🧅 Blue Energy's $45m raise, New Syndicate, CMS Raise, Converge and FS Winners, and Onions.
Plus Schott Scaleup Accelerator, Simul8 Air Canada deal, and much more.
Here's your Campfire for the 14th of October, 2024.
💼 What are the secrets to start-up success and a successful exit to US buyers? Join Shepherd and Wedderburn’s Stephen Trombala as he unpacks that question and chairs an enlightening panel discussion with leading minds who have been there and done it. How did our panellists start their businesses? When did they realise they were onto something? How did they finance their growth? What steps did they take to position their businesses and how did they run their processes? What were their highs, lows and takeaways?
Panel:
Stephen Trombala, Corporate Partner, Shepherd and Wedderburn
Varun Nair (CTO of That Works and former CTO of TwoBigEars, sold to Facebook)
Calum Smeaton (Former CEO of TV Squared, sold to Innovid)
Chris Wright (founder and former CTO of DeltaDNA (sold to Unity Software)
📆 October 29, 1730 in Edinburgh
🌊 Updates
☢️ Edinburgh-based nuclear power company Blue Energy raised $45m in a Series A round led by Engine Ventures and At One Ventures. The funds will support core engineering, site development, and partnerships. Blue Energy plans to use shipyard manufacturing for its modular, reactor-agnostic power plants, aiming to cut costs from $10,000 per kilowatt to $2,000/kW and reduce build times from ten years to two. PT AX BW
🧄 Keep your eyes peeled: Oban-based startup HUID is developing eco-friendly packaging materials from onion skins and peelings. The company recently expanded into a new lab and office space to further develop its compostable packaging solutions. TS IN SBN
💰 Glasgow’s Smart Things Accelerator Centre (STAC) has launched a new syndicate fund, offering up to £150,000 to IoT and robotics startups in Scotland. The fund, backed by private and angel investors, aims to support high-growth companies in robotics, drones, AI, and more. STAC is also partnering with Heriot-Watt’s National Robotarium to provide mentorship and support for these startups. Applications for the next cohort of 15 companies open Today (October 14th), with the programme starting in December. FS DGT TechEU
⚙️ Glasgow-based Corporate Modelling Services Ltd (CMS), a specialist in workforce optimisation software, raised £750,000 from Maven Capital Partners. CMS helps organisations improve back-office efficiency and customer experience through its OPX platform, which offers tools including task allocation and employee time analysis. DGT
📣 Royal Academy of Engineering’s Shott ScaleUp Accelerator is open for applications. Looking for senior business leaders who are “looking to scale up your engineering or tech SME”. 12 months of 1-2-1 coaching and leadership training with a grant up of to £10k. More info here and below in the deadlines section. Applications close 19 November.
🤯 Stay salty: University of Edinburgh startup E.V.A. Biosystems has developed a plastic that breaks down in seawater without producing harmful microplastics. By adding bacteria that activate enzymes when in contact with seawater, the plastic degrades safely, offering a solution to ocean pollution. ESM
☄ Glasgow-based quantum sensor developer Neuranics has secured an £800,000 grant from Scottish Enterprise for a £2.4 million project to revolutionise human-machine interaction. The company’s wristband technology uses magnetic sensors to detect muscle activity and interpret gestures through magnetomyography (MMG) and machine learning. Initially aimed at extended reality applications, the project will create ten high-tech jobs and position Scotland as a leader in wearable tech. DGT
✈️ Glasgow-based Simul8 has partnered with Air Canada to improve the airline’s call centre systems and enhance customer experience. Using Simul8’s simulation software, Air Canada optimised call routing, reduced wait times, and better managed spikes in call volumes. Maybe they can do something about their AI chatbots while they’re at it. TS DGT
🏆 FinTech Scotland has announced the winners of its "Shaping the Future of ESG in Financial Services" innovation call, launched in June 2024 with the University of Strathclyde and the University of Glasgow. Eight fintechs received funding for solutions addressing key ESG challenges, including GAIA-LENS for greenwashing risk assessment, SCOTT LOGIC focusing on data quality, SICCAR for secure ESG data architecture, ESG 360 providing AI-driven compliance gap analysis, and others specialising in environmental data, AI analytics, financed emissions visibility, and social sustainability. Read full list here. DGT
🏆 Converge has revealed the winners of its 2024 awards, highlighting “innovative solutions tackling global challenges”. The University of Strathclyde's InProcess won the top prize in the Converge Challenge category for its real-time welding inspection system. In the Create Change category, the University of Edinburgh’s Ujamaa Spice was recognised for revolutionising the spice industry through fair trade partnerships. E.V.A Biosystems, also from Edinburgh, won the Net Zero category for its smart plastic that degrades in seawater, addressing ocean pollution. SEASAT, from Edinburgh, won the KickStart category with its satellite-based water monitoring system for aquaculture.
Converge is a company creation competition for the university sector. More info here, and a full list of winners can be found here. IN DGT
🚀 Nominations for the ScotlandIS 2025 Digital Technology Awards are open: Celebrating innovation and talent in Scotland's digital economy and marking its 15th year, the awards include 10 categories. Nominations are open until 9th January 2025, and winners will be announced on 20th March at the Radisson Blu in Glasgow. DGT
📣 Asks & Offers
🚨Start to Scale by Shepherd and Wedderburn is offering eligible subscribers of Campfire exclusive access to their ‘Start to Scale Hub’ which helps companies create template legal agreements in minutes for free. To learn more and request access click here.
🥃 Are you a problem-solver driven by curiosity and a passion for your work? Do you thrive on deep, meaningful conversations and value fostering long-lasting relationships? Do you love whisky? If so, we invite you to become a founding member of Dram & Discourse. Learn more here
🦅 Barclays Eagle Labs launched their new Eagle Labs Academy, funded by the UK Government. The Academy provides access to free learning content and entrepreneurship training from different sources. Aiming for those starting their journey to those wanting to scale. Aside from the content, Eagle Labs has partnerships and access opportunities with the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, and their Demo Directory. Find out more here.
👭 Interested in connecting with possible co-founders? Fill in your listing on Cofounder Curious today! Connect with others for possible cofounder matching here.
👷Are you hiring? Send us a blurb and we’ll include it in the next newsletter!
✍️ Want to write something for Campfire? Have an opinion you'd like to share? get in touch!
📅 Events
🥂 14/10, 18:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Startup Founders Meetup - October 2024: Each month, we'll have a combination of tactical fireside chats with experienced entrepreneurs and plenty of opportunities to network with other founders, potential cofounders, and investors. MORE INFO
📅 14/10, 18:30 🗺️ Inverness: Inverness Tech Meetup: No matter your experience level or intentions, please book a ticket as places are limited. MORE INFO
🦅 15/10, 10:00 🗺️ Aberdeen: Eagle Has landed - Barclays Eagle labs October Drop in Clinic: Drop in and let’s have an open discussion about your business goals and ambition and learn more about how your ecosystem manager here at Eagle Labs can support you and your business here at One Tech Hub. MORE INFO
🎯 15/10, 18:00 🗺️ Online: Flip Your Switch for Success: Author and leadership coach Dr. Teri Baydar joins us once again to take a deep dive into the world of uncertainty, personal and professional leadership, and how to best understand our mind and how to "Flip the Switch" as we work toward fulfillment and success. MORE INFO
💥 17/10, 08:30 🗺️ Aberdeen: Bio Buzz at ONE BioHub: Whether you’re a researcher, innovator or entrepreneur, in academic, health care or industry Bio Buzz connects the community to learn, engage and communicate with each other. MORE INFO
🌱 17/10, 12:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Brussels Sprouts New Ideas: Cultivating Social Impact in the EU Soil: Join us for this session, where Flanders Investment & Trade, part of the Embassy of Belgium, invites social enterprises to deepen their roots in the European market. This event is a unique opportunity for socially-driven organisations to gain insights into UK-EU dynamics and explore avenues for meaningful engagement within the European community, particularly in the vibrant region of Flanders, Belgium. MORE INFO
🔗 17/10, 17:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Blockchain Scotland Meetup: Welcome to the Monthly Blockchain Scotland Meetup at the Bayes Centre in Edinburgh. The event takes place at the ground floor in G.03. MORE INFO
📢 17/10, 18:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Founders Live Edinburgh: Bring your friends and co-workers, grab some food and drink, get to know your local entrepreneurs and vote for the next big thing. With city leader Matthew Cameron. MORE INFO
🌟 18/10, 10:30 🗺️ Sirling: Stirling Science Festival - Game Design Workshop: In this workshop games composer & hobbyist game maker Luci Holland will teach the basics of using Bitsy, and guide you to make your own short game & artwork. MORE INFO
💼 21/10, 16:30 🗺️ Online: The Psychology of Unlocking Ambition and Managing Risk: Join our webinar and hear from investor Suneil Mishra as he explains risk management and how best to use it to boost your business. MORE INFO
🎉 22/10, 17:00 🗺️ Stirling: CodeBase Black History Month Celebration: This event is set to be an inspiring evening, showcasing the achievements and insights of successful Black leaders from various industries. MORE INFO
🤝 22/10, 18:00 🗺️ Glasgow: Third Sector Lab and CodeBase: Digital Trustees Matchmaking Event: The informal matchmaking event to get more digital, data and design professionals on third sector boards. MORE INFO
🎯 22/10, 18:00 🗺️ Glasgow: Third Sector Lab and CodeBase: Digital Trustees Matchmaking Event: A Digital Trustee is a volunteer with experience in digital, data or design who sits on the Board of a third sector organisation. They provide guidance to the organisation around how they can best make use of digital as well as insight into best digital practices. MORE INFO
🩺 23/10, 11:00 🗺️ Dundee: Barclays Eagle labs at MSIP October Drop-in Clinic 2024: Drop in and let’s have a chat about your business goals and ambitions here at Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc. MORE INFO
💼 23/10, 13:30 🗺️ Stirling: Central Scotland Office Hours: This event is designed for Central Scotland founders and Techscaler members seeking personalized 1:1 expert advice on legal, accounting, product development, and sales, or help with challenges in their startup journey. It’s also a chance to learn more about the Techscaler program and the various education courses we offer. MORE INFO
🍺 23/10, 18:00 🗺️ Glasgow: Glasgow- Small99's People, Planet, Pint™: Sustainability Meetup: Pop down to your local People Planet Pint meetup to find more about what's going on locally with sustainability and how you can get involved. MORE INFO
💻 23/10, 18:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Organisational and People Development Meetup: This is really for anyone who is interested in people, team, leadership and organizational development and who wants to be share their interest with others. MORE INFO
🚀 24/10, 08:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Digital Transformation Summit 2024: DT2024 will contextualise the key technology trends and industry disruption amidst a backdrop of significant socio-economic upheaval. The event will also consider the role of technology leaders in driving positive transformation, exploring how we can help support operations, drive innovation, overcome challenges, and deliver tangible business benefits. MORE INFO
💼 24/10, 17:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Business & Finance for PMs: Join us on 24th October for an enlightening session on business skills for product people and financial modelling. We’re thrilled to welcome two incredible speakers, Dr. Viktoria Korzhova (VP Product & COO, Product People) and Rebecca Mortimer (Senior Product Manager, BBC Maestro), who will be sharing their unique insights and experiences on this topic. MORE INFO
🧠 24/10, 17:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Innovation: Past & Present: Delve into the past, present and future of innovation in Edinburgh by joining an inspiring tour organised by Invisible Cities, visiting places like Scottish Design Exchange. MORE INFO
🤝 24/10, 18:00 🗺️ Dumfries: Tech MeetUp - South of Scotland: This event aims to bring together everyone who is interested in tech, those who want to learn more, and want to meet like-minded people. MORE INFO
🔥 24/10, 18:00 🗺️ Dundee: Founder's Life Fireside Chat (hybrid): Join us in the Abertay cyberQuarter & online via Zoom for a discussion about the personal and professional challenges of being a startup founder. Lara Findlay, our Head of Regional Engagement, and Ian Martin, CodeBase's Head of Startup Experience, will be discussing topics such as stress, work-life balance and co-founders. MORE INFO
🍺 24/10, 18:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Edinburgh - Small99's People, Planet, Pint™: Sustainability Meetup: Pop down to your local People Planet Pint meetup to find more about what's going on locally with sustainability and how you can get involved. MORE INFO
🤝 25/10, 08:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Coworking Open Day by The Melting Pot: Are you interested in becoming a member of our vibrant community? If so, we invite you to experience working from our friendly and professional shared workspace for an entire day completely free of charge. MORE INFO
💻 25/10, 09:30 🗺️ Online: Online Coworking Session - Week 4: This event is designed to foster accountability and provide a sense of community as participants work together towards their goals. Whether you're a freelancer, entrepreneur, or remote worker, this virtual coworking session offers a platform to share ideas, seek advice, and celebrate achievements. MORE INFO
🎯 28/10, 17:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: SE & Innovate UK – Joint ways of working: funding and investment: Explore funding and investment opportunities and connect with investors at this event organised by Scottish Enterprise and Innovate UK. MORE INFO
🚩👷♀️ 29/10, 09:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Future of Proptech in Scotland Chapter 2 Ideation: If you work in property, construction, built environment, proptech or tech this is the event for you. Bring your best thinking hats and get ready for a deep dive into what the future of proptech could look like. MORE INFO
🚩📢 29/10, 17:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Transatlantic M&A: Sold in the USA!: Join Shepherd and Wedderburn’s Stephen Trombala as he leads a panel of entrepreneurs discussing how they started, financed, and grew their businesses, sharing key lessons, highs, and lows from their journeys. MORE INFO
👩🏻💻 29/10, 18:00 🗺️ Dundee: Dundee Data Meetup: Join us for an evening of insights into public sector data use and innovations, featuring two expert speakers from the Scottish Government and DeepMiner. MORE INFO
👔 30/10, 09:00 🗺️ Livingston: Employee Ownership Learning Journey: Join our trip across Edinburgh and the Lothians as we meet speakers from successful employee ownership-based businesses over two days. MORE INFO
💡 30/10, 15:30 🗺️ Kirkcaldy: Lightbulb Sessions: Fife Creative Tech Workshop and Meetup: The Lightbulb Sessions are monthly workshops looking at a different aspects of data driven theatre: From exploring what data driven tech is and how you could/should use it, to IP and contracts, from finding and commissioning technologists, to designing inclusivity and accessibility into new tech, to thinking about security and ecologically responsible tech. MORE INFO
🥂 30/10, 17:00 🗺️ Aberdeen: Data & AI Meetup: Aberdeen: From using data visualisation, modelling, and real-time simulation to inform architecture, urban regeneration and land management, through to optimising and monitoring energy usage and tracking carbon emissions, the potential for data & AI to enhance capabilities in this sector are immense. MORE INFO
💡 30/10, 18:00 🗺️ Aberdeen: Entrepreneurship: From Idea to Innovation - Women in Tech Aberdeen Meet-up: Do you have a groundbreaking tech idea but unsure how to turn it into a thriving business? Join Women in Tech Aberdeen, Barclays and AccelerateHer on the 30th of October at One Tech Hub for an inspiring and informative evening dedicated to tech entrepreneurship! MORE INFO
🤝 30/10, 18:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Entrepreneurs Social Club (ESC) - October 2024: Skip the talks, presentations and lectures - in favour of going straight to the bar, where real connections are made! MORE INFO
🍺 30/10, 19:00 🗺️ Aberdeen: Aberdeen - Small99's People, Planet, Pint™: Sustainability Meetup: Pop down to your local People Planet Pint meetup to find more about what's going on locally with sustainability and how you can get involved. MORE INFO
👨🏾🦱 31/10, 12:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Scottish Ethnic Minority Talent Summit and festival: The event will bring together new perspectives and deeper insights, focusing on developing talent pipelines and fostering a more inclusive future for Scotland’s economic growth and resilience. MORE INFO
🎃 31/10, 17:00 🗺️ Stirling: CodeBase Stirling Halloween Social: Get ready for a spooktacular evening with CodeBase this Halloween! Whether you're a long-time member or new to the Stirling community, join us for a fun-filled night of food, drinks, and lively conversations. MORE INFO
✨ 31/10, 17:00 🗺️ Aberdeen: AI Hype or AI Hope? Cutting through the noise - Startup Grind Scotland: Hear from 4x trailblazing startup founders as they reveal how AI has transformed their ventures, uncovering both the opportunities and challenges they’ve faced along the way. Plus, get expert insights from Builder AI on how to supercharge your business using AI technologies that really work. MORE INFO
🔗 05/11, 17:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Blockchain Scotland Meetup: Guy Fawkes Special: Welcome to the Monthly Blockchain Scotland Meetup at the Bayes Centre in Edinburgh. The event takes place at the ground floor in G.03. MORE INFO
✏️ 05/11, 17:15 🗺️ Edinburgh: Barclays Eagle Labs and CodeBase monthly Quiz - Edinburgh: Join us for this month's pub quiz - bringing together the CodeBase and Edinburgh community for a bit of fun! MORE INFO
🍻 05/11, 17:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Tech Meetup Edinburgh - November 2024: The Tech Meetup is a monthly excuse for the tech community around Scotland to network, learn and share new ideas! Come along to enjoy informative presentations from your peers, listen to exciting projects in the community and make some new connections. MORE INFO
🥂 05/11, 18:00 🗺️ Glasgow: Amplifying Voices IS BACK – Collab with Startup Grind x The Social Hub: Bringing together an incredible line up of individuals who are making waves in technology. Prepare to be inspired as we delve into the diverse journeys of founders and leading voices in the tech sphere, discovering firsthand how they carved their path into the world of technology. Don't miss this chance to network with fellow tech enthusiasts, learn from the best, and be part of an empowering community driving technological advancement forward! MORE INFO
🎤 06/11, 17:30 🗺️ Glasgow: Let's Talk Product: This event offers a highly informative and interactive session, providing valuable insights into the world of product management. Attendees will leave with practical advice, inspiration, and new connections from across Glasgow’s product community. MORE INFO
👨💼 07/11, 18:00 🗺️ Online: Scaling a B2B SaaS Startup without Hiring a Sales Team: Join us for a roundtable event focused on helping early-stage B2B SaaS startups build scalable sales processes that win and retain cold new business - without relying on a traditional sales team or personal networks. MORE INFO
🎯 Deadlines
📣 Royal Academy of Engineering – Shott ScaleUp Accelerator Now Open:
Are you a senior business leader looking to scale up your engineering or tech SME? Apply now for 12 months of 1-2-1 coaching and leadership training with a grant up to £10k.
The Shott Scale Up Accelerator is a 12-month leadership programme that has supported over 170 SME leaders, helping them secure £280m in grants and £1.46bn in equity investment. The programme offers up to £10,000 in leadership training, 35 hours of growth training, one-to-one mentoring, access to a 100+ investor network, a dedicated relationship manager, and lifetime membership to the Enterprise Hub with co-working and mentoring opportunities. Apply Here by 19 November
🚀 Nominations for the ScotlandIS 2025 Digital Technology Awards are open: Celebrating innovation and talent in Scotland's digital economy and marking its 15th year, the awards include 10 categories. Nominate here by 9 January 2025.
🇬🇧 Upcoming Innovate UK deadlines:
Contracts for Innovation: International Rail Innovation Challenges Applications close 16 October
Biomedical Catalyst 2024 Round 1: Industry-led R&D Applications close 16 October
Innovate UK Smart grants: July 2024 Applications close 23 October
Innovate UK innovation loans future economy: Round 17 Applications close 30 October
Eureka Globalstars Japan Round 3 Applications close 4 December
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That’s all for this week - have a great one!
Team 🔥 Campfire