Plant-based
container
offers
sustainable
alternative
to plastic
water bottle
J
AKE ELLIOTT HOOK GRADUATED from QMU with
BSc Psychology and Sociology in 2018. Along
with his co-director, Amee Ritchie (a graduate of
Edinburgh College), he founded the company YAIA, and
have established S’Wheat, an ethical and sustainable brand
that produces eco-friendly water bottles.
Jake and Amee spotted a gap in the market for a bottle
that was free from the use of plastic, which damages the
environment and impacts negatively on health. Their bottle
is made from sustainable plant-based material that has
comparable properties to plastic without the negative
effects on the environment and personal health.
Jake and Amee were finalists in the Scottish Institute
for Enterprise Fresh Ideas competition and have recently
secured funding and a mentor from the Merchant Company
of Edinburgh.
YAIA was also a semi-finalist in the Converge Challenge
KickStart programme, sponsored by RBS, which is aimed
at early-stage projects and offers individually tailored advice
to support the first steps of the entrepreneurial journey.
Miriam Smith, Business Development Manager at QMU,
has supported the young business since its inception
through the University’s Business Innovation Zone (BIZ).
She said: “It was an absolute pleasure working with Jake
and Amee. They’re wonderful advocates for QMU and the
BIZ, and with their talents and strong business prowess, I
know they’ll go far in this industry.” ❒
The Business Innovation Zone (BIZ) provides free
start up advice (through the services of our on
campus Business Gateway) and business support
to staff, students and graduates of the University
who have an idea and may be interested in starting
a company.
Our offering includes:
- one-to-one appointments with a business
advisor, through the Business Gateway;
- workshops, bootcamps and
entrepreneurial competitions;
- desk space;
- QMU business address;
- meeting facilities within the BIZ space;
- access to ad-hoc rehearsal space and editing
facilities; and
- profile for your company on our website.
QMYOU / Supporting Entrepreneurship
21