Three spinout companies from the University of Glasgow have successfully secured proof-of-concept funding from the Scottish Government to help them turn university research into innovative industries of the future.
The investment, which totals more than £540,000, forms part of the Scottish Government’s new £2.9 million Proof of Concept (POC) Fund, designed to support projects from Scottish universities at various stages of technological and commercial development, and allow room for crucial early-stage activities.
Among the Glasgow spinouts awarded funding are CRYSTAL-Q, which has won £247,225 to support development of a pathway towards widespread adoption of quantum computers, while more than £168,000 will go to the team behind the ‘DisrupTR’ platform, a project aiming to develop next-generation precision peptide medicines targeting diseases with the greatest unmet clinical needs.
Meanwhile, a project led by the Critical Technology Accelerator team will receive £125,000 to develop an optical coupler – a technology with the potential to lower costs and increase performance and energy efficiency across a broad range of optical interfacing challenges, including the development of AI data centres and the deployment of fibre-to-the-home internet.
All the projects are now expected to conclude their funded activities by the end of March next year, moving them closer to market readiness.
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“This funding is a tremendous endorsement of the talented and ambitious researchers at the University of Glasgow,” said Uzma Khan, vice principal for innovation and economic development.
“They are translating our world-class research into practical solutions to address major societal challenges, create high-value jobs, and build a stronger economy for a more innovative Scotland. We are incredibly proud of our innovators and look forward to seeing these ventures flourish.”
The Glasgow cohort of projects is among a line of new ventures being supported by the Proof of Concept fund, which has already seen cash injected into eighteen pilot projects across ten Scottish universities.
Announced as part of the Scottish Government’s 2025 Programme for Government, the POC fund was introduced to bridge the ‘Valley of Death’ between initial research and commercial applications by de-risking projects and attracting early-stage investment.
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