Techscaler

Techscaler is a programme for building, growing and scaling tech startups in Scotland, delivered by @CodeBaseTech and funded by @scotgov.

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Get the insights from our Deep Tech Connected dinner at Turing Fest 2026, where Scotland's foremost deep tech companies met with global VCs to discuss scaling, international expansion, and everything in between.

https://t.co/ct9q78Qnzu

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Alasdair Crawley took a 65 to 70 percent pay cut to start Fanbase, after around eleven years at Optima, where he rose from junior business analyst to board director. Early data showing fans and teams enjoying the product gave him the conviction to go.

When interest arrived from the US, Fanbase gave each market a clear purpose. Techscaler’s New York programme became the base for client conversations, and co-founder and CTO Carl was selected for the fifth Silicon Valley cohort to absorb how a company operates there.

Here’s what Alasdair would pass on to other founders:

▶️ Map where you’re strong and where you need someone else before you start
▶️ Build your support circle outside the business before the leap
▶️ Give every market its own objective and the right person to own it
▶️ Say the problem out loud to someone who has been there, because an hour can save a year
▶️ Ask whether you care enough about the problem to stay with it

Swipe for the journey so far. Read the full case study here: https://t.co/gu5Qqfs8Q7

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Founder Takeaways - Kathryn Strachan

“You have to move out of the weeds. You have to move into a CEO leadership position.”

For this episode we sat down with Kathryn Strachan, Founder and Former CEO at CopyHouse and Techscaler mentor.

Kathryn breaks down why every company hits a point where growth stalls and what founders need to change about their own role when it does.

Watch the full video to hear Kathryn’s advice on moving out of the weeds!

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Andrew McCourt had the GenAI expertise to launch SourcedAI, but what he lacked was a startup ecosystem to learn from and grow with.

That changed when he joined Techscaler earlier this year. Since coming on board, Andrew has:

➡️ Built an active network of founders and experienced operators to lean on

➡️ Scaled SourcedAI to reach over 14,000 decision-makers on behalf of clients

➡️ Attended Turing Fest with Techscaler backing, connecting with industry experts

➡️ Gained ongoing mentorship from experienced founders who have helped navigate key business decisions

We’re proud to have been part of their journey and can’t wait to see where they go next!

Find out more about them here: https://t.co/n0EYp1Zylm

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Preparing to raise, or looking to meet life sciences investors? Techscaler has curated pathways for each this winter.

➡️ Techscaler Raise
Explaining your company to an investor in a way that lands takes practice, and Raise gives you three days of it with investor and fundraising expert Alex Rowe. Sharpen your story, deck, investor strategy and pitch ahead of a first angel or institutional round, with feedback from your cohort, Entrepreneurs in Residence and investors

📅 30 November to 2 December

How to apply? Register your interest via the link below.

➡️ Techscaler Medtech: London & Cambridge
Meeting the right investor or pharma partner usually starts with an introduction, and this programme is built to create plenty of them. For MedTech, BioTech, TechBio and health innovation founders, we are bringing opportunity to build one-to-one partnerships with more than 400 investors at the LSX Investival Showcase on 16 November, followed by a private Cambridge dinner on 17 November where you can talk through a real challenge with founders and industry contributors.

📅 15 to 17 November

How to apply? Apply using the link below.

If you’re ready for the next step, you’ll find everything you need to apply for each here: https://t.co/FIivW2hsU1

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Trying to land your first customer or figure out how to sell beyond Scotland?

Every week, twice a week, Techscaler hosts group mentoring sessions for our founders, designed to answer these exact questions.

Each session is intentionally small and led by an expert mentor from our network. You bring a real challenge, work through it together and hear how other founders at your stage are handling theirs.

Sessions cover everything from closing your first deals and building a sales funnel you can repeat, to positioning your product and telling a story customers trust. If you’re getting ready to launch, there’s help sharpening your value proposition and mapping the road to go live. If you’re looking beyond the home market, there’s guidance on early international expansion and on deciding what to prioritise at your stage.

Sign up to be a Techscaler member here and join the next one: https://t.co/73ZE7geGwQ

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Last month, for a single day, Edinburgh International Conference Centre became the epicentre of Scotland’s AI conversation. More than 30 speakers, hundreds of innovators, investors and industry leaders gathered together for the annual software and technology conference, ScotSoft.

This year we were delighted to send 14 of Scotland’s most ambitious startups to the centre of the action as well as being a core sponsor of the event.

Our cohort covered tangible ground on the day with the aim of fostering new relationships that could help propel their businesses forward. Marcus, founder of Sendix, walked away with industry knowledge and new connections he wouldn’t have been able to access alone from his desk in Dundee. Speaking on his experience with Techscaler he said, "I can name at least one point every single month since we started where Techscaler has provided insane amounts of value to get us to improve and scale.”

Read the full recap on the day here: https://t.co/KjyHi1pk4C

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Janani Prabhakaran went straight from student to running Unbaggaged, a luggage service now live in four UK cities.

When she didn’t know her next move, she needed people who’d already made theirs.

What Techscaler mentors brought:
➡️ Mentors who took the time to understand her business and brought their own experience to it
➡️ Support as she navigated Scottish EDGE, Dragons’ Den and expansion to four UK cities
➡️ People she met through Techscaler who she still works with today

Her advice to founders: train your mindset as much as you build your business. You’ll need the resilience when things don’t go to plan.

See their journey in action at https://t.co/m49WZv7PJ4

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Six months inside Techscaler’s Dundee hub gave five game studios something no spreadsheet captures: proximity to the people solving their exact problems.

The value sits in what founders did with that proximity, trading guesswork for faster feedback and turning casual advice into tangible production work.

Here’s what that looked like in the numbers:

➡️ Founders went from having a solid handle on 33% of the fundamentals- legal, finances, IP- to 84% of them by the end

➡️ Of the biggest risks founders flagged at the start, 88% improved within six months, including 11 of the most serious ones pulled back from danger

➡️ At Gamescom, founders had 47 meetings with publishers. 46 of them ended with a follow-up agreed

Six months in Dundee built the trust. Cologne is where founders spent it, standing in front of publishers who said yes to the next conversation.

Read the full story: https://t.co/ojU0mVvpOM

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

"This exact room of people will never be together again."

That was the message Brian Corcoran, CEO of Turing Fest, put to the room at the start of this year’s conference and our founders certainly made the most of it.

Across the two days, we brought 27 startups to the heart of the action and each left with real traction and momentum. For Alexandre Colle of Konpanion, that meant securing the direct face time with investors that grant funding alone couldn’t buy, while for Freddie Starkey of Amytis, it meant real-time market validation with multiple biotech firms confirming demand for on-premises AI.

At Techscaler, we’re proud to give founders the support, introductions and community to make the most of rooms like this one, so they arrive prepared and leave with opportunities to follow up with.

Read the full on Turing Fest here: https://t.co/QyhJ3orJCk

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Checking in from Blue Earth Summit in London and the room is buzzing 🌏

We’re thrilled to be here for the next three days with seven Techscaler founders building the next wave of sustainability-led businesses.

Blue Earth connects climate-focused startups with over 1,000 investors committed to funding a sustainable future, and our cohort will be at their own booth meeting potential customers, partners and investors face to face. Joining them on the ground is Claudia Freigang, our Entrepreneur in Residence, who is on hand to help them get the most out of every moment.

Between conversations and demos, they’ll be soaking up talks and interactive sessions on the future economy, with speakers including Deborah Meaden from Dragons’ Den and Freddy Ward, Co-Founder and CEO of Wild.

If you’re at the summit, pop by the booth and say hi!

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Techscaler’s fifth international cohort is making waves in Silicon Valley 🌉

Our 10 startups are already halfway through the Techscaler Silicon Valley programme, and last week they packed in investor meetings, time exploring opportunities in the US market and events from #SFTechWeek.

The cohort started the week with a breakfast in partnership with Silicon Valley Bank, where founders and industry experts discussed the market environment, emerging technology themes and what to expect from the week ahead.

Later in the week came the Scotland SF Mixer, which we hosted in collaboration with Impact Rise Ventures. It was a brilliant evening, with 20 of Scotland’s most exciting founders meeting ecosystem locals. To top off an incredible week, three of our founders had the opportunity to pitch live at the British Consulate-General in San Francisco!

This final week is about following up on conversations, building on the relationships they’ve started and making the most of their time in the Valley.

We can’t wait to see the traction they bring home!

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

We’re heading to the InvestHer Summit 2026 🚀

In a few weeks, Techscaler will be in Paris with a cohort of four brilliant women-founded startups for two days of networking, pitching and global scaling.

Taking place at AXA’s headquarters, the InvestHer Summit brings together a curated room of just 200 select founders, investors and industry leaders from across the globe, giving the cohort direct access to the people who can help accelerate their growth trajectories.

From AI talent assessment and preventative digital healthcare to circular biotech and sustainable hardware, this year’s cohort showcases some of the most compelling innovations coming out of Scotland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

We’re thrilled to have these founders representing the Techscaler community at this year’s summit:

Clare Daly - Dynamigo

Natalie Garry - danceSing

Eve Wildman - RIPCELL

LesleyThomson - Nudge Innovations

Keep an eye out for updates live from the summit!

Read more about the cohort here: https://t.co/LR337O6X5T

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Yola Jones grew up hearing her dad, an NHS nurse, talk about software the health service had bought that didn’t help the people expected to use it.

That stayed with her through an engineering degree and a PhD in precision medicine, and it now shapes how she builds Seluna’s AI diagnostics for neurology.

Users sit inside Seluna’s design process from day one, and the team actively looks for bias in its own models, even when that means things take a little longer.

What founders can take from her approach:

▶️ Build with your users from the start, so adoption is designed in

▶️ Weigh the cost of entering a new market before choosing where to go first

▶️ Know your specific asks before committing time to a support programme

▶️ Treat external expertise as part of how the company gets built

Swipe through for what a 500-patient NHS study proved, and how Yola is choosing which markets come first.

Full case study: https://t.co/oDyJ3rFDFV

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

This week we saw a brilliant turnout across Inverness, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh as founders came together for a morning of conversation and connection at Unfiltered. ☕

Building a startup can be a lonely process and not many people around you will have been through it.

That's why we run Unfiltered every month. It's a room where founders from across Scotland's tech ecosystem can meet people on the same path, share what's working and hear what's on for founders right now.

If you're a founder looking for people who understand the journey, Unfiltered is the room to be in.

Sign up to your closest one here: https://t.co/h0vGiaW1fH

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

After 20 years in tech, Samuel had the technical expertise to build Shop Much More, but taking a venture from concept to market required hands-on business support.

Through Techscaler programmes and mentorship, Samuel accessed expert guidance to validate his MVP, sharpen his marketing channels, and master customer acquisition.

Today, Shop Much More boasts over 15 active merchants and a community of over 2,000 followers as they prepare to launch version 3 of the platform.

Swipe through to find out more about their journey 👉

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

We’re thrilled to be part of the inaugural Deep Tech Week London! Not only as a proud sponsor, but by bringing some of the ambitious founders and pioneering technologies from our Techscaler community to the heart of the action.

Today marks the main summit, with six Techscaler companies joining 750+ founders, scientists and deep tech investors.

This morning kicked off with Allan Cannon, our Entrepreneur in Residence, hosting a brilliant breakfast roundtable with builders and investors, focused on future compute.

This afternoon and for the rest of the week, our founders and operators will be on the expo floor showcasing their innovations as well as soaking in talks on energy, compute, advanced manufacturing, biotech and space.

If you spot them, do say hi!

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Ask Nagu Gopalakrishnan what a founder needs first and he won't start with funding. The co-founder of Vidai puts a non-judgemental sounding board at the base of everything else.

His thinking, drawn from building his second company:

- Founders will feel lonely at some point, so plan for someone you can talk to openly before you need them.
- The most useful feedback helps you fine-tune and revise an idea while still backing you as the person building it.
- Introductions to investors and partners can come from many places, and a trusted sounding board is much harder to find.

For Nagu, that came from our Entrepreneurs in Residence.

Read his full story: https://t.co/ZDCTrBoOeP

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Thinking about taking your startup global?

Join Global Blueprint on October 22, an interactive online workshop designed to help founders determine whether their startup can succeed beyond their home market.

Every country has its own customer dynamics, buying behaviors, regulations and competitors. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to test key assumptions, validate demand and adopt a global mindset for the markets you plan to scale into.

Claim your spot here: https://t.co/9YdfFJQkX4

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Next week we’re off to Blue Earth Summit 2026! 🌎

Blue Earth Summit is an annual event in London connecting purpose-driven innovators with over 1000 investors and industry leaders looking to scale sustainable solutions for the planet.

This year, from October 14-16, Techscaler is bringing seven companies with climate-focused angles building everything from seaweed-based bio fuel to plug and play wind turbines.

Meet the 2026 cohort:

GreenFlip - Amandeep Kalra

Heat21 - Pavel Grachev

Borku UK - Efemena Boro

Konductor Energy Software - Kyle Smith

SilviBio - Alicja Dzieciol

Regeno - Adarsh Bhardwaj

Maricene - Kartikay Dhingra

Across the three days, our companies will have their own dedicated booth space to showcase their innovations directly to potential investors and customers, as well as on the ground support from Entrepreneur in Residence Claudia Freigang and the chance to attend talks and interactive sessions on all things future economy.

We’re excited to see the connections and traction they build, stay tuned for live updates from London!

Read more about the cohort here: https://t.co/w7GIgAhxoP