Edinburgh film start-up gets funding boost as British Business Bank hails £10 million capital milestone

A film and photography start-up has become the latest venture to benefit from a scheme designed to get businesses off the ground as it hits a £10 million funding milestone.

Founded by 19-year-old Omar Etherington-Brown, OJE Studios offers a range of services including film and music production and photography, with a focus on promoting community engagement. After securing a loan from the British Business Bank through GC Business Finance, the fledgling firm is expanding its team to five employees, as well as moving the current music production studio from Dundee to Edinburgh.

The funding is the second time Etherington-Brown has received support from the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme, which has now delivered a £10m boost to Edinburgh entrepreneurs. Just under 900 start-ups in the Scottish capital have been supported since the programme’s inception in 2012.

Etherington-Brown said: “The business has gone from strength to strength in the last year, and I have now left my full-time job as a software engineer to focus on OJE Studios and grow the team. With a talented crew of photographers, videographer and editors we have the skills to create amazing content that inspires people through promotional photography, short films and music videos. We want to showcase the smaller and lesser-known parts of Edinburgh – from nightlife and restaurants to independent artists and venues.”

Among the projects supported by the studio are the Spit It Out Festival, which provides workshops, talks and live performances to bring together people from marginalised communities who have experienced discrimination because of mental ill health, and Movement, a new club night to support local up-and-coming talent.

Barry McCulloch, senior manager for Scotland at the British Business Bank, said: “Reaching £10m of funding to business founders in Edinburgh is a huge achievement for the Start Up Loans programme and demonstrates the entrepreneurial spirit in the city. Since the launch of the programme, we have supported smaller businesses across a diverse range of sectors and this milestone highlights the success of the scheme in improving access to finance across all parts of the UK.”

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