Green ambition for staycation start-up

Published: 20 July 2021

A new start-up – Electrek Explorer – is aiming to help tackle the climate crisis by promoting low-carbon, electric vehicle (EV) travel and nature-based tourism.

Founded by entrepreneur Elaine Ford and supported by the Geovation Scotland Accelerator Programme – a joint initiative between Registers of Scotland and Ordnance Survey – the business has developed at pace over the past year.

With more and more of us going on staycations this summer, the company has created a web-based ‘Nature Navigation Atlas’ to help people explore Scotland’s nature reserves and scenic routes.

And to encourage green tourism, the platform provides information on electric charging points as well as the location of EV-friendly hotels. It is currently being developed into an app.

Earlier this year, Edinburgh-based Elaine was named as AccelerateHER’s Rising Star for 2021 which recognises a female company founder with a great early-stage business idea.

Electrek Explorer is one of three companies having just completed the year-long Geovation Scotland programme which has now reopened for applications.

Geovation Scotland, was launched in 2019, and supports Scottish-based location and property technology start-ups by offering the companies involved access to a wealth of data, mentoring and resources as well as grant funding to develop their businesses.

The programme also supports the Scottish economy with year one having seen the companies involved raising over £400,000 of additional funding, £100,000 of investment and creating 15 full-time jobs. Applications for new start-ups looking to join the programme are open until 30 August 2021.

The two other entrepreneurs having completed the programme in the past year are:

  • Zishan Ashraf, founder of Homey - a pre-sale property renovation company allowing homeowners to renovate today, sell their property for more money and then pay for those renovations when it comes to sale settlement.
  • James Cooper, founder of Impactful (formerly Doorstep Market) - a guide to peoples’ local food scene with a focus on sustainability. It connects independent producers and grocers making it just as easy to shop local as it is to shop at a supermarket, with one payment and checkout.

Images are available upon request.

Notes to editors

1. Registers of Scotland is the public body responsible for compiling and maintaining registers relating to property and other legal documents in Scotland. Registers of Scotland records and safeguards the rights of the individual while providing open access to information on the registers.

2. Geovation is an Ordnance Survey initiative in association with Registers of Scotland and HM Land Registry. It is dedicated to supporting open innovation and collaboration using location and property data. Location is at the heart of many of the most successful digital products and services. Land and property is the foundation of our national economy.

3. The Geovation Scotland programme is currently open for applications until 30 August 2021.

Media contact

Kristen McNicoll
Communications team
kristen.mcnicoll@ros.gov.uk
07824 626 449