Aqura Systems wins Regional EDGE Winner of Winners Award

Aberdeen-based Aqura Systems - developer of an autonomous AI-driven microorganism identification system to generate alerts and predictions of toxic algal blooms for the fish and shellfish farming industries - has been named the winner of the Regional EDGE Winner of Winners (WOW) Award, supported by Royal Bank of Scotland, securing an additional £50,000 after competing against three fellow regional champions from across Scotland.

The business was selected from the four Regional EDGE finalists, also including: Highland Wood from Inverness, Gowaan Bike Club from Innerleithen, and Arbroath-based Umbra Dynamics. Each finalist had already received £50,000 through Regional EDGE, with Aqura Systems now taking its total award funding to £100,000.

Following a successful pilot in 2025, Regional EDGE, a government-backed regional arm of Scottish EDGE, returned in 2026 to offer businesses in Aberdeen, Tayside, the Highlands and Islands, and the South of Scotland the chance to pitch for funding of up to £50,000, with support from regional delivery partners: Opportunity North East, Elevator, GrowBiz, South of Scotland Enterprise, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

The award was presented at the Scottish EDGE Alumni Event, on 29th April at Citation in Glasgow. The event also featured alumni speakers Aditya Mahapatra of Augmentum Influencer Solutions and Victoria Nicol of My Language Connection, as well as comedian Fred MacAulay.

The WOW award forms part of a major new commitment from Royal Bank of Scotland, which has announced a £1 million, three-year investment in Scottish EDGE. Last week, the Royal Bank officially opened their new Edinburgh Accelerator hub, doubling their workspace available to startups at no charge in the heart of Scotland’s capital.

The funding will help Scottish EDGE support more ambitious founders across the country, including through an increased Scale EDGE award of £200,000 in the next round, the largest single prize in Scottish EDGE history, alongside a top Young EDGE award in the current round.

The bank has supported Scottish EDGE for the last 12 years as a founding partner, and this renewed investment extends the partnership through to 2028. Since 2014, Scottish EDGE winners have collectively created more than 4,400 jobs and achieved almost £800 million in turnover.

Darren Pirie, Head of Accelerator & Partnerships, Royal Bank of Scotland said:

“Aqura Systems is a worthy winner of this year’s Regional EDGE Winner of Winners award, and we are delighted to support its next stage of growth.

“Our new £1 million investment in Scottish EDGE reflects our long-term belief in the power of entrepreneurship to create jobs, drive innovation and strengthen communities across Scotland. We are proud to continue working alongside Scottish EDGE to help more businesses start, scale and succeed.”

Evelyn McDonald, CEO, Scottish EDGE said:

“Congratulations to Aqura Systems on being named our Regional EDGE Winner of Winners. This award recognises the very best of this year’s Regional EDGE winners, and Aqura Systems impressed the judges with the strength of its vision, ambition and growth potential.

“We are also incredibly grateful to Royal Bank of Scotland for its continued support. This new investment is a major vote of confidence in Scottish entrepreneurship and will help us back even more ambitious founders across Scotland in the years ahead.”