Winners of 2020 AccelerateHER Awards revealed - following online final

Four female entrepreneurs are sharing the spotlight as winners of the 2020 AccelerateHER Awards – which were held online due to Covid-19.

Jackie Waring, founder and CEO of Investing Women. Picture: Neil Hanna.

The winner of the cleantech and climate category was Elaine Galston of Tubular Sciences, an Aberdeen-based business developing the next evolution of metal-to-metal permanent pipe connection technology for the oil and gas sector.

Tersha Willis of Terrible Merch, an online music merchandise platform, was winner of the disruptive innovation category, while Lise Pape of Walk With Path won the medtech and science category. Her company has created Pathfinders, a laser shoe attachment that helps people with Parkinson’s.

Finally, Sheila Hogan of Edinburgh-based Biscuit Tin Planning came top in the fintech and cyber security category. The venture has developed a secure digital storage vault for important documents that can be posthumously released to loved ones.

Now in their fifth year, the AccelerateHER Awards’ main partners are Barclays Eagle Labs and Barclays Ventures, CGI, Scottish Government and Scotland CanDo, and supported by Aberdein Considine, MHA Henderson Loggie and Skyscanner.

Congratulations

Jackie Waring, who leads Investing Women – which is behind the awards – said: “Huge congratulations to this year’s winners who competed in our strongest-ever field of female founders within technology, life sciences and environmentally-focused companies.

“The winners will now have an opportunity to further profile their businesses as we will take them abroad on trade missions later this year to meet with investors and advisors from within our global network.

“This initiative continues to support Scottish-linked female-founded companies. So far, AccelerateHER Awards participants have gone on to secure over £25 million of investment since getting involved in the programme.”

Lindsay McGranaghan, business unit leader for CGI in Scotland, said: “CGI is delighted and proud to be once more associated with this fantastic competition. The exceptional quality of the participants across the sectors has been truly inspirational.

“I would like to congratulate the winners, who are a group of highly driven, talented women running amazing companies with real investment potential. They represent a hugely positive future for not only Scotland but Scottish women in business.”