Tech spin-outs seek helping hand from backers

A SHOWCASE for Scotland's next wave of hi-tech success stories to rival Google, Spotify or Facebook will attempt to lure investment from private equity firms and angel investors this week.

Six spin-outs from the University of Edinburgh's world-leading School of Informatics will make pitches to a panel on Wednesday that includes business specialists including Anne Glover, co-founder and chief executive of venture capital firm Amadeus Capital Partners.

Glover said that although investor appetite was "not active yet" after the recession, she feels "there is a lot more cash than people think" and that investment conditions now were like that of post-recession 1996.

The event, Engage Invest Exploit, is the third investor event promoted by the School of Informatics.

Andrew Mitchell, project leader at event managers Informatics Ventures, said: "Scotland is leading the world in informatics and computer science developments; we have the talent but often lack the business nous to fully capitalise on the vast opportunities before us."

A total of 40 spin-outs attending are looking to raise investment capital of between 500,000 and 2m.

Attending investors include specialist technology venture capitalists Seraphim Capital, Pentech Ventures, TTP Ventures and Balderton Capital as well as angel investors from TRICapital, LINC Scotland and Archangel Informal Investments.