North East Life Sciences Success at Scottish EDGE Awards
The strength and ambition of North East Scotland’s life sciences community was demonstrated at this year’s Scottish EDGE Awards, with several early-stage companies from the region – Brigid Bio, mycoBiologics, CAnswer BioSolutions, Formartine Bio and ZygoteLink – securing recognition. Their achievements highlight not only the strength of innovation emerging from the North East but also the impact of collaborative support delivered through Opportunity North East (ONE) and our ONE Life Sciences programmes, delivered within ONE BioHub. These companies are developing technologies with significant commercial and clinical potential, and the awards provide valuable national recognition at a time when they are actively raising, or planning to raise in the near future, seed investment to scale their impact.
Scottish EDGE, Scotland’s largest funding competition for startups, social enterprises and charities, announced its Round 26 winners on 4th December at the Royal Bank of Scotland Conference Centre, awarding a collective £1.5 million to high-growth ventures. Brigid Bio, a North East–based biotech spinout pioneering innovative immunotherapies for treating life-threatening, drug-resistant fungal infections, was awarded the Scottish Enterprise supported Future EDGE award of £150,000, reflecting the company’s approach to one of medicine’s most urgent challenges.
Professor Carol Munro, Co-Founder & CSO, Brigid Bio said: “We are delighted to receive the Future EDGE award of £150,000 at the national Scottish EDGE finals. Brigid Bio won a Scottish EDGE Regional award earlier in the year and now receiving this major Future EDGE award in the Scotland-wide EDGE finals marks the end of a momentous year for us as we spun-out of the University of Aberdeen in July 2025. We have benefited in the North East of Scotland from the support of Opportunity North East who have helped us on our commercialisation journey translating our academic research into an award-winning company.”
Also successful was mycoBiologics, which secured an £85,000 award to accelerate its development of novel biological solutions to combat serious fungal diseases. The company is advancing precision-targeted biologics with the potential to transform the treatment landscape for life-threatening, drug-resistant infections.
Dr Fiona Rudkin, CEO, mycoBiologics: "We are absolutely delighted to be one of the EDGE award winners! This support comes at a key moment in our company's journey and will accelerate our next phase of development. We’re also hugely grateful for the support and opportunities provided by ONE through mentoring and commercialisation programmes, which have been an important part of getting us to this stage."
The region’s strong representation continued with CAnswer BioSolutions, winner of a Young EDGE award of £15,000. The company is developing innovative kit and combined AI assisted diagnostic software enabling surgeons to perform punch biopsies outside hospital settings, significantly improving patient outcomes and reducing burden on healthcare systems.
ZygoteLink were awarded £10,000 in the Wild Card category. ZygoteLink uses advanced genomic analytics to improve cattle breeding through accurate sire selection, trait prediction and enhanced herd sustainability.
Completing the North East successes, Formartine Bio received £10,000 in the Wild Card category. The team is focused on harnessing sustainable biological processes to address challenges in agriculture and environmental management, reflecting a growing market for nature-based solutions.
All five companies have been actively supported through ONE Life Sciences’ specialist programmes — including accelerators, finance and clinical planning workshops, mentoring services, and commercialisation pathways — helping them build strong foundations for growth. From early-stage business development to strategic scaling support, each founder has benefited from guidance designed to accelerate their progress and strengthen the region’s life sciences ecosystem. Their wins demonstrate the momentum building across the region and the tangible value of structured, expert support in helping founders scale their technologies.
Deborah O’Neil, Chair of ONE Life Sciences, added: “These results show just how exceptional the North East’s scientific entrepreneurs are. Aberdeen is home to a high concentration of talent and innovation, and we’re proud to have supported these founders on their journeys. Their success proves what’s possible when world-class science is matched with the right ecosystem, expertise and ambition.”
As these founders advance their technologies and expand their businesses, they continue to elevate the North East as a high-growth hub for life sciences innovation.