Edinburgh software start-up Machine Labs aiming to raise VC funds and boost headcount

Software start-up Machine Labs has unveiled plans to raise further funds to double its Edinburgh-based team in a bid to support the thousands of e-commerce stores it says will be using its product.

The Scottish firm says it offers an affordable email marketing solution, and aims to drive repeat business for SMEs. Picture: Neil Hanna Photography.

The newly launched email marketing specialist made the announcement after officially debuting its database marketing platform, integrating with Shopify, which is behind $80 billion (£68bn) in e-commerce sales each year. Machine Labs also said that just two weeks after launch, it was selected as a Top Pick out of the 3,200 apps on the Shopify App Store.

The Scottish firm says it offers an affordable email marketing solution to more than 1 million Shopify stores worldwide, and aims to drive repeat business for small and medium-sized companies, helping them to succeed against the likes of Amazon. The app uses artificial intelligence and deep machine learning so its users can maximize the value of their databases with more relevant customer communications.

Chief executive Andrew Veitch – previously a co-founder of Diet Chef – said: “The launch hugely exceeded my expectations. We’ve had over 300 installs, everywhere from Azerbaijan to Australia and New York to New Delhi, so we’re working hard throughout the night to keep up with the demand.”

The company is planning to raise further venture capital in the summer – likely from London or Silicon Valley – and this will be used to double its Edinburgh-based team to 20 in the next year. Its backers include Kevin Dorren alongside Techstart Ventures with additional grant funding from Scottish Enterprise.