Scott Kennedy and Fergus Moore are the visionary entrepreneurs behind Revive Eco, a Glasgow-based startup revolutionizing sustainability by transforming used coffee grounds into a viable alternative to palm oil. Their innovative approach to waste upcycling is reshaping industries and reducing environmental impact on a global scale.
Kennedy and Moore co-founded Revive Eco in 2015 after graduating from the University of Strathclyde. Their work addresses one of the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges—reducing reliance on virgin palm oil, a key driver of deforestation and habitat destruction. Through their patented process, Revive Eco extracts valuable oils from discarded coffee grounds, repurposing waste into high-quality ingredients for the cosmetics, food, and beverage industries.
Under their leadership, Revive Eco has secured significant investment, including over £1.5M in grants and private funding, alongside a highly successful crowdfunding campaign that exceeded its target within hours of launch. Their work has earned attention from global brands eager for sustainable ingredient alternatives, and their partnership with SAS Pivert in France is helping scale up production and maximize impact.
As keynote speakers at the 15th Annual Values and Ventures Competition, Kennedy and Moore will share their journey of transforming waste into opportunity, the role of circular economies in driving innovation, and how sustainability can be both environmentally and economically viable. Their pioneering work exemplifies the power of entrepreneurship in tackling global challenges while creating lasting value.
For more on their mission and impact, visit Revive Eco.
The main competition is split into 3 different rounds: semifinals, lightning round, and finals. Teams are split into one of 5 flights. The top team from each flight moves directly to the finals. Each flight's second-place team participates in the lightning round. 2 teams from the lightning round advance to the finals. Flights are shown below.
All 7 teams that advance to the finals win a cash prize. Finals awards are as follows:
Grand Prize: $40,000
Second Place: $25,000
Third Place: $15,000
Honorable Mention: $2,500
In addition to the main competition, there are a number of additional awards and challenges. Additional awards for team competitors include the following:
Mittelstaedt Award (awarded to the team that best exemplifies sustainability) $8,700
Sly Award (awarded to the team that best exemplifies innovation) $2,500
Founders Award (awarded by the founders for the team that best exemplifies the spirit of the competition) TBD
Entrepreneurs cannot succeed simply by having a great idea. Our challenges highlight the critical skills entrepreneurs need - building a network and understanding investors. The Networking Challenge awards the team that has impressed the most people off-stage and the Investor Challenge allows individual competitors to take the judge's seat. Prize amounts are listed below:
Investor Challenge:
1st place: $2,500
2nd place: $1,500
3rd place: $1,000
Networking Challenge: $1000
A: All pitches will be 7 minutes. Judges Q&A is 7 minutes in the semifinal and lightning round and 10 minutes in the finals round.
A: Yes! You can watch other teams in different flights while you wait to present in your flight during the semifinals. If you are first to go in your flight, you can watch the rest of the competitors. The rest of the competiton, you will be required to watch the presenters.
A: If you are ever confused on where you should be, you can check the back of your name badge for the agenda and room numbers. For the most updated information, you can also check any updates to the agenda under the logistics tab on this website.
A: If your team wins an award, they are not eligible to compete in Values and Ventures again. However if you win a challenge, you are eligible to compete in future Values and Ventures Competitions.
