Meet the Mentors Guiding the Island’s Brightest Startups

Have you heard of the Isle of Man Innovation Challenge? It’s currently up and running, with the big Finale Day quickly approaching. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. First, for those of you who don’t know about the initiative, allow me to elaborate.

Digital Isle of Man is behind the Innovation Challenge, a global competition that involves participants coming up with and present forward-thinking solutions which tackle real-world challenges. The competition was created a few years ago by Digital Isle of Man, led by Head of Innovation, Kurt Roosen. Its aim is to combine tech and sustainability in the hope of making a meaningful impact on the world, while highlighting all the best parts of the island’s business community.

A nice by-product of the contest is that it showcases the Isle of Man as a place that encourages economical innovation in a way that contributes to its UNESCO Biosphere status.

Fifteen businesses are taking part in the 2025 Challenge in one of three key categories: FinTech, Cleantech and Data & AI. And, during the competition, each participant gets their own mentor.

I got the opportunity to speak with two of this year’s mentors; Andrew Langon-Newton, who’s guiding Earthscope – a nature-focussed social enterprise, supporting transformation in businesses and communities – who are vying for the win in the CleanTeach category.

And Ty Smith, who’s partnered with Binderr – a professional and financial services marketplace streamlining compliance and onboarding – who are competing for the top spot in the FinTech category.

‘It’s been a really exciting opportunity and great to learn about another business and seeing it grow from that embryonic stage,’ Andrew tells me enthusiastically.

His wife Shelley Langon-Newton, who is the CEO of SQR, was actually part of one of the winning teams of the Innovation Challenge two years ago.

‘I know from my personal experience that they’ve really benefited from having that recognition, you might call it accreditation. It builds trust in an organisation, and that’s been really positive to see that come with being a winner in the Innovation Challenge.’

Though he has indirect experience with the initiative, this is Andrew’s first time being a mentor not only in the Innovation Challenge but in general. 

‘It’s been two learning journeys for me, really. One as a mentor and one learning about the company I’m working with, Earthscope. What they’re trying to do is positively blend technology with environmental considerations. And I think any kind of organisation that requires a group of people to come together to make strategic and policy decisions for the future of its business is going to benefit from what Earthscope is doing in terms of bringing sustainability through technology.’

Sarah Mercer and Matthew Warren are the beating heart of Earthscope, two people Andrew believes that are taking an incredibly important entrepreneurial risk for the future of the Isle of Man and its economy.

‘Their product weds the island’s Biosphere status, which we’ve had now for a decade, with something that’s going to be of really of great value to lots of organisations across the Isle of Man, and potentially across the world, depending on how they scale their product, but certainly it’s democratising that complex area of sustainability for the benefit of the wider Isle of Man community.’

This area of expertise is not new to Ty, who partly works in sustainability consulting, where he collaborates with local and global businesses on their environmental risk threats.

‘We’ve got a legally binding agreement on the Paris Climate Agreement to be Net Zero by 2050 and I think the vast majority of the business community is looking at that going, okay, so how do we achieve that then. So certainly, the stuff the guys at Earthscope are doing is essential in terms of getting us on track. They’ve spotted an opportunity and gone right; there’s some really good business to be had here. And I think that’s why the Innovation Challenge is a really great thing, because it starts to make people think differently. It starts to make people think about the opportunities as well as the risks and the threats that can sit within transitioning towards sustainability.’ 

Besides his support for Earthscape, Ty is mentoring Binderr, who, he tells me, have been incredibly enjoyable to work with.

‘I’m really rooting for Binderr, as an organisation they’re quite progressive and forward-thinking, making them perfect for the Innovation Challenge.’ 

Binderr’s product, Ty tells me, is based around the foundation of a cutting-edge due diligence platform. Their place in the Innovation Challenge has been to bolt that platform onto a marketplace feature. 

‘The ethos Binderr has is that the team is constantly looking for ways to expand the opportunities that come with what they currently offer, so they’re reaching out into the business community at the moment to try and get feedback. And that is sort of demonstrative of their approach. They’ve brought really great ideas and provided the seeds to provide for the future.’

‘That’s part of what the Innovation Challenge is all about, planting seeds for the future that tackle global challenges,’ Andrew adds. ‘Yes, sustainability is certainly one of those challenges facing the Isle of Man, alongside finding new levers for economic growth. This competition will explore those areas through innovation and also help us consider what new businesses we could bring to the Isle of Man or grow in the Isle of Man by creating the right environment.’

And so, the stage is nearly set, with finalists of the Innovation Challenge due to showcase their solutions at the Finale Day on 26 June 2025 at the Comis Hotel. To those competing, good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favour. And for those of you who would like to find out more about the Challenge and the full list of finalists, head on over to www.innovationiom.com.