Techscaler

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

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Ask any founder who's tried to scale internationally, and they'll tell you the same thing: it's harder than it looked from the outside.

Nick Jones, CEO and co-founder of Zumo, has been through it, and he's thought carefully about why: not because the markets aren't there, but because often founders arrive without a clear sense of what they want to walk away with.

He joined Techscaler's trade mission to the UAE and came back with a clear view: preparation isn't just useful, it's the whole game. The founders who get the most out of it set clear objectives before they leave. They've done the groundwork. They treat it like a sales plan, not just a networking trip.

Scotland has real support structures for this, and when you come in ready to use them, the difference shows.

Full story link: https://t.co/FS2ZggRbyZ

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Applications for our fifth cohort to Silicon Valley will open soon.

The founders who get the most from this programme are already preparing.

There's a reason some cohort members arrive with pilots started, investor conversations warmed up, and a deck built for a completely different market.

If you're thinking about applying, there are a few things you can do right now that will sharpen your application and your positioning before you even land in San Francisco.

We've put together five practical steps that can assist you if Silicon Valley is on your roadmap.

Read now: https://t.co/FS2ZggRbyZ

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Most founders start a programme knowing what they're building. Fewer finish one knowing whether it actually holds up. That's the real work Catalyst is designed to do.

Over 12 weeks, the Spring '26 cohort worked through the full arc of early-stage company building with practitioners who've done it themselves. Here's some of what came out the other side 🔽

➡️ Problem statements rebuilt from the ground up
➡️ MVPs were tested with real users and iterated on real feedback
➡️ Live pilots, paying customers, and pre-seed conversations underway
➡️ Pivots that led to sharper, more fundable propositions
➡️ A Scottish EDGE finalist and several semi-finalists across the cohort

The frameworks, the mentoring, the peer network, and the honest challenge of having your assumptions tested in the room. That's what twelve weeks looks like when it's working 🏗️

Read the full cohort recap: https://t.co/mNqCwerb7W

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

🔭 Techscaler Ones to Watch: Northern Light Microscopy

Our Ones to Watch report spotlights the startups building solutions with the potential to change industries and Northern Light Microscopy is one of them.

The most advanced microscopy tools have long been out of reach for most labs, often too expensive and too dependent on specialist infrastructure. Northern Light Microscopy is tackling that problem.

Co-founded by Dr Peter Tinning and Dr Ralf Bauer, NLM spun out of the University of Strathclyde to develop cutting edge microscopy systems that bring next-generation imaging to the standard lab bench.

Backed by Innovate UK and Scottish Edge, they recently closed an oversubscribed £1 million pre-seed round with international expansion on the horizon.

Through Techscaler, the team gained access to our Entrepreneurs in Residence, experienced founders, who helped sharpen their commercial strategy and build connections across the Scottish tech ecosystem.

NLM is one of the most noteworthy startups we’ve featured in this years one’s to watch 🚀

Read the full report here: https://t.co/iLCiarE0bx

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

From zero outside funding to a £2.6M raise, 550+ shows worldwide, and live experiences for Netflix and BAFTA, ESK's Samuel Weatherstone on building a global live entertainment company, and why the right support system changes everything: https://t.co/QgPcf37zEh

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

We're live at Dublin Tech Summit! 📍

Techscaler is here with 3 founders, soaking up two packed days of talks, demos and networking in Dublin. Here's who we've brought along:

▶️ Andy Sutherland, Managing Director at Prism Energy, a software solutions company for the energy sector

▶️ Adam Urquhart, Founder of Tiplo, an AI physiotherapy platform enhancing remote rehabilitation

▶️ Yola Jones, Co-Founder and CTO of Seluna, an AI-powered diagnostic software for paediatric sleep apnea

For all three, the value is in the room. Dublin Tech Summit pulls in founders, investors and operators from across global markets and when you're thinking about growth beyond the UK, or building towards investor conversations, that kind of exposure matters.

It's one thing to read about international markets. It's another to be in a room where those conversations are already happening.

We'll be sharing more from the summit in an upcoming recap, stay tuned!

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Scaling a business takes more than a good idea; it takes the right people around you.

But for many diverse founders, building those connections hasn't always been straightforward, until the Techscaler Mastermind Programme.

Delivered in partnership with the Scottish Asian Business Chamber, the programme has brought together ambitious founders from across Glasgow and the West of Scotland, giving them the networks, visibility, and practical knowledge to scale with confidence.

Founders have gathered for a series of sessions with experienced founders and investors, covering everything from legal strategy to commercial growth. The kind of honest, practical conversations that are hard to find anywhere else.

Read all about what the programme has delivered via the link in the comments.

Don't miss the final session with Suhail Rehman of the SUR Group on Thursday, 28th May.

Know more and secure your spot: https://t.co/NLQX3uHQDE

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Rethink Carbon started with a CivTech challenge and a clear purpose: use technology to help land managers make better decisions. Five years later, the picture is more complex and more interesting. 🔍️

The market didn't scale the way anyone expected. Customers were hard to find. Revenue was tight. Zoe and Mark kept iterating anyway, and the company has grown into something that sits at the centre of UK carbon infrastructure.

Figuring out the real problem, for the real customer, took a long time. That's not a failure; that's just how early-stage works in a niche market most people have never heard of.

Techscaler's international programme to Singapore gave Zoe something most founders rarely get: dedicated time away from delivery to research properly and think strategically. She spent weeks before the trip mapping organisations, reading up on carbon standards and reaching out cold to people working in the sector.

People in Singapore were open in a way that's different from home turf. Zoe came back with a sharper sense of where Rethink Carbon fits internationally.

In the UK, a large peatland project runs 20 to 100 hectares. In Indonesia, nothing starts below 5,000. That's the scale Rethink Codes, their upcoming platform for managing and validating UK carbon projects, is being built to eventually meet.

Access the full story via: https://t.co/ARTcmtRnb9

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Applications are now open for Techscaler members to join us at London Tech Week 2026. 🏙️

This is one of Europe's most significant tech gatherings, drawing over 30,000 attendees, 8,000+ startups and 1,500 investors to Olympia London. We've secured a dedicated space in the heart of it, and we're taking up to 15 founders there with tickets covered.

Three days to demo your product, meet investors, grow your network and have the kinds of conversations that move things forward. The opportunity to connect with global investors, enterprise buyers and ecosystem leaders from across the UK and beyond.

▶️ Applications close Wednesday, 27 May.

Places are limited and open to Techscaler members only. Full details and the application link are in the comments.

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

🔭 Techscaler Ones to Watch: Neon Guard

Our Ones to Watch report highlights startups building ambitious solutions with global potential - and Neon Guard is one we’re incredibly excited about 🚀

How do you verify someone’s age online without asking them to hand over their identity?

That’s the challenge Neon Guard is tackling. Founded by Dr Chelsea Jarvie and built from peer-reviewed PhD research, Neon Guard sits at the intersection of cybersecurity, AI and online safety - one of the fastest-growing and most important areas in tech right now.

Through Techscaler Silicon Valley, the company gained exposure to global markets, refined its investor messaging and built valuable connections with advisors and investors 🇺🇸

Already building momentum through funding wins, partnerships and MVP development, Neon Guard is definitely one to watch 👀

Read more here: https://t.co/iLCiarE0bx

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Getting investor-ready is one of the hardest shifts a founder makes.

Traction. A working product. Customers who believe in you. And still struggling to answer: why back you, right now?

Enter Techscaler's Raise Track.

Our third Cohort under Catalyst featured: 12 founders across Scotland, three intensive sessions, and live pitch feedback from both sides of the table.

Turning solid foundations into raise-ready propositions. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Know more about the cohort: https://t.co/cxbUw3HQTk

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

🇯🇵 Techscaler Japan was about helping founders build meaningful relationships in one of the world’s most exciting innovation markets.

For Myles Bax from Aurora Avionics, the trip was a chance to meet contacts established ahead of time, and building those relationships face-to-face 🤝

Across the programme, founders spent two weeks connecting with corporates, investors and ecosystem partners while exploring opportunities in a completely new market.

Sometimes, being there in person is what moves things forward.

Read the full recap here: https://t.co/44a0uldg8K

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

One of the biggest challenges for Eva Steele, PhD has been transitioning from academic research into startup life.

During her PhD at the University of Edinburgh, Eva and her co-founder Freddy experienced firsthand how fragmented and time-consuming life science research data management can be - leading them to build Amytis.

But building the product also meant adapting from the world of theory and controlled environments into one shaped by users, feedback and constant iteration.

“As a scientist, you’re working in theory and controlled environments,” Eva says. “As a founder, you’re in the real world. It’s about what users need, not what you think should work.”

Since going full-time, Amytis has secured £160k in early funding, launched an initial product with 300+ downloads and joined Techscaler’s Silicon Valley cohort to better understand what scaling globally would require.

Now raising a £600k pre-seed round, the team is focused on helping biotech and R&D teams better connect and extract value from their research data.

Read more about Amytis’ journey here: https://t.co/vG4LZczC35

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

The current model for engaging the NHS wasn't built with founders in mind. It's time to change that.

CodeBase are partnering with NHS Forth Valley to host a focus group designed to shape a new engagement model. If you're navigating the NHS as a potential client or pilot partner in Scotland, we need you in the room.

This is your chance to bring your experience directly to the table and influence how that relationship is built.

📅 Tuesday May 19
🕙 10am – 12pm
📍Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Larbert, Stirling

Register here: https://t.co/6OB6KhaLQA

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

“I think I’ve developed a thick skin working in cybersecurity and across different parts of my career, but the level of rejection is unreal.”

Building a startup isn’t straightforward. Rejection is constant and relentless, but so is Chelsea Jarvie’s conviction in what she’s creating.

Chelsea is building Neon Guard, turning her PhD research into technology designed to make the internet safer, while navigating investor scepticism around adoption and its place in a regulated space.

Through Techscaler, Chelsea pressure-tested her thinking on a global stage, refining her pitch and expanding what the business could become.

Through Venture Builder Incubator (VBI), she built the foundations, from financial modelling to communicating a complex deep tech product.

Two different programmes, one shared outcome: progress.

Read Chelsea’s full story: https://t.co/u2MHRDk53i

👉 If you’re a founder looking to turn your research into real impact, VBI applications are opening soon: https://t.co/gxONSdMqdg

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

There’s a different kind of energy when a space starts to form around founders ⚡️

The Techscaler launch at Water’s Edge in Dundee captured that perfectly. From the moment you walked in, conversations were already flowing - no awkward warm-ups, just founders connecting, sharing, and building momentum together.

What really stood out was the mix in the room. Local entrepreneurs with a global mindset. Early-stage startups finding their feet. Different journeys, but a shared ambition and a willingness to learn from each other.

That’s what Techscaler is all about 🚀

If you want to dive deeper, the Techscaler Annual Report (launched alongside the hub) gives a clear picture of where things stand and where it’s all heading next 📊

Access the full Annual Report: https://t.co/C4awEq20uT

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Deeptech rarely follows a clean path.

It often starts in research, where the problem is clear, but everything that comes after is not.

For Giulia Marcucci, building LumiAIres meant stepping out of academia and into a world where progress depends on decisions about markets, funding, and timing as much as the technology itself.

The idea was strong. Turning it into a company was the harder part.
There were moments of uncertainty, shifts in direction, and the need to keep showing up, even when the path forward was not obvious.

What helped was finding the right environment, people who understood the journey, and spaces where those conversations could happen. 🤝

This is what that transition really looks like. From research to company, and everything in between.

Read the full case study: https://t.co/hJt7gmNosu

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Some companies move quietly until they don’t. That’s often where the real signal sits. 🚀

The newest edition of Ones to Watch 2026 captures those early signals across Scotland’s tech ecosystem.

We are excited to bring this edition, spotlighting startups building across deeptech, AI, health and infrastructure, each showing real momentum.
Built from direct work with founders through Techscaler, this report is grounded in what’s actually unfolding across the ecosystem.

It also tracks how companies featured in previous editions have progressed over time, offering insight into what early traction can turn into when backed by the right conditions.

Whether you’re:
• an investor looking to understand where momentum is building
• a founder benchmarking against the wider ecosystem
• or simply interested in where Scotland’s next breakout companies may emerge

this report offers a practical, data-informed view of what’s starting to scale.

Download the full report: https://t.co/4OlQXTF919

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

Next stop: New York. 🗽

This June, for the first time ever, Techscaler is taking a cohort of founders to New York and New Jersey for two weeks during a16z Tech Week.

They’ll be immersing themselves in one of the world’s most dynamic tech ecosystems, gaining first-hand insight into what it takes to build and scale in the US market.

These companies are already building momentum stateside and are now taking the next step: testing their positioning, building relationships, and learning on the ground.

From AI and enterprise infrastructure to health, energy, and consumer platforms, this cohort reflects the breadth of Scottish startups scaling internationally.

We’re excited to see what they learn, who they meet, and how their US journey develops.

Meet the full cohort and know more: https://t.co/tIPlAh6KzZ

[Techscaler @tech_scaler]

What does real impact look like for founders across Scotland?

The Techscaler Annual Report is a snapshot of it.

It shows founders turning ideas into companies and scaling faster - supported by operators who’ve done it before, and the networks that help them grow.

From early-stage exploration to international expansion, the impact of Techscaler is being felt across the ecosystem.

Take a look 👇

Melissa Gray | Brian McNicoll