The woman behind the company named as Scotland’s most innovative female-run start-up has revealed how she was inspired by the get-up-and-go on show among spin-outs and entrepreneurs on the US west coast.
Mhairi Towler, winner of the accolade for firms under 12 months old at the Association of Scottish Businesswomen’s annual awards in Aberdeen last month, says she is looking forward to exploiting the opportunities in science animation targeted by her science animation and visualisation firm Vivomotion.
The entrepreneur, who spent four years carrying out post-doctoral research in life sciences at the University of San Francisco, says the positivity on show at one spin-out’s 30th birthday party which featured 1970s disco hitmakers Earth, Wind & Fire helped crystallise her desire to strike out on her own.
When she returned to Dundee and began delivering lectures to undergraduate students, Dr Towler began thinking about ways to make them “more exciting” for her young audience.
Though she did not know it at the time, Vivomotion would be the result..embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; padding-top: 30px; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }Collaboration with Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design’s Janice Aitken and testing success in Dundee University’s internal ‘Venture’ professional development contest helped uncover the gap in the market she now seeks to exploit.
“This was when I decided that there was a market for making animations to help scientists explain what they do,” Dr Towler, 39, said.
“I went back to university for a year to do a masters in animation and visualisation at Duncan of Jordanstone, following which Vivomotion was launched in October 2012.”
Helped by training through the Cultural Enterprise Office’s Starter for 6 programme, start-up funding from Dundee City Council, and a graduate enterprise fellowship from Dundee University’s Enterprise Gym a package of support which included office space, a stipend and mentoring from entrepreneur in residence Scott Brady Dr Towler is set to complete her award-winning first year of trading.
But perhaps Dr Towler’s most-marked success has been in establishing a cross-disciplinary business well-aligned to two of Dundee’s strongest sectors.
She hopes Vivomotion can continue to grow in the coming year, with a funding application to support the addition of a full-time animator and business development officer imminent.
She is also focused on developing new intellectual property.
“I would like to grow the company organically, as demand for the services increases,” Dr Towler said.
“We also want to expand into the area of digital publishing for education, and preliminary projects are under way in this area.”
She also hopes to grow the company’s client base beyond Scotland, through her work alongside Dundee-based artist in residence to the European EpiGeneSys consortium Dr Paul Harrison.
“Through this collaboration I hope to gain more international clients.
“We already have one project under way in Vienna,” Dr Towler said.
She believes it is a great time to be starting a business in Dundee, with the only challenge being finding the time to get everything done.
“At the moment there is such a buzz in the city for potential business opportunities, both in the creative and life science sectors, and this enthusiasm is great for anyone starting a business,” Dr Towler added.
“The V&A will put Dundee firmly on the map as a place open for business and, with its already established world-renowned reputation in the life sciences and creative industries, Dundee is set for more great things in the coming years.”