Start up Scale up

Innovec was launched in 2009 by its chief executive Iain Wham, using his redundancy pay-off from a manufacturing company.

Fast-growing IT firm eyes push into Edinburgh amid data and AI explosion

Nicky Deasy (investment director), Ross McDermid (Biotangents), Fiona Marshall (Biotangents), and Jill Arnold (Eos). Picture by Stewart Attwood

Scottish firm’s testing tech set to ‘revolutionise dairy farming industry’

The Investment Fund for Scotland was launched in autumn 2023.

Dog-friendly cafe and luxury skincare firm among 26 Scottish SMEs sharing £10m

The Funding Accelerator programme is designed for start-ups looking to raise their first or second rounds of equity investment, in the £100,000 to £1 million range.

How more funding and more women could get Scotland's start-ups back on track

Novosound CEO and co-founder Dave Hughes (pictured centre) with the firm's ultrasound blood pressure monitor. Picture by Stewart Attwood

Wearable blood pressure monitors could be revolutionised by Scots tech firm

The HUID start-up is creating compostable packaging, using onion waste – nature’s own form of packaging.

How a Scottish onion eco start-up aims to tackle the plastic waste crisis

Meet the ‘living pillow’ robot that Scots tech firm says can help end loneliness

Puma Private Equity said its team in Scotland will be led by investment director Ben Leslie. Picture: Igor Emmerich

Private equity firm moves into Edinburgh with pledge to boost scale-up economy

Karen Meechan, the ScotlandIS chief executive, pictured at the ScotSoft conference in 2023. Picture: Greg Macvean

Scotland’s digital tech leader on how to grow a £7.5 billion industry

The large co-working space within 'thebeyond' hub at Skypark, Glasgow. Picture: Stewart Attwood

Huge new Scottish tech hub dubbed largest 'smart things' centre in Europe

Paul Duffy, chief commercial officer at ClearSky Logic, explained where the ‘special ops’ approach comes in.

'Special ops' tech firm doubles staff numbers - and AI interest is soaring

Exclusive Pandemic, Brexit and bright future - NatWest boss on Scottish business

Andrew Wood and Euan Cameron, co-founders, Willo. Picture by Elaine Livingstone

Scots video interview platform gets ‘statement of faith’ global backing

Amy Burnett, KPMG private enterprise senior manager in Scotland.

Scottish firms ‘solving real world problems’ net £85 million of investment

Edinburgh-based start-up Metacarpal was founded by University of Strathclyde product design engineering graduate Fergal Mackie.

Edinburgh start-up’s bionic hand promises ‘life-changing’ benefits for amputees

Susan Stewart (The Open University), Yasmin Sulaiman (CodeBase) and Jane Grant (The Open University).

Codebase seals tie-up to reach would-be entrepreneurs anywhere in Scotland

Royal Bank of Scotland's Glasgow accelerator is home to many early-stage ventures. Picture: Stewart Attwood

Number of 'lifeblood' job-creating 'start-ups' in Scotland jumps by 21,700

The 'gargantuan' plant making batteries as big as shipping containers

Alistair Banham has been chief executive of PureLiFi since 2016. Picture: Malcolm Cochrane

How an Edinburgh firm's revolutionary light-based rival to wi-fi is going global

Utility supply, which encompasses the likes of offshore wind, was the leading sector for Scotland’s FDI, with 40 projects secured last year.

What Scotland must do to retain its foreign investor appeal after record 2023

Amy Burnett, head of KPMG Private Enterprise Access: 'The judges had a tough time selecting a winner.'

Edinburgh-based start-up crowned Scotland’s ‘most exciting tech business’

Aspect celebrates employee ownership as growth continues.

Why employee ownership is booming as another Scottish firm jumps onboard

The RBS headquarters and conference complex at Gogarburn, Edinburgh, which forms part of NatWest Group. Picture: Ian Georgeson

NatWest makes plea to entrepreneurs as it gears up for record accelerator intake

Sir Tom Hunter: 'Scottish Edge is a proven, world class model of delivering finance to potential high growth early stage businesses and that has been independently verified.'

These are the areas to benefit from £5m of Government support for start-ups

The tech industry is growing at one and a half times the overall economy.

Scotland's tech sector: Industry leaders outline their hopes and challenges

Sarah Newbould (British Business Bank), Anne Muir (Eos), Arran Dewar (SIS Ventures), Dr Rebecca Cleary (Nami Surgical), Nico Fenu (Nami Surgical) and Victoria McLaren (Maven). Picture by Stewart Attwood

Glasgow ultrasound pioneer targets multi-billion robotic surgery market

Dave Kelly is the chief executive of Edinburgh-headquartered software testing firm 2i. Picture: Ian Georgeson Photography

Edinburgh software testing firm aims for £50m after eight-figure funding

Almost nine in ten entrepreneurs north of the Border have experienced barriers to accessing finance while trying to get their ventures off the ground.

Scots entrepreneurs face funding gap with a third turning to family for cash

An underground network of mycorrhizal fungi – known as the wood-wide web – connects the roots of trees and other plants in a forest in a mutually beneficial arrangement that allows nutrients and water to be exchanged, benefiting growth, development and resilience

Mushroom cloud: How fungi bombs can help reforest the earth

Vivek Sivarajan, director at Elanic Clinic: 'FSE Group and the Investment Fund for Scotland have provided a welcome boost to help with our expansion project.'

Glasgow cosmetic surgery group among firms to tap into £150m growth fund

Gareth Williams is the co-founder and former chief executive of Skyscanner, the Edinburgh travel search site that was acquired by Chinese giant Ctrip Group in 2016. Picture: Chris Watt/Visual Media

Skyscanner co-founder to mentor intern as part of prestigious scholarship scheme

Oban-based marine scientist Jessica Giannotti, who runs the local Crùbag textile studio, set up SeaDyes on the back of a research project she worked on with the Scottish Association for Marine Science which involved extracting pigments from seaweed

Eco dyes made from seaweed – available in every colour but always green

The UK attracts more financial technology - fintech - investment than the rest of Europe combined.

Funding, scaling up, diversity: The challenges facing UK fintech businesses

The investment will be seen as a significant vote of confidence in Glasgow-based Clyde Hydrogen and its ground-breaking technology.

Pioneering start-up secures £1m funding to revolutionise hydrogen energy sector

Founded by Omar Etherington-Brown, OJE Studios offers a range of services including film and music production and photography, with a focus on promoting community engagement and local collaborations.

Edinburgh film venture gets funds boost as start-up scheme hails £10m milestone

Coaches parked at the venture's Dundee hub.

Electric coach pioneer Ember charges up with £11 million funding boost

IBioIC has supported more than 260 start-ups, small businesses and established companies to bring bio-based processes and products to market.

Decade of innovation support injects £35 million into Scotland’s bio-economy

School pupils from Winchburgh Academy with headteacher Jonny Mitchell and ITZA CEO Anthony Bouchier. Picture by Stewart Attwood

Edinburgh venture secures £2m funding to grow digital learning hub in Scotland

Left to right: Alex Macdougall of Unbagged, Alex Gordon-Furse of Playmaker, Olga Maksimova of Lovat Compliance, at the Techscaler San Francisco Hub.

Scottish Government pushes button on Silicon Valley hub to showcase start-ups

There were some 900,000 new companies incorporated across the UK in 2023, making it a record year.

Scotland enjoys 'start-up boom' as company incorporations jump

The Foras SXSW Austin cohort pictured in Edinburgh last week.

14-strong cohort of Scottish tech start-ups to build transatlantic connections

A CGI of ScrubMarine's prototype robot.

Start-up behind ship-cleaning robotic tech gets on board at Heriot-Watt Uni

OEG's renewables business accounted for half of group revenues in 2023 just three years after being set up.

Renewables milestone as Aberdeenshire's OEG hails ‘transformational year’

Investor Moray Martin of Tricapital with Bob Corsie and Brian McCrindle of Trademylux. Picture: Ian Georgeson

£300k funding boost for start-up looking to shake up artwork resale market

Anne Muir (Eos), Albert Nicholl (Carcinotech), Ishani Malhotra (Carcinotech), Sarah Newbould (British Business Bank) and David Milroy (Maven). Picture by Stewart Attwood

Biotech 'breaking new ground in oncology' raises £4.2m in fight against cancer

Mike Clarke, partner at YFM Equity Partners: 'We’re expecting this year to be really busy.'

Scotland grabs top spot for entrepreneurship but barriers to growth remain

Nicola Anderson, chief executive of FinTech Scotland, said the country was beginning to realise its fintech potential.

Scotland sees fintech job numbers jump by quarter in two years with more to come

Paul Callaghan of the Scottish National Investment Bank, Clare Wareing of Cumulus Oncology and Andrew McNeill, Eos Advisory.

Cumulus gets £9m boost in mission to develop next generation of cancer therapies

Gregor Aikman (STAC), Ricky Bell (Glasgow City Council) and Paul Wilson (STAC). Picture by Stewart Attwood

Glasgow aims to be Europe’s largest smart tech innovation hub

Nick Murray. Carolina Melendez and Dec McLaughlin of Foras.

Scots start-ups to strengthen global links with mission to £90bn Texan tech hub

Paul Munn was one of the founders of Par Equity in 2008. Picture: Ditte Solgaard Dunn, First Light Photography

Seeking 'some return to normality' - Par Equity's Paul Munn eyes the year ahead

Dr Calum Ross is a research associate in Heriot-Watt’s school of engineering and physical sciences.

Heriot-Watt researcher nets £1m in bid to scale up next-gen optical fibre tech

Graeme Williams, head of corporate finance M&A for Scotland at KPMG UK, says investors are adopting a more cautious approach.

Investor caution as venture capital funding takes a hit despite Q3 'outlier'

The University of Glasgow is recognised as one of the city skyline's most distinctive buildings.

Medical spin-out with potential to save millions of lives gets £4.3m injection

The Kelso Pharma board members (left to right): Sam Gray, Apposite; Christian Schenk, Apposite, Tom Stratford, CEO; Gordon Cameron OBE, chairman; Allan Watson, CFO. Picture: Robert Perry

Kelso takes big step towards building a ‘truly pan-European pharma business’

Pictured at Shell’s Aberdeen headquarters, left to right: John Raine, Corporate Relations (Shell), Andy Campbell, Commercial Director (Elevator), Louise Kettle, Marketing & Communications Co-ordinator (Elevator), Professor Gary McEwan, CEO (Elevator), Simon Roddy, Senior Vice President Upstream (Shell), Karen Clark, Programme & Events Operations Manager (Elevator) and Sireen Adwan, Programme Manager (Elevator). Picture by Michal Wachucik/Abermedia

Global entrepreneurship programme returns to Scotland after four-year lull

Edinburgh-based Crover is behind a grain storage system that offers a new way to automate monitoring and management activities.

Funding boost will take tech firm's 'grain-swimming' robot to new frontiers

Dr Charles Altuzarra and Dr Yash Shah are the founders of Metahelios, which is based in Glasgow, and have been announced as Scottish Ambassadors for the Start Up Loans programme. Picture by Peter Devlin

Glasgow firm with eye on space to represent Scotland as start-up 'ambassador'

£100m growth fund launch is 'breakthrough moment' for Scotland's tech sector

Susan Nightingale, director, UK network, devolved nations at the British Business Bank: 'Improved access to external finance will enable smaller businesses to expand and we need to ensure that more is done to support them, regardless of where they are located.'

Investment hotspot: Edinburgh top for innovation in UK outside 'Golden Triangle'

Dr Georgina Robinson, an associate researcher at the Oban-based Scottish Association for Marine Science, has developed a new business which grows marine worms on waste from fish farms and turns them into nutritious animal feed or bait for other fisheries operations

Worms that turn: Wriggly sea creatures can clean up fish farms and feed animals

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Scotland has failed to meet its latest target for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the latest official figures show. Picture: John Giles/PA Wire

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Pro-independence protesters with Scottish Saltire flags (top) march for Scottish independence. Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images

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Nadine Dorries. Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

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