Is Trojan Energy poised to become one of KPMG's technology 'unicorns'?
Something went wrong - please try again later. Thank you for signing up to The Press and Journal newsletter. Sign up for our daily newsletter featuring the top stories from The Press and Journal. North-east firm Trojan Energy is one of only two businesses flying the flag for Scotland in a hunt for the UKs next technology pioneer. Trojan, based in Stonehaven, and Edinburgh company Desana were among 10 firms from around Scotland that pitched to a panel of industry experts seeking two outstanding representatives from north of the border to go forward into the UK final. The overall UK winner will secure a place at an event in Lisbon, Portugal, in November  Web Summit  where it will compete against technology innovators from at least 16 other countries to be crowned the first KPMG private enterprise global tech pioneer. Trojan Energy and Desana impressed the judges with the originality of their offering and potential for growth on an international scale. Their solutions also tap into two critical global trends  energy transition and flexible working. James Kergon, KPMG  Professional services giant KPMG has run its Best British Tech Pioneer programme annually for the past seven years, unearthing a host of technology unicorns  fast-growth private companies valued at more than US $1 billion (about 710 million). This year, the competition has gone international for the first time. Trojan is run from the home of its chief executive, Ian Mackenzie, in Stonehaven. Last year the firm secured 4.1 million of seed funding to support the roll-out of its on-street flat and flush EV charging points.  Trojan Energy  An initial 1m investment was led by business angel syndicate Equity Gap, profit with purpose investor SIS Ventures, Aberdeen-based investment syndicate Alba Equity and the Scottish Investment Bank (SIB), the investment arm of Scottish Enterprise. It unlocked a further 3.1m from Innovate UK, the UK Government-backed innovation agency. Trojans new product aims to help solve the issue of charging for vehicle owners without access to off-street parking. Its charging points are flat and flush to the pavement, ending the need to sacrifice pedestrian space. Users carry a charging lance in their vehicles and plug it into the connector point to start charging. Tapping into flexible working  Desanas technology lets organisations, and their staff find and book desks and meeting rooms across a global network of flexible workspaces through a single digital platform. James Kergon, office senior partner for KPMG in Glasgow, said: Trojan Energy and Desana impressed the judges with the originality of their offering and potential for growth on an international scale. Their solutions also tap into two critical global trends  energy transition and flexible working. Both firms now have an opportunity to pitch in front of major industry players looking for the next potential startup to invest in, buy from, or partner with.  Scotland has key climate tech role  Azets moves into KPMGs old offices in Aberdeen, aiming to double the size of its Granite City team by 2026