Technology Placement Programme
Our technology placement programme offers enterprises of any size in the Highland Council area the opportunity to take on a graduate or student placement - and we'll fund up to 70% of their salary.
Try something new
Jack Barrie's offshore job as a Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Technician was all about testing the performance of materials and components. But it was the performance of the protein shakers he used to fuel his long offshore shifts that sparked his entrepreneurial spirit.
Jack started developing VShake in 2019. Working shifts for eight weeks at a time, he relied on protein powders and food supplements for energy. On a particular trip in the Black Sea, Jack took four shakers onto the boat, and they all stopped working within two weeks. It was the impetus he needed and he started prototyping right there and then, working with make-shift materials and tools.
When he got home, he carried out research with 100+ gym-goers, discovering that over 85% of shaker users were unhappy with the products they were currently using. He identified all the pain points associated with shaker use, and used this to develop VShake’s features.
The resulting product is a special protein shaker that expertly blends powders, soft fruits, and ice without the need for electricity or batteries with its intuitive, patent pending mixing assembly.
It's made from a special, food safe material that stops odours developing and keeps the shaker fresher for longer, and it's completely leakproof. “And besides all that, it looks really, really cool as well,” says Jack.
When I found IMPACT30 on the HIE website, I saw that as an opportunity to meet up with fellow entrepreneurs and get the much, much needed mentorship that I had never had before.Jack Barrie, Founder, VShake
Competing brings attention and Impact30 support
Jack describes the end of 2021 as a pivotal time for his business; he’d reached a bit of a plateau with VShake and had exhausted his funds. The product wasn’t where he wanted it to be, it was too expensive to manufacture, and the prominent companies that Jack had earmarked as being potential customers weren’t biting.
It was at this point that he discovered both the Advancing Manufacturing Centre (AMC), which offered free manufacturing and design technology access and expertise, and he signed up for HIE’s IMPACT30 programme.
His IMPACT30 business mentor encouraged him to speak to the founders of big companies that might be interested in his product, including Huel, Grenade and Bulk. Jack had considered this previously but had been nervous of approaching them - in part because of his age. Some positive feedback has given him a huge boost.
With the support he's back on track. He’s looking to start manufacturing in October and is planning a huge launch for VShake at the end of 2022. He plans to sell the shaker through his own website, via distributors, through licensing agreements and to sports organisations and corporates.
Find out more about Jack's journey.
One of the benefits of a programme like IMPACT30 is to share experiences. Find out more about how Jack has set up the business, what he would advise others to do who are going through a similar process, and what his plans are now.
What stage is your business at?
VShake is now a limited company and I'm the sole director. I've employed two people through the Kickstart scheme, have a long-term agreement with a marketing consultant, and have two volunteers who came for a three-week student placement and never left. I'd love to employ them full-time towards the end of 2022.
We're currently finalising the prototype of VShake, a kinetic supplement shaker with dual mixing modes. It can blend powdered shakes such as protein powders and creatine and also pulp soft fruit for smoothies and fresh shakes.
I've identified five possible manufacturing options for the VShake: three in the UK and two in the Far East, and I've carried out checks on them all to ensure that they meet environmental and sustainability standards.
How have you built awareness of your product?
As well as the support from the Advanced Manufacturing Centre and IMPACT30, VShake has been helped in its journey by recent competition wins.
So far in 2022 Jack has picked up three awards:
- Young EDGE (Round 19) at the Scottish Edge Awards:
- Youth Entrepreneurship Award: and
- Best Commercial Award at CREATE, the UHI Inverness Business Competition.
“A massive thing is to get yourself into competitions,” Jack enthuses. “Get yourself on the map. It can be a really scary experience. But I’ll tell you what, even winning some of the smaller ones gives you a badge of honour for your business which means people will take you seriously. For me, the moment we won our first business competition was when this business entered the next level.”
Jack was only 19 when he started his business. How was that?
Being 19 and starting up your own company while having no idea about the world of business is extremely daunting. It’s incredibly chaotic trying to navigate your way around everything.
It was really tough at the start. I think the workload involved is hard for anybody to comprehend, never mind for someone my age.
I was 19 and I couldn’t even keep my room tidy, but here I was starting up a business and getting patents.
Winning the competitions has been a complete game changer. And not just for me, personally, but for the business. I can safely say that if it weren’t for IMPACT30 and my mentor Don pushing me to enter, I wouldn’t have applied for them.
If you could offer some advice to others, what would it be?
If you’re developing a product, start working with a good patent attorney as soon as possible to ensure you retain ownership of your idea. Even if you don't patent it straight away, they’ll give you good advice on how to navigate your next steps whilst keeping things confidential, so you don’t let fear of losing your idea hold the development back.
Beyond that, Jack also suggests:
- Make use of all the business support that’s out there – I recommend findbusinesssupport.gov.scot as a resource;
- Find an accelerator or programme of support so that you can be appointed a really good mentor, as that will help you to shine;
- To take it to the next level, you have to know how to speak to people. I used to feel quite anxious about this, so I began by starting up conversations with people in everyday situations just to get into the habit. Developing that has helped me make some amazing connections;
- Enter any business competitions that you qualify for.
What's next?
I have a lot of ideas and I know VShake is just the beginning. I'm enjoying being an entrepreneur and an inventor, and have ideas for products as diverse as sports apps and environmentally friendly solutions to reduce single use plastic products.
How we can help you
If you've been inspired by Jack's story here are some of our services that could help your journey.
Food and Drink TechHUB
Helping food and drink producers and supply chain businesses in the Highland Council area with access to expert advice, funding, events and networking opportunities.