An AI training platform that helps students prepare for clinical practice through simulation of realistic patient conversations has scooped a £150,000 development prize.
MedAscend, founded by University of Dundee student medics Hana Woods and Ahmed Sharaf, is an AI-enabled platform that provides a ‘safe space where mistakes become lessons and feedback builds confidence’.
“As future clinicians ourselves, we have lived the gap between classroom teaching and clinical reality, and that perspective shapes every design decision we make,” the founders said.
“We build MedAscend hand-in-hand with consultants, examiners and faculty across the UK, Ireland and the Middle East. They define what good looks like; we turn it into scalable, curriculum-aligned simulation that institutions can trust. The result is a platform built with educators, for educators, and grounded in how healthcare is actually taught and assessed.”
The business was awarded the top prize of £150,000 at the Scottish EDGE Awards in the Future EDGE category, supported by Scottish Enterprise.
It was among 32 winners in sectors ranging from healthtech to clean energy, food and drink to creative technology, in a ceremony hosted at the Royal Bank of Scotland Conference Centre in Edinburgh yesterday.
They were closely followed by Nudge Innovations, a business designing practical solutions that remove the everyday friction that makes reuse difficult, which won £90,000 in Pathways EDGE, sponsored by the Scottish Government; GreenFlip, making decarbonisation investable by providing instant retrofit ROI assessments, who took home £90,000 in Circular Economy EDGE, sponsored by Zero Waste Scotland; and Real-E-Racing, who turn live motorsport data into interactive digital experiences, securing £80,000 in Creative EDGE, sponsored by Creative UK.
Sir Tom Hunter, founder of The Hunter Foundation, said: “Scottish EDGE demonstrates the massive economic potential of Scotland’s entrepreneurs – congratulations to them one and all …The landscape of support for them going forward however, is both cluttered and confusing, hence I hope our new government sorts that out so these and thousands of other entrepreneurs can accelerate their growth and economic contribution.”
Jane Martin MBE, managing director at Scottish Enterprise, said: “Congratulations to all this year’s winners, and especially to MedAscend on receiving the Future EDGE award.
“MedAscend demonstrates the strength of new ideas coming out of Scotland, using AI to help healthcare students practise realistic patient conversations, get tailored feedback, and prepare more safely for clinical care. It’s a strong example of the ambitious, innovation-led businesses we’re backing to help scale Scotland’s high-growth potential future industries and support long-term economic growth.”