Marvin OnumonuThe Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) will increase its Accelerator Programme to support 5,000 entrepreneurs, ahead of the opening of its new flagship Edinburgh Hub later this year.
The bank also announced a £1m partnership with the Scottish EDGE Awards.
The expanded support will incentivise founders in all regions, scaling businesses and young innovators.
Since launching its Accelerator App in March 2025, Royal Bank of Scotland has seen over 1,500 downloads in Scotland.
The bank currently supports 1,000 businesses through its accelerator hubs in Glasgow and Edinburgh, providing meeting and working space to members.
Past alumni include Ooni and Staffscanner.
Together, businesses in the accelerator community have created over 900 jobs.
Royal Bank of Scotland will invest £1m in the Scottish EDGE Awards over the next three years.
The funding will support three awards – a top Young EDGE and Regional EDGE award in their current rounds, and an increased Scale EDGE award of £200,000 in the next round.
The finals of the 27th EDGE Awards will be held at the Royal Bank of Scotland Conference Centre in Gogarburn, Edinburgh.
Since 2014, EDGE winners have collectively created over 4,400 jobs and achieved nearly £800m in turnover.
Darren Pirie, head of accelerator & partnerships at Royal Bank of Scotland, said: “In our tenth anniversary year, we are going to turbocharge our support for Scotland’s entrepreneurs, by expanding our Royal Bank Accelerator community to 5,000 founders.
“I am also delighted that our extended partnership with the EDGE Awards will see us reward more of Scotland’s startup success stories.
“Our expanded support for regional awards recognises that the grit, potential and spirit that characterises so many entrepreneurs can be found in every part of our country.”
Pirie added: “Royal Bank Accelerator continues to go from strength to strength in supporting Scotland’s innovators to grow.”
Evelyn McDonald, CEO at Scottish EDGE, said: “As a founding partner of Scottish EDGE, Royal Bank of Scotland has played a pivotal role in helping ambitious founders across Scotland turn great ideas into investable businesses.
“This new £1 million commitment over the next three years is a significant vote of confidence in Scotland’s entrepreneurial talent and in the proven impact that timely, early-stage funding can have.
“From earlier EDGE winners such as Ooni and Amiqus to the next generation of high-growth start-ups, our support can be the catalyst at a critical moment.”
McDonald added: “We are delighted to deepen our partnership with Royal Bank and look forward to seeing this investment translate into more innovation, more high-quality jobs, and a stronger Scottish economy.”
