The winner of the 2018-19 Innovator Launchpad competition for UK start-up companies was presented with his £6,500 cash prize in a ceremony at the Dome, Edinburgh, 13th February.
Aberdeenshire-based winner John Mailey of Windstorm Renewables, who has developed a mini power station using innovative wind turbine technology, collected his winner’s cheque, along with a business support package provided by the competition sponsors.
Mailey said: “I and the team at Windstorm are delighted to win the recognition and the funding that this award brings, and we are confident this will help accelerate our efforts to prove our technology and get it to market.
“After investing two years working on the technology development, we now have a superb experienced team with the determination to succeed and a clear plan to get there. Our vision at Windstorm is to responsibly power our world”.
The competition is sponsored this year by Murgitroyd, Leyton UK, Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banking Group, Dog Digital and Betabrand.
Sponsor Betabrand provides the unique space jacket which is also part of the winner’s prize.
Windstorm Renewables triumphed over fellow finalists Alterwaste (2nd place), creator of an alternative to plastic made from eggshells and Designed forLife (3rd place), developer of an innovative sofa design extending the sofa’s lifetime.
All three finalist companies were present at the ceremony, along with past winners Michael Harkins of Turtle Pack and Brian Miller and Monika Tomecka of UFraction8 and representatives from the sponsor organisations.
Innovator Launchpad will return in Autumn 2019, and the latest updates on the competition can be found at facebook.com/innovatorlaunchpad.
Innovator Launchpad is an innovation competition for UK-based pre-profit and non-profit enterprises which was created in 2017 by Murgitroyd. Follow the story on Facebook
Murgitroyd is a global firm of intellectual property attorneys with UK offices in Aberdeen, Belfast, Glasgow, London, Newcastle and York. The firm specialises in helping businesses protect and maximise return on their intellectual property assets. Visit our site www.murgitroyd.com
Leyton UK is Europe's leading R&D tax credit specialist. The firm has 21 offices in 10 countries and UK teams based in London, Manchester and Glasgow. Its expert teams are dedicated to maximising its clients' innovation potential by harnessing the benefits of R&D tax credits, patent box and grant funding and providing employment law services. Visit www.leyton.com
Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banking Group offers a full range of financial products to help people and businesses grow. It has a strong personal customer base and a robust business banking capability through a UK-wide network which supports British SMEs. Visit www.cybg.com
Dog Digital is a global digital marketing agency which aims to further its clients’ marketing advantage through expertise in data, planning, technology and creative craft. It has UK bases in Glasgow and London. Visit www.dogdigital.com
Betabrand is an innovative online clothing community, based in San Francisco. It designs, manufactures and releases new products continuously, assisted by design and crowdfunding input from its supporters. Visit www.betbrand.com
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