PhD students win top prize at the Startup Summer Accelerator Showcase with sustainable packaging made from seaweed. L-R Jingwen Lei and Ella Sapsford. Photo credit: Maverick After three months of intensive company development training, 11 student entrepreneurs pitched to a judging panel that included Lizzie Withington, Director of Venture Creation at Edinburgh Innovations, Mary Jane-Brouwers, Director of Mint Ventures and Dan McKiddie, Investment Manager at Archangel Investors. The founders were also competing for a share of £7,500.In joint first place, taking home £3000, were PhD students Jingwen Lei, of the School of Engineering, and Ella Sapsford, of Physics and Astronomy, with their startup Thermaquatic, using seaweed as sustainable packaging for chilled and frozen goods. Also in first place was Maths undergrad Adi Kumar, founder of Descrai, which builds rapid retail checkout automation, reducing checkout time and errors.Sponsored by Santander Universities and the Edinburgh Futures Institute, this year’s cohort were selected for their focus heath and care, climate and environment and data, digital and AI. Photo credit: Maverick Sarah Gibbens, Student Enterprise Officer and Startup Summer Accelerator Programme Lead, said:It has been incredible to see the development of our 2025 startup founders. Over the past three months they have worked tirelessly on their business ideas while also taking part in an intense programme of support. They’ve shown just how much talent and innovation exists among students at the University of Edinburgh. It has been a privilege to support them, and I can’t wait to see what they go on to achieve next.Judge Lizzie Withington, Director of Venture Creation at Edinburgh Innovations, said:As we conclude the seventh year of the Startup Summer Accelerator, it’s inspiring to see the progress and ambition of this year’s cohort. Over the summer, our students, graduates and staff have worked hard to refine their ideas, and today’s showcase highlighted the potential of 11 exciting early-stage startups. Each pitch reflected the creativity, determination and entrepreneurial spirit we aim to foster, and it’s a privilege to support founders as they take their next steps in building ventures of real scale and impact.The Startup Summer Accelerator is a three-month programme designed to help entrepreneurs from the University of Edinburgh turn their ideas into thriving businesses. Called 'the best programme in Edinburgh to accelerate your business from idea to reality' by past participants, it offers funding, mentorship and essential skills to drive startup success.Related linksStartup Summer AcceleratorSupport for student and graduate entrepreneursSupport for staff entrepreneurs This article was published on 2025-09-02
