Writing in a national newspaper op-ed last week, Mark Logan described Scotland’s tech start-up sector as being in perhaps its most vibrant state in living memory. He pointed to a level of buzz, confidence and ambition he hadn’t seen before, noting that other countries are now looking at Scotland with fresh interest.
The figures support that view. Scotland’s tech ecosystem has entered a new phase of momentum and maturity. The year got off to a record start, with KPMG reporting that more than £100m was invested in Scottish start-ups in the first quarter alone. Beauhurst data reinforced this trend, showing the total value of investment into Scottish companies rose by 108% in the first quarter compared with the previous one. Between January and early May, Beauhurst recorded over £210m raised across 99 deals, clear evidence of growing investor confidence.
That momentum will now be easier to track thanks to a new open-access platform covering start-ups and scale-ups in Scotland, developed through a partnership between the University of Edinburgh, Scottish Government, Techscaler and Dealroom. The Scottish Ecosystem Platform, launched last week, tracks funding rounds, investor profiles and wider market trends.
Helping to shape the next generation of entrepreneurs
Three years ago, I made a move that surprised a few people — leaving Barclays after 18 years to join CodeBase. During my time at the bank, I had the privilege of co-founding and leading Eagle Labs, the network of start-up incubators that grew from nothing to more than 35 locations across the UK. It was a rare chance to build something from the ground up.
When I decided to move on, it was because I wanted to do exactly that again — build something meaningful that could help shape the next generation of entrepreneurs. Having worked with CodeBase previously from the buy-side, I already recognised them as the best in the UK at what they do, and I was drawn to their vision for Scotland and for Techscaler.
Turning vision into infrastructure
Three years on, Techscaler has grown into something far bigger than a programme. It was built to create real, tangible infrastructure supporting Scotland’s tech ecosystem, but the deeper ambition has always been cultural: encouraging more people to take the leap into starting businesses, giving founders the confidence to compete on the world stage, and strengthening Scotland’s ties to the global tech community.
Since launch, we’ve partnered with more than 60 organisations to support around 1,300 start-ups, delivered nearly 3,000 expert mentoring sessions to over 650 founders, helped more than 800 early-stage businesses get off the ground, and supported over 350 growth and scale-up companies. We’ve also taken 60 businesses to San Francisco, Japan, Singapore and China, helping them build connections and open doors internationally.
Collectively, our members have raised £195m since Techscaler began — though that success belongs to the founders themselves, not to any programme. They’re the ones who put everything on the line. What we can do is work alongside others across the ecosystem to help create the right conditions for that ambition to flourish.
The scrutiny that comes with success
Success inevitably brings attention, and not always the easy kind. Any government-funded initiative attracts scrutiny, and Techscaler is no exception — some of it political, some from those who feel displaced by change. That scrutiny can be frustrating, but it comes with the territory of doing meaningful work in the public sphere.
At CodeBase, our focus stays on progress. We’ve learned that the real work isn’t defending what’s been built, but continually improving it — iterating, refining and collaborating across Scotland’s diverse ecosystem. Progress brings growing pains, but it also brings momentum, and that momentum is worth protecting.
Putting Scotland on the global map
Our international focus will continue. For start-ups, access to global capital, customers and talent isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity. If Scotland’s entrepreneurs are to succeed, they need a seat at the global table, which means having a genuine presence in the world’s leading tech hubs, building relationships and putting Scotland firmly on the map.
Some question whether that kind of travel is the right use of public funding, but if Scotland wants to compete globally, it can’t afford to look inward. Our horizons need to stretch well beyond our own borders.
A homegrown exchange of ideas
Closer to home, November brings the second Ecosystem Exchange, hosted at the Edinburgh Futures Institute in partnership with Techscaler, Barclays, the University of Edinburgh and others. Last year’s inaugural event brought together 180 investors, universities, policymakers and ecosystem builders from across the UK for a day of discussion and collaboration. This year, we’re scaling up further, with more than 220 delegates, two days of programming, and international speakers from Canada, the US, Australia and Finland.
The central question this year is whether the UK tech ecosystem is “future fit,” and how technology — particularly AI — can drive economic reinvention. In an era where innovation moves faster than regulation, investment cycles or institutional thinking, the question is whether the UK can become a genuine player, or even a leader, in this new wave of tech-led growth. It feels fitting that this conversation is happening in Edinburgh, given how rapidly Scotland’s tech ecosystem has matured and the international attention it’s now attracting.
The road ahead
Three years in, Techscaler’s story is only just beginning. The numbers are encouraging, but the real value lies in something harder to measure — the growing sense of confidence, connection and collaboration now shaping Scotland’s tech landscape. The good news is that more people are becoming more confident and more ambitious, and achieving more, at a faster rate than we’ve seen before.
At CodeBase, we believe Scotland has every reason to be ambitious. The foundations are strong, the talent is here, and the appetite is growing. Our task now is to keep building — not just infrastructure, but belief. Because Scotland’s future in tech won’t be defined by programmes or politics. It will be defined by people: founders, investors, educators and dreamers who believe that from this small country, real global impact is possible.
