Two tiny start-up enterprises in the Western Isles – one on Lewis and the other on North Uist – have won support from a Robert Gordon University scheme to assist budding enterprises.
The duo – plus 24 other selected startups from the Highlands and Islands – will each be able to access, in addition to pragmatic and high-quality entrepreneurship education, £3,000 equity-free seed funding, and mentorship, while plugging into academic and entrepreneurial ecosystem support such as sponsors Barclays Eagle Labs.
They will have opportunities to exhibit and live pitch for cash prizes at a Startup Showcase event.
This event will once again be held at the RGU campus in Garthdee, Aberdeen, on Thursday 4 June 2026.
Now in its eighth year, Robert Gordon University’s 2026 Startup Accelerator, Impact North, has supported the creation of more than 250 new ventures and generated over £17 million in economic impact, helping early-stage businesses grow and thrive.
This year, Impact North welcomes 13 island startups through the Islands Entrepreneurial Network, an initiative led by RGU as part of the Government-funded Islands Growth Deal to stimulate local economies and empower communities across Scotland’s island regions.
The founders secured their places through exceptional performance in the competitive bootcamp stage, joining RGU students, staff and recent alumni in what is one of the programme’s strongest cohorts to date.
“Shining a spotlight on innovation, we also promise fun surprises for guests travelling from Hong Kong and beyond,” says RGU.
“This year, we are delighted to see the return of special award categories, including the Felix Chung Sustainability Prize which will be worth £5,000, plus the well-deserved Mentor/Judges Prize. Although this event is invite-only, get in touch with us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you would like to attend.
The two Western Isles ventures are:
Siar Interactive (https://www.siarinteractive.com)
Founder: Calum MacIntosh
Siar Interactive is a startup games studio located on North Uist. The studio will develop games which include Gaelic and “enrich the creative ecosystem by providing a hub which will aim to use local talent, providing good quality opportunities for local creative practitioners.”
Lewis Lavender (https://lewislavender.co.uk)
Founder: Paul Darvell
Lewis Lavender is reimagining crofting for the modern world. Based on the West Side of the Isle of Lewis, the startup is transforming a traditional coastal croft into a sustainable herb and wellness enterprise that creates calm from the wild. “Its goal is to prove that remote, windswept land can produce high-value products, restore biodiversity, and support a viable rural livelihood.”
RGU says its reputation for delivering high-quality learning experiences is consistently recognised through the National Student Survey (NSS) and in 2023 ranked second in Scotland and in the UK’s top ten for student satisfaction using the Times Higher Education’s positivity measure.
RGU was named top in Scotland and third in the UK by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) in 2022 for its graduate employability and continues to be supported by strong industry links. The University was ranked second in Scotland for graduate outcomes: on track in the Complete University Guide 2024.
For more information about RGU, please visit www.rgu.ac.uk