A Glasgow firm making self-watering origami plant pots from waste polypropylene has been named the country's best new business of the year at the inaugural Scotland StartUp Awards.
Originally formed as the Wales StartUp Awards in 2016, the competition has been rolled out to nine nations and regions across the UK following a surge in the creation of new businesses during the pandemic. A total of 23 awards were presented at the Scottish debut across categories such as Digital StartUp of the year, Green Startup of the year, the Rising Star Award for businesses less than 12 months old, and Young Entrepreneur of the year.
The top prize went to Potr, which sells self-watering plant care via flat-pack pots and vases delivered through the letterbox. Its system allows plants to self-regulate their water intake for up to three weeks, while the flat-pack design cuts transport emissions through a reduction in weight, volume and the elimination of single-use protective packaging.
The creator of the awards, Professor Dylan Jones-Evans, said he was pleased with how the inaugural event has been received.
“It’s been fantastic to see so many people who are truly happy in the work they are doing and have shown courage to build themselves a career path that drives them to get out of bed every morning," he said.
"The importance of always being inspired and stimulated in whatever you do should not be underestimated - it’s clear that our Scottish finalists have been spurred on to succeed by tapping into their own passions and talents, setting and reaching goals which are meaningful to them.
“A huge congratulations to all the category winners and especially to the team at Potr in becoming the Scotland Start-up of the Year and in driving both innovation and sustainability in a traditional sector. We look forward to seeing what’s next for these phenomenal businesses and wish them all the best for many more years of success.”
Judges included Scottish entrepreneurs and their supporters: Laura Birrell of Sticky Heelz; Danny Campbell of Hoko; Emma Macdonald of The Tartan Blanket Co; and Russell Dalgleish of Exolta Capital Partners.
The full list of winners:
Scotland StartUp of the Year
Potr
Business-to-Business Services StartUp of the Year
IDM Safety Solutions
Consumer Services StartUp of the Year
The Black Box Approach
Construction and Building Services StartUp of the Year
PMA Recruitment Services
Creative start-up of the year
Make Things Happen Design Studio
Digital StartUp of the Year
Ethical Intelligence Associates
Edinburgh StartUp of the Year
Noisy Clan
Fintech StartUp of the Year
hubb
Food and Drink StartUp of the Year
Savora Drinks
Glasgow StartUp of the Year
hubb
Global StartUp of the Year
Freight On Worldwide
Graduate StartUp of the Year
Two Raccoons
Green StartUp of theYear
Potr
Innovative StartUp of the Year
Welcome Eyecare
Manufacturing and Engineering StartUp of the Year
Adalec
Medtech StartUp of the Year
Lenus Health
Mobile and Emerging Technologies StartUp of the Year
DragonflAI
Online Retail StartUp of the Year
Second Cashmere
Professional Services Start-Up of the Year
Richard Jennings Mortgage Services
Rural StartUp of the Year
P J Gaul and Co
Social Enterprise StartUp of the Year
Social Good Connect
Tourism and Leisure StartUp of the Year
FreeFlow Technologies
Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Madeline Riddell of MADFITT
Rising Stars
Wear Your Smile
Shaka Social
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