STAELS Design was one of the big winners in the Scottish EDGE Round 10 awards, which saw £1.3 million handed out in grants and loans to start-up businesses across Scotland.

Following a search for promising start-up businesses, twenty entrepreneurs pitched their businesses plans to an expert panel of judges in order to win funding from the pot.

Corien Staels of Staels Design, a previous winner of Young EDGE, was awarded £100,000 which will enable the business to continue the development of WheelAir, a backrest for wheelchair users to help regulate body temperature.

“This award does not just change our lives, but potentially the lives of every wheelchair user, worldwide,” said Ms Corien.

Swimming flotation device developer Turtle Pack also won £100,000.

The two winners of the Higgs EDGE, Cuantec and Oxy-Gen Combustion, each won £150,000. Higgs EDGE seeks to identify innovative science and technology businesses with global commercialisation potential.

The panel of judges, which was chaired by Brian McBride, chairman of ASOS, chose twelve of the businesses as winners on the day.

Also announced were winners of Young EDGE, for under 30s, and Wild Card EDGE for businesses who have yet to commence trading.