Scottish EDGE Award Goes to Lobster Pod
The team at Lobster Pod were delighted to be the first company to win the top award of £100,000 at the Scottish EDGE Awards, Round 5 in December 2014.
This Dragon’s Den style competition had 3 rounds and we had to enter with a 3 minute pitch video then do a pitch and Q and A to the semi-final panel in Aberdeen including representatives from Scottish Enterprise, RBS, Johnston Carmichael and business leaders.
We were thrilled to make it to the final which was a live pitch and Q and A at RBS Gogarburn HQ in front of a live audience of 300 and the judges:
- Sir Tom Hunter (Serial Entrepreneur and philanthropist and founder of the Hunter Foundation)
- Alison Rose ( RBS CEO of Commercial and Private banking)
- Kevin Dorren (founder of Diet Chef and Investor)
- Eleanor Mitchell (Scottish Enterprise)
- Bill Morrow (founder of Angels Den, Angel Investors)
The Scottish EDGE Award process has helped us to develop and scrutinise our business plans and strategies which will ensure our start-up company the best chance of success. We were helped in our preparation by Entrepreneurial-Spark (especially Anne Fergusson our enabler, mentors and fellow chiclets who gave their time for which we are very grateful) and Business Gateway Fife.
As well as the cash award we will receive many other benefits including free and/or discounted support from EDGE partners including Harper McLeod (Lawyers), Johnston Carmichael (Accountants), James Hallam (Insurance), Amazon Web Services and become a member of EDGE alumni. Our Founder and Sea-E-O, Errin Todd, also becomes a Future Leader with Entrepreneurial Scotland (formed by joining Entrepreneurial Exchange and the Saltire Foundation in 2014).
The funding will be used to create 2 new jobs, conduct industry field trials, develop our new assembly workshop and office in Fife, apply for worldwide patents, develop our export sales strategy and launch the Lobster Pod at the Aberdeen Skipper Expo on May 29th – 30th 2015.
We were presented our award by Deputy First Minister, John Swinney. £852,000 was awarded on the night to 16 companies and 10 young EDGE winners. We have global ambitions but first we want to create jobs here in Fife, Scotland. Thanks EDGE and Best Fishes to all the team, alumni and supporters.
You can find out more about the Scottish EDGE Award by visiting – www.scotedge.com
