An Edinburgh Napier University alumna has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award recognising innovative entrepreneurs whose ideas have the potential to create positive social impact.
Emily Youngs, a data engineer and Edinburgh Napier University alumna, graduated with distinction from the University’s MSc Data Engineering programme in 2025, earning the Best Academic Performance of the Year award. She is the founder of WombWise, a femtech venture that uses wearable health data to help reduce delays in diagnosing reproductive health conditions.
Emily has now been named a finalist in the Create Change Challenge category of the Converge 2026 Awards. Converge has described this year’s cohort as its “most diverse group of finalists ever“, highlighting the breadth of entrepreneurial talent emerging from Scotland’s universities.
Recognition for a high-impact health innovation
Converge is Scotland’s national programme for university entrepreneurship, supporting ambitious founders to develop innovative ideas into successful businesses. Through training, mentoring and networking opportunities, the programme helps entrepreneurs accelerate the journey from concept to commercial venture.
Emily’s selection as a finalist places her among a cohort of innovators using research, creativity and enterprise to address some of society’s most pressing challenges.
Tackling one of women’s healthcare’s biggest challenges
WombWise is a femtech platform designed to reduce the lengthy diagnostic journey faced by women living with reproductive health conditions such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Using physiological data generated by everyday wearable devices, including the Apple Watch and Oura Ring, the platform identifies non-invasive digital biomarkers that can indicate reproductive health conditions. The technology transforms continuous wearable biosignals into structured clinical insights, helping women access objective evidence of their symptoms sooner and supporting earlier conversations with healthcare professionals.
For many women, obtaining a diagnosis for conditions such as endometriosis and PCOS can take years. WombWise aims to reduce diagnosis times by up to 90%, improving quality of life and restoring agency for millions living with undiagnosed reproductive health conditions.
Turning innovation into impact
WombWise demonstrates how emerging technologies can be harnessed to address longstanding healthcare challenges. By combining wearable technology, health data and digital innovation, the platform aims to empower women with actionable information while supporting more informed clinical decision-making.
The venture reflects a growing movement towards data-driven healthcare solutions that put patients at the centre of their care and help remove barriers to earlier diagnosis and treatment.
Building momentum through entrepreneurship
The latest recognition builds on growing momentum for WombWise. In 2025, Emily won the Appin Awards pitching competition, securing support to further develop the platform and progress her vision for improving outcomes in women’s health.
The Converge shortlist represents another significant milestone in WombWise’s journey from promising idea to potentially transformative health innovation. It also highlights the impact Edinburgh Napier graduates are making through entrepreneurship, innovation and enterprise beyond their studies.
Driving innovation at Edinburgh Napier
Emily’s success reflects Edinburgh Napier University’s commitment to fostering innovation, enterprise and entrepreneurial talent among its students, graduates and researchers.
Across the University community, emerging entrepreneurs are developing ventures that translate ideas, knowledge and expertise into solutions with real-world impact. Through engagement with programmes such as Converge, founders are supported to test, refine and scale innovations capable of delivering social and economic benefit.
The recognition for WombWise demonstrates the strength of Edinburgh Napier’s innovation community and showcases how alumni-led enterprise can address complex challenges while creating positive change.
Competing for Converge honours
WombWise’s inclusion among this year’s finalists highlights the growing importance of technology-led solutions tackling longstanding challenges in women’s health.
As a finalist in the Create Change Challenge, Emily will join innovators from universities across Scotland at the Converge Awards in Glasgow on 1 October 2026, where the winners will be announced.
Read the full Converge announcement: https://www.convergechallenge.com/converge-reveals-most-diverse-group-of-finalists-ever/