Five Welsh entrepreneurs have been recognised for their progress and ambition as the Business Wales Start-Up Accelerator celebrated the latest cohort of award winners, underlining the programme’s role in transforming early-stage ideas into scalable, investment-ready ventures.
The founders completed the ten-week accelerator programme, which supports Wales-based entrepreneurs in validating demand, refining their business models and securing their first customers. Each winner was recognised across five award categories, reflecting both commercial momentum and the diversity of start-up talent emerging from across Wales.
The Proposition Flex Award, recognising the most adaptable approach to developing a business launch proposition, was awarded to Chris Hughes, founder of Tecwila. Based in Anglesey, Tecwila is a flavour-led spirits brand working with a Mexican distillery to produce small-batch spirits for the UK market. The business is now preparing for wider distribution following initial production and brand development completed during the programme.
The Accelerator Award, given to the participant who made the most progress during the programme, went to Dr Emma Marie Williams, founder of GlitterBrain Psychology. GlitterBrain delivers psychology-based self-help and therapy resources for adults, including neurodivergent clients, focusing on practical, accessible tools that support mental health and everyday life management.
“This award feels brilliant because it shows how far we’ve come,” said Dr Williams. “Ten weeks ago, I had passion and a vision but no clear strategy. The programme helped me test my assumptions and hone my business skills, and now I have a clear growth plan.”
The Sales Accelerator Award, recognising ambition in building and accelerating a sales funnel, was presented to Silvia Sanchez, founder of Classer Ltd. Classer provides software that helps users organise, store and share action-camera footage, enabling GoPro and action-camera users to turn raw video into easily relived memories.
The Accelerator Champion Award, celebrating commitment and a positive mindset throughout the programme, was awarded to Sakshi Mahajan, founder of Hashview. The business offers a next-generation trust engine for local shops, service providers and SMEs, combining AI-driven sentiment analysis, SaaS analytics and geo-fencing technology to deliver real-time, authentic customer feedback.
The Most Collaborative Participant Award went to Vignesh Pathmaraj, founder of Elements Technik (Elements Supply AI). The company provides AI-driven procurement and spare-parts intelligence for manufacturing and industrial clients, helping businesses streamline sourcing and supplier management through automation and data-driven insights.
The latest cohort’s success coincides with growing evidence of the Start-Up Accelerator’s longer-term impact. One standout graduate is Aberystwyth-based LanoTech, which has built a £470,000 investment pipeline since completing the programme in July 2025.
LanoTech is pioneering the use of lanolin — the natural grease found in sheep wool — as a sustainable alternative to soy and vegetable oil in animal feed. Following the accelerator, the company secured £120,000 through the Welsh Government’s Contracts for Innovation Cymru Programme to fund world-first live poultry feed trials. Founder Clodagh Weingart then successfully secured a further £350,000 from Innovate UK for a project commencing in 2026.
Lab testing has shown lanolin to have a higher gross energy content than conventional feed oils, positioning the business to reduce agriculture’s carbon footprint while creating new value streams for British wool producers.
“The foundation provided by the Start-Up Accelerator has been instrumental in positioning LanoTech for scale-up,” said Weingart. “The programme gave me the structure to develop a compelling investment case and the confidence to articulate our vision to funders. Moving from concept to securing nearly half a million pounds in funding within months of graduating shows the practical impact of that intensive support.”
Lucy Jones, operations manager of the Business Wales Start-Up Accelerator, said the results reflect the programme’s focus on structured growth and founder capability.
“Seeing founders secure investment, land first customers and refine their business models is exactly what the Start-Up Accelerator is designed to achieve,” she said. “LanoTech’s success demonstrates how the programme creates the conditions for businesses to thrive through expert guidance, structured methodology and a strong peer network.”
The next Start-Up Accelerator cohort will run from Tuesday 12 May to Friday 17 July 2026, with applications closing on Monday 30 March 2026. The programme is part of the Accelerated Growth Programme, a Business Wales service funded by the Welsh Government.
It supports Wales-based entrepreneurs with pre-revenue ideas capable of reaching £1 million in annual turnover, creating at least ten full-time jobs and exporting by 2029. Funding is available to help remove barriers to participation, and the programme integrates AI tools to speed up market research, creativity and time-to-market.
Entrepreneurs interested in applying can register their expression of interest via Business Wales.
