SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY PROFILES: Scotland's innovators

Mar 1 2010 Business Insider

Scotland’s future depends on its ability to capitalise on its expertise in science and technology; Insider profiles some of the projects and companies which have potential to become the stars of tomorrow

Aboleo
Location: Grangemouth
Year founded: 2004
Founders: Mark Zwinderman, John Harrison
What does it do? Provides specialist chemical cleaning products and services.
Brief history: Aboleo is a spin offfrom Surface Active Solutions with three employees. The company develops products based on surfactant and microemulsion technology and was set up to apply the many capabilities of the technology as developed by the founders - who have extensive experience in the development of microemulsion technology and its international commercialisation within the oil industry - to other areas of interest.
Funding support received: £25,000 from Bank of Scotland.
Customers: Major multinationals, specialist companies in target markets - end users and distributors - and government agencies.
What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? Support is crucial in market research, sales and marketing expertise and access to funding as well as access to decision makers in key players in the market.

Ambicare Health
Location: Dundee
Founders: Professor James Ferguson, Professor Ifor Samuel
Year founded: 2004
What does it do? Ambicare Health has developed a portfolio of wearable light sources for medical and consumer healthcare applications based on its innovative lighting technologies under the brand name Ambulight. Ambulight PDT is the first skin cancer treatment using a small disposable light-emitting sticking plaster worn by the patient. It is CE marked and will launch on the European market this year. Simple and easily applied, the plasters are used in photodynamic therapy treatment as an alternative to surgery for many forms of skin cancer.
Brief history: The company was founded by Professor James Ferguson, consultant dermatologist and head of Dundee University's department of dermatology, and Professor Ifor Samuel, who leads the Organic Semiconductor Centre at the University of St Andrews, both of whom remain on the board of directors. Dr Ian Muirhead, chief executive officer, joined in January 2008 and has extensive experience in developing early stage companies and taking products through commercialistion. Dr Andrew McNeill, director and principal scientist, has been instrumental to the product's development since its concept.
Funding support received: To date the company has benefited from £2.26m of venture capital funding from Longbow and the Scottish Venture Fund and grant and loan support from Scottish Enterprise. Customers: Dermatologists and skin care companies.
Potential value of market: Ambulight PDT has a current potential target market in excess of £640m. The number of skin cancer lesions requiring treatment is doubling every ten years, as individuals in affluent western societies live longer and are affected by the consequences of excessive sun exposure. By 2015, this would give Ambicare a total addressable market approaching £1bn.
What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? Finance for growth and access to distributors for products globally.

AvantiCell Science
Location: Auchincruive, Ayrshire
Founders: Dr Colin Wilde, Dr Jo Oliver
Year founded: 2006
What does it do? The company is concerned with advanced cell culture technology based on relevant human and animal cells. Cellsare is incorporated into systems for the evaluation of a wide range of test materials including pharmaceuticals, traditional medicines, natural products, biomaterials, veterinary drugs, and agri-bio products.
Brief history: Avanticell has achieved sales revenue from the outset, doubling the year one figures in year two and again in year three. The business has also secured two competitively-won DTI technology programme awards, an EU FrVII programme, and a SMART award. These, along with other R&D projects, are contributing to strengthening the intellectual asset base of the company, which filed two patent applications during 2009.
Funding support received: Modest startup funding came from four individuals, including the founders, prior to securing external investment from Barwell and the Scottish Enterprise Co-investment Fund in December 2007. A second round of external investment completed during January 2010, bringing the total amount of investment finance to approximately £500,000. A number of grants and significant assistance has also come from Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International. Customers: Biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and academic research establishments.
Potential value of market: £750m annually.
What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? Assistance to identify other suitable locations and/or partner organisations abroad and to facilitate operational set up, particularly in locations where legal, financial and cultural practices are very different from those in Scotland. Assistance is also required to maintain and build an international profile through attendance and exhibition at key events.

Controlled Therapeutics (Scotland)
Location: East Kilbride
Founders: Dr A Michaelis, Dr J Pickard
Year founded: 1986
What does it do? The company, which employs 67, uses controlled release polymer delivery systems to deliver drugs to women in a more patient-friendly way. By eliminating very high and very low levels of drug the side effects are reduced and the patient is exposed to lower levels of medication.
Brief history: Established to commercialise hydrogel technology first developed at the University of Strathclyde, CTS has seen its existing polymer drug delivery technology evolve from the academic research lab into a product with annual sales of $24m. CTS sells its product through trading partners in over 40 countries around the world including the USA, Canada, Europe, China, Turkey and Mexico.
Funding support received: Regional Selective Assistance, SCIIS, SPURplus, SMART Scotland and R&D tax credit.
Customers: Forest Laboratories, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Beijing Medpharm. Potential value of market: Greater than US$350m from women's health products.
What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? With an existing product already providing the company with an income, CTS has so far been able to finance its clinical trials without raising new finance from investors. In due course the company hopes to expand its business further through the establishment of a sales team at its parent company CPSI in the US. This depends on getting products through clinical development and then getting FDA approval. CTS will seek additional funding from external investors in 2010.

Centeo Biosciences
Location: Dumbarton
Founders: Gabriela Juarez-Martinez, Philipp Steinmann
Year founded: 2005
What does it do? Manufactures and sells the world's first hand-held portable temperature controlled micro plate for scientists
Brief history: Founded in 2005, received Wideblue investment in 2007 and produced its first prototype in 2008. First shipments of the finished product are scheduled for early February 2010.
Funding support received: £200k Wideblue and SE Seed Fund 2008, £750k Wideblue, Scottish Enterprise Co-investment Fund, Highland Venture Capital, TriCap and Upstarts 2009. Customers: Global pharmaceuticals and universities.
Potential value of market: £100m. What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? Investment and support to put in place the right team.

Dimensional Imaging
Location: Glasgow
Founders: Dr Colin Urquhart, Douglas Green
Year founded: 2003
What does it do? A world leader in the provision of human body 3D surface image capture systems and solutions, the company's DI3D technology is able to produce an accurate, high definition, 3D surface image.
Brief history: Formed in January 2003 as a spinout from the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, Dimensional Imaging 3D surface image capture systems are now in use in over 20 countries for a range of applications including facial surgery, plastic surgery, cosmetics, visual perception and video games. The company recently introduced a highly novel 4D surface image capture system.
Funding support received: The transition from university to company was supported through the Scottish Enterprise Proof of Concept Programme and a Royal Society of Edinburgh Enterprise Fellowship. Initial commercial development was supported through a SMART:Scotland grant and subsequent company growth has been supported by equity investment from Braveheart Ventures and the Scottish Co-investment Fund.
Potential value of market: Expected to grow to more than US$100m per annum.

Edinburgh Pharmaceutical Processes
Location: Penicuik, Midlothian
Founder: Dr Stephen Newlands
Year founded: 1992
What does it do? EPP is an SME contract research organisation offering services including the manufacture and analysis of speciality chemicals as well as testing and regulatory services for the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries.
Brief history: Established to provide specialist synthesis and research and development services for the pharmaceutical industry, the company - which employs 20 - was originally based in one small lab at Heriot-Watt University. It grew slowly until the turn of last century when new facilities were required and a new facility based at the Pentlands Science Park was identified, designed and constructed by Scottish Enterprise. During this time EPP started to diversify into the agrochemical sector and the range of services expanded to include a comprehensive analytical testing facility.
Funding support received: The business is client-managed by Scottish Enterprise and has received some financial support through SE and also Midlothian Council. There are no external investors, no debt/bank loans; chief executive Newlands holds 100 per cent of the equity.
Customers: 70 per cent overseas (in value terms) to many EU countries, South America countries (Argentina, Brazil and Chile), China, India, Australia and New Zealand.
What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? We are already a global player, though on a small scale.

EXO2
Location: Strathclyde Business Park, Bellshill
Founder: Robin Caird
Year founded: 1998 (as DC Heat Ltd)
What does it do? The company, which is a division of Typhoon International, develops unique self-regulating heat technologies for personal, domestic, leisure and business applications; sells its own branded heated clothing product range under the 'EXO2 The Heat Inside' brand internationally; and provides bespoke heating systems for other brand customers.
Brief history: Robin Caird invented and patented the company's unique technology but the original company was dissolved when investment funds dried up. Reborn as a standalone division of Redcar diving dry suit manufacturer Typhoon International, the FabRoc® polymeric heating technology is used by several consumer brands and own brand products are sold around the world.
Funding support received: The original company received investment and support of £0.5m to help develop the core technology. Currently EXO2 is able to draw on the resources of its parent company to provide funding for product development and logistical support.
Customers: Brand customers include Alpinestars, Piaggio, Rohan, Rip Curl and Triumph. A UK and international distribution network is in place for the own brand product range.
Potential value of market: The combined potential of all markets entered and shortly to be entered tops £50m.
What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? Assistance to create products for mass-market consumption via volume distribution channels. Markets have been identified but expertise and resources are required to address the issues around design for retail in the medical and quasimedical spheres.

Factonomy
Location: Musselburgh
Founders: Graeme Bryce, Dave Reynolds
Year founded: 2003
What does it do? Software development and programming.
Brief history: Factonomy licenses its strategic application framework to enable the development of web-enabled business solutions. Unlike other development platforms it allows developers to work independently on functionality, content and style, so they can deliver solutions which are agile, flexible and cost effective.
Funding support received: In June 2006 Factonomy secured first round commercial funding of £300,000, with investment from Scottish Enterprise's Business Growth Fund and private equity sources. In the first quarter of 2008, Factonomy sought a second funding round after it began to attract a significant increase in demand for its technology. The Sigma Innovation Fund led a total investment of £860,000. Other investors in this round included Barwell, TriCap and Scottish Enterprise's Scottish Co-investment Fund.
Customers: Factonomy has a broad portfolio of clients, including national and international public companies. Potential value of market: It is estimated that the market for application development environments is worth billions of dollars.
What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? Support to enable the business to invest in its growth potential including direct investment and provision of loan funding which recognises the stage of the company and enables lending with a realistic associated cost.

FlexiCAGE
Location: Edinburgh
Founders: Dr Xiaodong Liu and Edinburgh Napier University
Year founded: Nov 2008
What does it do? Develops automated component-based software development tools.
Brief history: The background research of FlexiCAGE Technology was originated in a research project at the School of Computing, Napier University in 2005. Edinburgh Napier University also supported the project, including commercialisation advice and process, and a KTG Pump UP award. In 2009 the technology won the SMART Feasibility Study Award from the Scottish Government, with which the start up company was successfully spun out.
Funding support received: Scottish Enterprise Proof of Concept programme (£129K), followed by a further PRP grant (£46K), Edinburgh Napier University KTG Pump UP award of £10K and Scottish Government SMART Feasibility Study Award (£93K).
Customers: Companies involved in software outsourcing, component re-use and re-engineering of legacy systems. What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? We are looking for £400k from investors to cover the cost of staffing, IP and other business activities from April 2010 to December 2011.

Giltech
Location: Ayr
Founder: Dr Tom Gilchrist
Year founded: 1984
What does it do? Biodegradable and controlled release technologies, primarily in the area of medical devices and other healthcare products.
Brief history: Founded to develop innovative biomaterials for medical devices, the company's first global success was Sorbsan, a pioneering wound care dressing which was followed by silver ion releasing polymers for medical devices such as urinary catheters and endotracheal tubes. Giltech is still owned and controlled by its founder and family although outside investors Barwell and the Scottish Coinvestment Fund have been involved since 2005. The business is currently working on new products in disease control, nerve repair and other medical implants.
Funding support received: Scottish Enterprise support (account managed), SMART, SPUR and TSB grants, bank debt via the small firm loan guarantee scheme and backing from external investors Barwell and the Scottish Co-investment Fund.
Customers: Partners include Covidien, Aspen Medical, Avery Dennison, BSN, IMV and Vestergaard Frandsen.
Potential value of market: Infection control (£10m), disease control (£12m) What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? Market research and commercialisation - marketing, travel, conference attendance and so on.

H2Ology
Location: Edinburgh
Founder: Iain Robinson
Year founded: 2007
What does it do? H2Ology is concerned with the management and recycling of water.
Brief history: After developing and patenting the ATS filtration unit with the University of Edinburgh, Robinson merged his previous companies, Scottish Water Technology and Oil Remediation Technology, into H2Ology.
Funding support received: To date the directors have funded the company with the additional support of a £50,000 bank overdraft facility from HSBC. The directors have successfully negotiated and now have approval and access to £75m asset finance for ATS products and £25m asset finance on Legionella products.
Customers: UK local authorities, Highways Agency contractors, waste management companies and international. Legionella products are relevant to all companies which employ more than five people, but with particular emphasis on hospitals, hospices, care homes, hotels and public buildings.
Potential value of market: Upwards of £100bn worldwide.
What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? Enforcement of legislation, continuing drive by government to reduce landfill use and improve on recycling efficiency and minimising carbon footprint. Government help to raise international awareness of company with the focus on water re-use.

ImmunoSolv
Location: Edinburgh
Founders: Professor Chris Gregory, Dr Ruth Murray, Dr John Pound
Year founded: 2005
What does it do? Research and development specialising in programmed cell death (apoptosis).
Brief history: A spinout of the University of Edinburgh College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, the company is founded on work established in Professor Chris Gregory's research laboratories at the university with the aid of significant funding from the Scottish Enterprise Proof of Concept scheme. A competitive SMART award in 2007 allowed ImmunoSolv to make significant breakthroughs in novel antibody-based platform technology for the detection and manipulation of non-viable cells that has applications in multiple global markets. Seed-round funding in 2008 allowed the company to develop its dead-cell detection and removal technology further into its first pipeline products.
Funding support received: SMART award from Scottish Government in April 2007; seed round funding from Scottish business angels matched by Scottish Enterprise in April 2008.
Customers: R&D scientists working with cells in any capacity.
Potential value of market: R&D market for Dead-Cert kits worth £50m; regenerative medicine market worth £400m; antibody therapeutics market worth US$30bn plus.
What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? Distribution deals worldwide is the most pressing need and the one we are actively pursuing to maximise revenues on our R&D kits. Help to access local territories worldwide, to identify potential distributors, and to finalise deals in local markets worldwide is also needed.

Mode Diagnostics
Location: Glasgow
Founders: Professor Jon Cooper, Professor David Cumming
Year founded: 2007
What does it do? A development phase company, MODE is preparing a pipeline of user-friendly and clinically informative diagnostic products for the retail pharmacy market. The company's initial market is cancer diagnostics and will provide retail customers access to early detection and disease management products. The first product - bSURE - which has already progressed beyond the research phase, is for the early detection of colorectal cancer.
Brief history: The business was originally founded as Wireless Biodevices in 2007 as a spinout from the University of Glasgow, based on biochemical and electronic technologies developed by Professors Cooper and Cumming.
Funding support received: Seed financing from IP Group (also currently undertaking Series 'A' financing) and a Scottish Enterprise SPUR Award.
Customers: Collaboration with Alba Bioscience.
Potential value of market: Primary market of worldwide bowel cancer screening market is worth US$750m; other OTC diagnostics markets worth US$3bn.
What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? Strong alliances with sales and marketing partners.

Money Dashboard
Location: Pathhead, Midlothian
Founder: Gavin Littlejohn
Year founded: 2006
What does it do? Money Dashboard is a free online personal finance service for the UK consumer. It brings a person's bank accounts, credit cards and store cards together on one screen - giving a clear, up-to-the-minute picture of their personal finances.
Brief history: Littlejohn came up with the concept through trying to manage his own financial affairs. After undertaking some market research and securing seed funding, a development round in 2008 recruited a management team with the experience and business skills needed to drive the business. In November 2008, Microsoft got behind Money Dashboard, bringing the company onto the 'Biz Spark' accelerator programme. In October 2009 the company completed a £1m funding round to launch the product early in 2010 following rigorous alpha and beta testing.
Funding support received: The company has raised approximately £1.5m in equity funding and grants over four funding rounds since its inception in 2006.
Customers: Consumers. Potential value of market: Multi billion dollar.

NovaBiotics
Location: Aberdeen
Founder: Dr Deborah O'Neil
Year founded: 2004
What does it do? Clinical stage antiinfectives drug discovery company. Lead product Novexatin is a topical treatment for fungal nail infection.
Brief history: With more than a decade's experience in the field of natural antimicrobials immunologist Dr Deborah O'Neil created the company in order to exploit the therapeutic and commercial potential of novel, naturally derived, anti-infective therapies for the treatment of clinically and economically significant fungal and bacterial infections. The business has grown from a staffof two to 13 in four years and is now set to complete its first commercial deals.
Funding support received: The company has raised more than £5m from a range of investors and has secured £500k in grant funding.
What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? Funding - particularly cash from within Scotland's investment community - remains the major hurdle for early-to-mid stage drug discovery companies.

Ohmedics
Location: Glasgow
Founders: Professor Patricia Connolly, Alistair MacWilliam, John Thomson, imon Best
Year founded: 2009
What does it do? The company manufactures and distributes medical devices such as its new wound monitoring product WoundSense. The disposable sensor can be placed in any wound dressing and the meter is used by a nurse or carer to read the wound moisture status without disturbing the dressing.
Brief history: Founded to commercialise products for wound monitoring developed by Professor Connolly at the University of Strathclyde, the first product - WoundSense - was developed and brought to clinical trial via a Scottish Enterprose Proof of Concept grant. The product is being launched in Q1 2010 in the EU and Middle East.
Funding support received: Ohmedics received a Scottish Enterprise Proof of Concept grant prior to company formation and then investment from founders and private individuals. The business is also currently the recipient of some commercialisation grants from Scottish Enterprise.
Customers: Sales will commence in Q2/2010.
Potential value of market: Wound dressings and wound management is a large market worldwide worth several billion dollars.
What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? Support to access global markets such as that which we are receiving from Scottish Development International is very useful as is an understanding of local regulatory and commercial issues for medical devices.

Pharmacells
Location: Hillington Innovation Centre, Glasgow
Founders: Dr Neil R Fell, Dr W John Kitchen
Year founded: 2007
What does it do? Pharmacells has the exclusive rights to a patented method of isolating, extracting and storing a newly discovered type of blood derived stem cell. It is the first business in the world to be able to offer a truly cost effective method of storing pre-differentiated cells for future use in personalised treatments and therapies. In addition, the business supplies its cell line to various research and drug discovery platforms.
Brief history: The company was started by two young doctors caught up in the jobs shortage scandal of 2007 - although both went on to find positions, the business idea had taken hold. Funding was raised from a syndicate of small investors as well as Scottish Enterprise and various other smaller sources. Pharmacells' aim is to have a self sufficient business that is accelerating the available specialised stem cell based treatments and pharmaceuticals. Funding support received: The company received pre-start-up funding of circa £100,000 from small angel investors, match funding from Scottish Enterprise, a SMART technology award, directors' funds and a host of smaller, specialised awards. Total in the region of £400,000.
Potential value of market: The stem cell marketplace is valued at £15bn per annum globally and £600m in the UK alone.
What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? We'd like legislative bodies to realise the demands they place on small bio or medical technology businesses are very restrictive within the UK. What some bodies see as nominal fees or audit costs can have a great influence on small business. In an ideal world we'd really like there to be far greater financial support for global travel for small business, although UK Trade and Investment and Scottish Development International have some support. We believe face-to-face contact is the best way to demonstrate our technology to a captive audience.

Sistemic
Locations: Glasgow; Boston, US
Founders: Chris Hillier, John Gordon, Peter Estibeiro, Vincent O'Brien
Year founded: 2009
What does it do? Sistemic is a drug repositioning company.
Brief history: The business was awarded a Scottish Government SMART award to prove the concept of its compound-centric drug discovery platform. It won its first pharma contract in Sept 2009 and opened its Boston office in December 2009. Patents were filed in April and November 2009 and a funding round closed in December 2009.
Funding support received: Scottish Government SMART award with match funding from Chimaera Bio in April 2009. Series 'A' funding led by Chimaera Bio and with support from the Scottish Enterprise Co-investment Fund in December 2009.
Customers: Pharma and large biotechs. Potential value of market: In excess of US$100bn for pharma R&D.

Smarter Grid Solutions
Location: Airdrie
Founders: Alan Gooding, Bob Currie, Dr Graham Ault
Year founded: 2008
What does it do? Smarter Grid Solutions is an innovative technology company providing Smart Grid products and services to the power industry.
Brief history: In 2003, Scottish and Southern Energy approached the University of Strathclyde with an endowed fellowship to look at the problem of connecting large numbers of renewables to networks. Over the following years, the University carried out pioneering research and development in this area. Smarter Grid Solutions spun-out of the University in 2008 to commercialise concepts developed to manage technical constraints on distribution networks associated with the connection and operation of renewable generators.
Funding support received: Seed funding from Scottish and Southern Energy Venture Capital was matched by the Scottish Enterprise Co-investment Fund.
Customers: Major electricity network operators including Scottish and Southern Energy, Scottish Power and EDF Energy Networks.
Potential value of market: Large - UK customers have £500m to spend over the next five years through the Low Carbon Network Fund.
What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? The industry has an urgent need for more electrical engineers. Engineering courses, like those at the University of Strathclyde, have a key role to play in developing the additional highly skilled professionals needed to meet the UK's energy challenge.

SynGro
Location: Livingston
Founder: Keith Schorah Year founded: 2004
What does it do? Provides real time enterprise feedback management solutions.
Brief history: The enterprise feedback management arena emerged as a new market only a few years ago and since its introduction its growth has been rapid. SynGro entered this market at its infancy, offering best of breed technology and services to large companies who believe using customer service as a competitive differentiator yields faster, more profitable growth.
Funding support received: Completely self funded.
Customers: Stora Enso, Heineken, BAE, Vodafone, JP Morgan, Scottish Executive. Potential value of market: US$1bn.
What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? Assistance and funding to build international partnerships.

Trig Avionics
Location: Edinburgh
Founders: Andy Davis, Martin Gray
Year founded: 2004
What does it do? Trig Avionics designs and manufactures electronics products - primarily radio based - for use in light aircraft.
Brief history: The company's first product was taken to market in 2007 and Trig is now selling worldwide as a leader in its field.
Funding support received: The primary funding sources are the company's founders and the Archangel Informal Investment angel syndicate.
Customers: Various worldwide. Potential value of market: In the current addressed market, maybe £100m but could be upwards of £1bn.
What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? In our own little niche we already are a global player. We could wish for a lighter regulatory burden, lower taxes, and more international standardisation in our markets, but probably the best thing the government can do for us is keep the pound weak to help our export pricing.

User Vision
Locations: Edinburgh and London
Founder: Chris Rourke Y
ear founded: 2000
What does it do? A consultancy dedicated to improving the user experience of clients' websites, software and products.
Brief history: Rourke had 20 years experience in ergonomics and human computer interaction when he founded User Vision. It has helped numerous clients improve the usability and accessibility of websites, products, software and digital technologies and its client base now includes many FTSE 100 companies and high profile public sector organisations.
Funding support received: None Customers: BBC, Barclays, Britannia Building Society, British Museum, Cabinet Office, DirectGov, English Heritage, Emirates Airline, HBOS, Houses of Parliament, Miller Homes, NHS, Nokia, O2, Orange, Prudential, Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Royal Mint, Royal Navy, Sainsbury's Bank, Standard Life, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Government, Scottish Widows, Student Loans Company and Tesco Personal Finance.
Potential value of market: Figures released by E-Consultancy in 2008 showed the market had grown by 20 per cent in the past year and was worth around £214m.
What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? We have strong links with a network of partners in Europe, the US and Asia. We have also received invaluable support from organisations such as the British Embassy, Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Council for Development and Industry as we continue to develop opportunities overseas. However, additional support would certainly be helpful in terms of advice and strategic input into promoting our services abroad. We would also welcome more networking opportunities with other successful Scottish companies to learn from their experiences and gain greater insights into the benefits and risks associated with working in specific countries and sectors.

Virtual Interconnect
Location: Glasgow
Year founded: 2004
Founders: Brian Gilhooley, Sandra Fairweather, David Carson
What does it do? We use 3D modelling techniques to design complex electromechanical wire harness and hydraulic systems.
Brief history: After two years of market research the business started selling in to customers. A second revenue stream involved installing the company's design processes in customer design offices which led on to bespoke software customisation.
Funding support received: Small Firms Loan Guarantee funding of £50,000. Customers: Volvo Trucks, Aker Solutions, Thales Training & Simulation, BAE Systems.
What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? Funding support for skills not immediately within the company's expertise such as marketing.

Wideblue
Location: Dumbarton
Founders: James Hall, Grant King, Russell Overend
Year founded: 2006
What does it do? Wideblue designs and develops technical products for start-up companies and also invests in high technology start-ups.
Brief history: A spinout from Polaroid, the business works with primarily new start-up high technology businesses and has invested in three new technology businesses in last two years - PWB Health, Centeo and Viopti.
Funding support received: Self-funded.
Customers: More than 20 technology businesses in the UK.
What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? Wideblue, by the nature of the business model, will remain a UK-focused company. Global growth will come through the investment companies.

Zisys
Location: Irvine
Founders: David Yeudall, Fiona Barber
Year founded: 2001
What does it do? Zisys designs, develops, manufactures and services products and systems.
Brief history: The company's designs are sold worldwide into a diverse range of markets and it has recently developed a range of laboratory automation which is sold into food testing laboratories. Strong links with the Far East, and access to cost effective tooling and manufacture, mean Zisys believes 2010 will see it develop its unique designs into many different markets, forming key strategic partnerships to ensure service and support in the US and throughout the EU and Asia.
Funding support received: We have a fantastic relationship with Scottish Enterprise, they have helped us with many projects over the years.
Customers: Premier Food, Touch Bionics, Thermo Fisher, Silliker, Biohit OY, Biohit Inc, Biohit Ltd, Argos Technologies Inc. and ITI Techmedia.
What more support do companies like yours need to become global players? Better bank support.