Start Up Loans programme hits £10m Edinburgh landmark with loan to film and photography startup

Omar Etherington-Brown, 19, moves OJE Studios to the capital

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15:30, 3 APR 2024

Omar Etherington-Brown from OJE Studios in Edinburgh — Omar Etherington-Brown, from OJE Studios in Edinburgh (Image: OJE Studios)

A film and photography business founded by a teenage entrepreneur is relocating to Edinburgh and plans to recruit staff after winning funding from the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans scheme.

OJE Studios, founded by Omar Etherington-Brown, plans to expand the team to five employees including a business and finance manager and a film production crew. He will also move the firm’s music production studio from Dundee to Edinburgh.

Omar, 19, is the recipient of the ten millionth pound in Start Up Loans funding in Edinburgh, with 897 businesses supported in the capital since the programme’s inception in 2012.

OJE Studios offers services including film and music production and photography, focussing on promoting community engagement and local collaborations.It has supported projects including club night movement and the Spit It Out Festival. Omar is also launching a sister brand called Krazy Niights to promote independent nightlife events and venues in Edinburgh.

The latest loan from the British Business Bank through GC Business Finance is the second time Omar has received support from the Start Up Loans programme, with an initial £10,000 helping him to set up the studio last year.

He 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. Our new business and finance manager will also support growth and development, focusing on partnerships like the one we have with Movement.

“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.

“The finance from the Start Up Loans programme was pivotal to getting our studio to this stage. When I first started, it was just me and my idea, and it’s been fantastic to see the business come to life with this funding.”

Barry McCulloch, senior manager, UK Network, Scotland, at the British Business Bank, said: “Reaching £10 million 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. Creative businesses like OJE Studios are not only important for our cultural identity, but they also create jobs and attract investment into the sector.

“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.”