Based in Oban, start-up business HUID is developing packaging made from onion skins with the aim of reducing waste. Former textiles student Renuka Ramanujam spotted an opportunity to peel back plastic use and rethink what we do with the abundance of onion skins.
In 2021, Renuka moved to Oban, in the northwest of Scotland, to set up her company. She said: “Scotland is an incredibly warm and welcoming place, and such an exciting ecosystem for entrepreneurs and biotech. Being outside the central belt of Scotland can be hard, but it also provides a lot of advantages. The culture of helping one another out here is unparalleled, and Scotland has such a great range of support”.
“There's been a lot of investment into improving the infrastructure for start-ups. Help is available to scale up operations and the IBioIC network (Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre) has been so helpful for us. We've also received a lot of support from Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise”, Renuka added.
However, the path to setting up her own business has not always been easy. “Not having a scientific background, I had to do a lot of self-learning and absorbing knowledge from experts when I could! I was lucky that I was able to find mentors and resources that helped with expertise and credibility, and this kept the momentum going. With a combination of persistence and continually developing, I learnt to deal with rejections and non-responses and move on.”
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To overcome these challenges, Renuka has focused on the importance of feedback. “You're only as strong as the action you take on feedback. The process has also sharpened my intuition and learning to trust myself. You know your business better than anyone” she added.
Renuka’s community has also played a key role in getting the business to where it is today. Renuka said: “I've had a lot of support and would not have been able to do this without the various mentors, founder networks, technical partners, business support, team members."
“I think also, building a network and a team makes me proud; the fact that people are giving their energy and time for this makes me so happy. My partner in crime and Chief Scientific Officer Marie is an absolute star - she has absolutely helped to accelerate to where we are today. It’s great having her on board”, Renuka said.
HUID has gone through two accelerator programmes which have helped support her journey. Renuka said: “Impact Central and the Greenhouse have been instrumental in helping develop basic business knowledge and value proposition, HIE and Scottish Enterprise have been super helpful in helping connect us to partners, identifying relevant funding opportunities and business support.”
Despite the challenges Renuka has faced, she is determined to make a difference with the support of her community. As Renuka said: “Building a business takes a village”.
Are you interested in learning more? Find out about HUID’s journey (huid.co.uk)
You can also learn more about doing business in Scotland (sdi.co.uk)
Header image credit: Lauren Fair