START-up businesses in industries ranging from seating for children to shoe retailing won top billing in the inaugural Scottish EDGE awards scheme.
TWM Productions of Glasgow, who developed a four-in-one foldaway baby and toddler seat, and Caithness Cinema won £50,000 each through the Scottish Government's Scottish Edge fund.
Talking Mats, a Stirling-based firm that uses a mat with symbols to help individuals with communication difficulties express themselves, also won £50,000.
Shooze with Sole, a Kilmarnock-based shoe retailer, won £35,000.
The Scottish Government said £540,000 of funding was awarded to the 17 young Scots businesses that demonstrated the greatest potential to grow. The winners received all they applied for.
The 17 businesses were selected by a panel that included leading entrepreneurs Sir Willie Haughey and Sir Tom Hunter; Julie Grieve of the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust; Alex Paterson of Highlands and Islands Enterprise and RBS's Gordon Merrylees.
Some 13 runners-up received awards from £10,000 to £40,000. These were Relume (Perth); Freedom Brands (Glasgow); Stormpods (Isle of Islay); Micro Fitness (Lanarkshire); Glitter Beach (Lochwinnoch); SKG Europe Ltd trading as Hotbott (Glasgow); Stem Cloud (Glasgow); Saloca Ltd trading as Appointedd (East Lothian); Ladderlimb (Newton Stewart); Clear Returns (Glasgow); Quorate (Edinburgh); Birthsparks (Ayrshire); Eat Balanced (Glasgow).
Launched in October, the competition received 235 applications and 100 of these were shortlisted to pitch their ideas in person in January.
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