The Growing Future Assets Investment Competition, designed to discover Scotland’s brightest young talents in investment, has experienced phenomenal growth this year, marked by a 37% increase in senior entries!

This Year’s Highlights Include:

• 100 Schools Registered
• 149 Team Submissions – the largest number to date, a 30% increase from last year
• 43 Partner Firms Involved
• 123 Competition Coaches
• 900+ Girls Reached Across Scotland
• 10 Events Held Nationwide

This year, the competition has achieved a major milestone, reaching all 32 local authorities across Scotland, with schools in Orkney and Shetland joining for the very first time.

Businesses have also shown tremendous support, with representatives from AG Barr, Novo Nordisk, and Spotify participating in live Q&A sessions with schools. These have brought real-world insights into classrooms, inspiring students to explore the exciting world of finance and investment.

At the end of November, 149 teams submitted their reports—the most ever received in a single competition! Judges were impressed by the exceptional quality of work, making it increasingly difficult to select the top finalists.

Competition coach and former fund manager, Millar Mathison, remarked:
“The standard was outstanding. In some cases, I would have been thrilled to receive this level of work from my professional team. Considering many participants are only in S3, every team deserves applause for their efforts.”

After much deliberation, the judges have narrowed the submissions down to eight exceptional finalists.

Junior Finalists 

🏆 Calderside Academy, who pitched Xylem and were coached by Claire Jervis, CFA from WHEB.

🏆 Mearns Castle High School, who pitched Palo Alto Networks and were coached by Claire Shaw from our sponsor Baillie Gifford.

🏆 Oban High School, who pitched Novo Nordisk and were coached by Kirsty MacLean from our sponsor Walter Scott.

🏆 St George’s School, who pitched NVIDIA and were coached by Clara Baltay from member firm Par Equity.

Senior Finalists 

🏆 Fortrose Academy, who pitched Intuitive and were coached by Colin Dishington from our Sponsor Martin Currie.

🏆 High School of Dundee, who pitched Energy Recovery, Inc. and were coached by Melissa Hope from Nuclear Liabilities Fund

🏆 Kingussie High School, who pitched NVIDIA and were coached by Andrew Bamford from Seaforth Investors.

🏆 Lossiemouth High School, who pitched AG Barr Group and were coached by Matthew Brennan from Scottish Widows.

🏆 Mearns Castle High School, who pitched Intuitive and were coached by Arlene Ewing from Sponsor firm The Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (The CISI). (Educational Trust)

While winning is celebrated, the competition’s true purpose is to inspire and empower young women across Scotland. By showcasing career opportunities in finance and investment, Future Asset aims to build confidence and expand horizons for girls who may never have considered this path.

Lauren, a student from Larbert High School, reflected on her experience:
“We were a bit intimidated by the male-dominated nature of the field, but seeing so many successful women and peers involved was a relief—it showed us that we can belong here too.”

Helen Bradley summed up the competition’s mission perfectly:
“By empowering young women to pursue careers in investment management, we’re not just creating equal opportunities but also ensuring a more resilient and dynamic future for the financial sector.”

The Future Assets Investment Competition continues to make waves, inspiring the next generation of finance leaders while breaking barriers and building brighter futures for young women across Scotland.