innovation is a gadget that scans your fridge items, reminds you of their expiry dates, and suggests recipes to use them up - helping you save money, reduce waste, and make every meal count.
Inglaze
Founders: Luci Carey, Campbell Carey
Inglaze offers an adaptable, affordable secondary glazing system suitable for all window shapes and approved for listed buildings, made from recycled and recyclable materials.
Owned by None
Founder: Rachel Fowler (Current Student)
Owned by None creates one-of-a-kind handcrafted pieces from locally sourced leather and wool, with each collection named and numbered to be loved by one.
Petro Future
Founder: Mohammadreza Amiri (Current Student); Digvijay Rameshbhai Parmar (Current Student)
Improving rock wettability and interfacial tension using silica nanoparticles combined with water flooding technique, designed for oil companies seeking to maximize oil recovery.
Poseidon
Founder: Juan McKenzie (Alumni)
Poseidon is a revolutionary electric life buoy that pulls you back to land by gripping the handles, addressing the threat of hypothermia in water temperatures below 15°C.
Scottish Disclosures
Founders: Alan Fleming (Current Staff); Julie Fleming (Alumni)
Processing PVG and other types of criminal checks on behalf of businesses and organisations across Scotland.
Stallion Slices
Founder: Findlay Rhind (Current Student)
Stallion Slices delivers fresh, locally-sourced, and sustainably crafted pizza from a converted vintage horse trailer at events across Aberdeenshire.
That Conversations Movement
Founder: Chris Burnett (Alumni)
Encouraging people to deepen their relationships with family, friends, and partners through conversations beyond the everyday.
Tracker.Health
Founders: Aakanksha Sadekar (Alumni); Sarabjeet (Sara) Kaur (Alumni)
Tracker.Health is transforming remote care with wearable and radar tech, global payments, and real-time monitoring, connecting expats to their families and supporting elder care.
Windstorm Renewables Ltd
Founders: John Mailey; Alison Mitchell (Alumni)
Windstorm is developing an enhanced wind turbine system that addresses issues related to size, noise, visual, and environmental impact, with a disruptive design based on a modified vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) working prototype.
The RGU Startup Accelerator Programme 2025 is funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund via Aberdeen City Council. This funding enables us to follow guidance from the Entrepreneurial Campus 2023 report, fortifying collaborative links between academia, commercialisation, and industry. The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group is a part of Business and Economic Development at RGU.
