Networking event looks to boost tech sector capital

Turing 2016, Edinburgh's international technology festival featuring leading figures from the sector around the world, has added a networking event to help top Scottish tech firms access future funding from global investors.

From left: CodeBase boss Jamie Coleman, Administrate chief executive John Peebles, Turing Festival director Brian Corcoran and Skyscanner product manager Hilary Roberts. Picture: Stewart Attwood

Now part of the schedule is Turing: Founders, with the evening on Thursday 18 August sponsored by innovation-focused Silicon Valley Bank. The event is looking to connect venture capitalists such as Seedcamp, Notion Capital and BGF Ventures with more than 30 of Scotland’s top start-up founders, including John Peebles of Administrate and Cally Russell of Mallzee.

Brian Corcoran, director of Turing 2016, said: “Attracting more investment capital into Scotland to fund our most promising early-stage technology businesses is a crucial part of the mix when it comes to elevating our tech ecosystem to the next level.”

Turing 2016 takes place on 18 and 19 August, and is backed by the likes of Skyscanner, CodeBase and FanDuel.

Tom Butterworth, director of early-stage banking at Silicon Valley Bank UK, said: “We are proud of our Scottish client base and are really excited about the country’s thriving tech scene. We see innovation in every corner of the UK and it’s important to us to get away from our desks and spend time meeting founders and keeping on the pulse of our industry.”

Turing has previously featured tech sector giants such as Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Salesforce, along with a wide range of speakers including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and science fiction author and game designer Neal Stephenson.

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