Elevator graduate Blair Waller up for national Young Entrepreneur of the Year award

The founder of social platform SociaLoop has been shortlisted in this year’s Scottish SME Business Awards

Blair Waller Cohort 4 Accelerator Aberdeen 3Blair Waller (28), who is originally from Aberdeen, is a finalist in the Young Entrepreneur of the Year category.

The winners will be announced at a lavish black-tie awards ceremony at Glasgow’s Crowne Plaza Hotel on March 28, which will honour achievements ranging from Retail Business of the Year to Young Achiever of the Year.

Blair took part in our Aberdeen-based Elevator Accelerator programme, which aims to fast-track businesses with high growth potential to the next level, and credits much of his success to the support he received from Elevator.

“After the most rewarding and challenging year of my life, it’s so humbling to be recognised for my efforts by the Scottish SME Business Awards. I feel extremely fortunate and grateful for the support provided by the absolutely amazing Scottish business support networks,” said Blair.

“I was lucky enough to be selected by the team at Elevator to be part of its Accelerator programme, which was quite literally a game changer for the business.”

Blair Waller pitching Elevator Accelerator

Elevator hosts its Accelerator Programme in Aberdeen, Dundee and Perth, and over 12 weeks participants are immersed in different entrepreneurial themes; from business models and goal setting, identifying new markets and opportunities to intellectual property, scale, growth and exit strategy.

cohort 4 elevator accelerator
Blair launched social platform SociaLoop in 2017 in a bid to reignite dwindling social activity in towns and cities across Scotland.


The platform helps people discover, in real time, where the best venues, biggest promotions and most popular events are. Using an innovative live check-in system, the user can see exactly where the best spots to hang out are around them at that very time.


Originally designed for dating, the SociaLoop platform also moved into social networking, giving bars, restaurants and clubs listed on the platform access to the userbase for marketing purposes.

Blair’s first dating app, Soda, grew to more than 2,000 users enjoying promotions and events at more than 50 of the capital’s top bars, cafes and nightclubs.

Blair now hopes to expand SociaLoop into new areas and markets by licensing out its technology.

Jules Lancastle Elevator Accelerator Manager Aberdeen4Jules Lancastle, Elevator’s Accelerator Programme Manager in Aberdeen, said: “From his initial idea for a dating app, Blair’s business has grown considerably and he now plans to expand further. This is exactly the kind of business with high growth potential that the Accelerator programme was designed to support and nurture and we are delighted that Blair has been recognised by his award nomination. We wish him all the very best for the ceremony.”


The awards not only provide a platform and an opportunity to recognise and reward the talented individuals and organisations from the country’s SME sector but also provide a source of inspiration for future entrepreneurs.


There will be 25 awards presented on the evening. A full list of the finalists can be found HERE


For more information on SociaLoop, email blair@socialoop.io or visit www.socialoop.io

If you have ambitious business plans to start, scale and grow a business, perhaps the Elevator Accelerator could be a catalyst for you. Register your interest HERE. 

 

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