Campfire

✨ Last day for Signals, Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Fellows, Call for speakers for Agentic AI Europe

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 07:18:36 GMT

Here’s your Campfire for Monday July 27th

🚀 Last call: Signals applications close today: Is there someone you know who is super knowledgeable about a problem, so much so that they might be among the best in the world to go after it?

Perhaps they’ve always struck you as someone you think could lead a company. But they haven’t been able or ready to take the leap. Forward this to them.

Techstart Ventures is investing £200k in outlier founders at the very earliest stages of building what could become very large global companies.

Two sentences are all that’s needed to guarantee a call. More info and apply here.

💡 Calling engineers, scientists and researchers developing ‘high-potential technology or spinout ideas’. The Royal Academy of Engineering’s deep tech accelerator. ‘Enterprise Fellowships’, is open for applications until 25 August 2026. This 12 month cohort-based programme offers up to £75k in equity-free funding, ‘expert training, coaching and mentoring to help researchers, academics and founders build scalable engineering ventures’. Learn more and apply here.

🎤 Call for Speakers: Agentic AI Europe 2027 Applications are now open to speak at the 7th Edition of Agentic AI Europe, taking place 16–18 March 2027 in Edinburgh. If you're building, researching or deploying Agentic AI and have practical insights or real-world experience to share, submit a proposal to speak at ‘Europe's leading Agentic AI summit’. More info on becoming a speaker here.

📣 Asks, Offers, Updates, & Deadlines

👭 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 or share something with Campfire? Get in touch!

📅 Events

⚡ 28/07, 17:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Tech Meetup Edinburgh July 2026
Community tech meetup featuring networking, pizza, demos, keynote talks and opportunities to connect with founders, developers and tech professionals. MORE INFO

🛒 29/07, 12:00 💻 Online: From Product to Profit: Ecommerce Performance and Troubleshooting A practical session covering ecommerce performance, troubleshooting and strategies to improve online sales across stores and marketplaces. MORE INFO

📈 30/07, 17:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Growth Clinic Hands-on meetup for founders, marketers and operators featuring networking, keynote discussions and open clinic sessions to tackle business growth challenges. MORE INFO

💻 31/07, 08:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Coworking Open Day A free open day offering tours, trial workspace access and the chance to experience coworking at The Melting Pot. MORE INFO

☕ 31/07, 08:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Morning Networking with Creative Mornings
A morning networking event featuring a talk, coffee and conversation with members of Edinburgh's creative community. MORE INFO

⛓️ 04/08, 17:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Blockchain Scotland Meetup An evening of talks, networking and discussion for developers, founders and others interested in blockchain technology, with dinner and drinks included. MORE INFO

📱 04/08, 10:00 🗺️ Johnstonebridge: Content with Confidence Build a Social Media Presence That Actually Works A practical workshop on planning content, writing social media posts and creating short-form video for small businesses. MORE INFO

☕ 05/08, 08:30 🗺️ Aberdeen: Unfiltered Aberdeen A relaxed morning meetup with coffee, networking and informal conversations for members of Aberdeen's tech community.

💻 05/08, 09:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Co-Work Club A free coworking day bringing remote workers together to work, network and use a shared workspace in Edinburgh city centre. MORE INFO

🧠 06/08, 11:00 💻 Online: Canvas and Coffee A 60-minute interactive workshop where founders use business canvases and mentor feedback to develop and refine their ideas. MORE INFO

🍕 06/08, 18:00 🗺️ Glasgow: Tech Meetup Glasgow August 2026
An evening of pizza, networking and talks featuring Lewis Shearer and Dr Ana Rojo-Echeburua, open to anyone interested in technology. MORE INFO

🤝 11/08, 15:00 💻 Online: Asks and Offers A community session where founders can ask for help, share opportunities and connect with others building businesses. MORE INFO

🌱 12/08, 18:00 🗺️ Kirkcaldy: People, Planet, Pint™: Sustainability Meetup An informal sustainability meetup with drinks and conversation for people interested in climate, nature and creating positive change. MORE INFO

🌱 12/08, 19:00 🗺️ Aberdeen: Small99's People, Planet, Pint™: Sustainability Meetup An informal sustainability meetup with drinks and conversation for people interested in climate, nature and creating positive change. MORE INFO

🌱 13/08, 18:00 🗺️ Glasgow: People Planet Pint™: Sustainability Meetup
An informal sustainability meetup with drinks and conversation for people interested in climate, nature and creating positive change. MORE INFO

🌍 18/08, 15:00 💻 Online: Global Blueprint | International Market Validation Workshop A workshop for early-stage founders on testing ideas, validating demand and assessing opportunities in international markets. MORE INFO

🚀 18/08, 18:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Founders Meetup Edinburgh An evening of founder networking, fireside chats and speed networking with entrepreneurs, potential co-founders and investors. MORE INFO

🤝 20/08, 09:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Edinburgh Professionals Quarterly Networking
A networking event for professionals and founders to meet local connections, with a facilitated activity to encourage introductions. MORE INFO

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🎧 Last week for Signals, Founders Meetup, AI Builders Scotland, All Things Podcast and Music

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 07:34:09 GMT

Here’s your Campfire for Tuesday, July 21st

🚀 Signals applications close this Friday, July 24: £200k VC investment from Techstart Ventures for outlier founders at the very early stages of building what could become very large global companies. Two sentences are all that’s needed to guarantee a first call. More info and briefing sessions here.

📣 Asks, Offers, Updates, & Deadlines

Metron Growth is hiring a Senior Consultant, Growth Technology. We help brands like Deliveroo, Pleo and Picnic turn customer data into growth. Remote, UK-based, client-facing. Want to lead high-impact growth, MarTech and data projects? Apply 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 or share something with Campfire? Get in touch!

📅 Events

🚀 21/07, 18:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Founders Meetup July 2026 Monthly meetup for founders, entrepreneurs, investors and aspiring co-founders, featuring networking, fireside chats and startup community updates. MORE INFO

🧪 21/07, 11:00 💻 Online: Live Lab Customer Discovery in Practice
Interactive online workshop exploring customer discovery techniques, practical experiments and asking better questions to understand user needs. MORE INFO

🤖 21/07, 10:00 🗺️ Glasgow: SMAS: Using AI to Strengthen Manufacturing Problem-Solving Practical workshop exploring how agentic AI can support root cause analysis and problem-solving in manufacturing environments. MORE INFO

🧪 21/07, 11:00 🗺️ Online: Live Lab Customer Discovery in Practice
Interactive online workshop exploring customer discovery techniques, better interview questions and real-time feedback through practical exercises. MORE INFO

📣 22/07, 10:00 🗺️ Langholm: Stop Guessing, Start Growing – Practical Marketing for Early-Stage Business Practical marketing workshop for pre-start and early-stage business owners covering customer identification, messaging and marketing fundamentals. MORE INFO

🏛️ 23/07, 14:00 🗺️ Aberdeen: Can AI Help Bring Our Empty Buildings Back to Life? Dr Katherine Gunderson is the Founder and CEO of Grand Bequest, Scotland’s first PropTech B Corp. Her work sits at the intersection of regeneration, data and AI, and the future of vacant and underused buildings. MORE INFO

🤖 23/07, 18:00 🗺️ Glasgow: AI Builders Scotland: Monthly Pub Meetup
Monthly AI meetup featuring demos, networking and discussion for people building, working with or interested in artificial intelligence. MORE INFO

💬 23/07, 16:00 🗺️ Dundee: Techscaler Dundee & Tay Cities Tech Meetup
A fireside chat with Mike Callachan (Snappy Shopper) followed by networking and discussion on technology, innovation and startup growth. MORE INFO

🎙️ 27/07, 18:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: creative soundLAB – All Things Podcast & Music Showcase Networking event featuring podcast publishing experts, podcast demos, music showcases and opportunities to connect with Edinburgh's creative community. MORE INFO

☕ 05/08, 08:30 🗺️ Aberdeen: Unfiltered Aberdeen A relaxed morning meetup with coffee, networking and informal conversations for members of Aberdeen's tech community.

🧠 06/08, 11:00 💻 Online: Canvas and Coffee A 60-minute interactive workshop where founders use business canvases and mentor feedback to develop and refine their ideas. MORE INFO

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🚀 Signals in-person briefings, Blockchain Scotland, Pre-Fringe Fest, a Serious Clown-Guide to Authentic Connections

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 07:36:38 GMT

Here’s your Campfire for Monday, July 13th

🚀 Signals applications are open, deadline July 24: £200k VC investment from Techstart Ventures for outlier founders at the very early stages of building what could become very large global companies. Two sentences are all that’s needed to guarantee a first call. More info and briefing sessions here.

📣 Asks, Offers, Updates, & Deadlines

👭 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 or share something with Campfire? Get in touch!

📅 Events

🌱 13/07, 18:00 🗺️ Dundee: People, Planet, Pint Sustainability Meetup
Informal sustainability networking for anyone interested in climate, nature, social impact and creating positive change. MORE INFO

🛍️ 15/07, 12:00 💻 Online: From Product to Profit: Product Listings, Images and Videos Learn how to create effective product listings, images and videos to improve your ecommerce sales across online marketplaces. MORE INFO

🎭 15/07, 18:15 🗺️ Edinburgh: Playful Vulnerability: A Serious Clown's Guide to Connecting Authentically An interactive session exploring authentic communication, connection and vulnerability through clowning, storytelling and practical exercises. MORE INFO

💼 15/07, 10:00 🗺️ Melrose: Bookkeeping Essentials for Small Business
A practical workshop covering bookkeeping basics, financial record keeping and key accounting essentials for small businesses. MORE INFO

🤝 16/07, 16:00 🗺️ Dundee: Techscaler Dundee & Tay Cities Tech Meetup
Connect with founders, investors, mentors, and tech professionals at this community meetup focused on growing Dundee and the Tay Cities tech ecosystem. MORE INFO

🎪 16/07, 17:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Pre-Fringe Fest: The Tech, Data and Talent Behind Edinburgh's Festival Season An evening of talks and networking exploring the technology, data and talent powering Edinburgh's festival and creative sectors. MORE INFO

⛓️ 16/07, 17:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Blockchain Scotland Meetup Monthly blockchain meetup featuring talks, networking and discussions for developers, founders, researchers and industry professionals. MORE INFO

🚀 16/07, 17:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Signals Briefing (at Codebase) £200k inception-stage investment for those with unique insight into massive opportunities who want to grow them into globally important companies. MORE INFO

🤖 16/07, 10:00 🗺️ Glasgow: Build Your First AI Agent, Copilot Agent-a-thon
Hands-on workshop covering Microsoft Copilot and AI Agents with live demonstrations, practical use cases and an interactive agent-building challenge. MORE INFO

🍻 16/07, 19:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: EdinburghJS Summer Social Informal summer social for developers, technologists and the wider tech community to meet, chat and network. MORE INFO

📣 20/07, 17:00 🗺️ Galashiels: Content with Confidence: Build a Social Media Presence That Actually Works Learn practical social media content strategies to build your online presence, engage your audience and support business growth. MORE INFO

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Signals applications open, EDGE winners, Agentic MLOps in Rust

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 08:46:29 GMT

Here’s your Campfire for Tuesday, July 7th.

🏆 Scottish EDGE Round 27 Winners Announced

Scottish EDGE announced the winners of Round 27 on 18 June in Edinburgh, with 32 high-growth Scottish businesses receiving funding across categories including healthtech, clean energy, food and drink, creative technology and social enterprise. Scottish EDGE has now supported 788 businesses through the UK’s largest funding competition for high-growth enterprises.

Here are the winners:

🥇 Future EDGE (£150,000): MedAscend
Pathways EDGE (£90,000): Nudge Innovations
Circular Economy EDGE (£90,000): GreenFlip
Creative EDGE (£80,000): Real-E-Racing
Growth EDGE (£70,000 + £75,000 STV advertising): PEAT’D
Social Enterprise EDGE (£75,000): Glasgow Community Sauna CIC
Wild Card (£15,000): XYNQ
Young EDGE (£15,000 each): Sendix, Narrasight and Barbara Bell

📣 Asks, Offers, Updates, & Deadlines

🇺🇸 Applications are open for Founders House SF Edition by Impact Rise Ventures. Designed for Scottish founders with US ambitions, this 10-day programme takes a cohort to San Francisco during SF Tech Week. Applications are open now for a cohort of 10 founders.

👭 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 or share something with Campfire? Get in touch!

📅 Events

🌱 08/07, 18:00 🗺️ Kirkcaldy: People, Planet, Pint Sustainability Meetup
Informal sustainability networking for anyone interested in climate, nature, social impact and creating positive change. MORE INFO

⚡ 08/07, 10:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Edinburgh Entrepreneurs, Ready for Networking with a Difference? Structured networking featuring speed networking, business introductions and opportunities to connect with Edinburgh's entrepreneurial community. MORE INFO

🎉 08/07, 12:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: eCorner Summer Party x Experience Lab
Celebrate the end of the eCorner season with networking, an interactive experience lab, music, refreshments and community activities. MORE INFO

🤖 08/07, 18:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Agentic MLOps in Rust: From Chatbots to Autonomous Infrastructure Actors Talks on agentic AI, MLOps and Rust, exploring autonomous infrastructure, AI agents and modern machine learning systems. MORE INFO

🌱 09/07, 18:00 🗺️ Glasgow: People, Planet, Pint Sustainability Meetup
Informal sustainability networking for anyone interested in climate, nature, social impact and creating positive change. MORE INFO

🤖 09/07, 17:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Educating in the Age of AI Talks and networking exploring how artificial intelligence is shaping education, learning and the future of teaching. MORE INFO

🍻 16/07, 19:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: EdinburghJS Summer Social Informal summer social for developers, technologists and the wider tech community to meet, chat and network. MORE INFO

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Team 🔥 Campfire

Unfiltered, SportsTech, Tech Meetup Glasgow, & what happens when things go wrong

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 07:34:02 GMT

Here’s your Campfire for Wednesday, July 1st

📣 Asks, Offers, Updates, & Deadlines

🚀 Signals applications re-open July 6th: £200k VC investment from Techstart Ventures for outlier founders at the very early stages of building what could become very large global companies. More info and briefing sessions here.

📞 SWURF Pods are live at St James Quarter giving hybrid workers and business travellers instant access to private, soundproof spaces for calls, meetings, and focused work while on the move. Campfire readers can use code FIRE30 for a free 30-minute session.

👭 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 or share something with Campfire? Get in touch!

📅 Events

⚖️ 01/07, 11:00 💻 Online: What Happens When Things Go Wrong? A Strategic Legal Guide for Businesses A webinar exploring legal strategy for businesses, covering dispute management, contracts, commercial risk and practical decision-making. MORE INFO

☕ 01/07, 08:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Unfiltered Edinburgh Start your day with coffee, conversation, and informal networking with founders, entrepreneurs, and members of Edinburgh’s tech community. MORE INFO

🍻 01/07, 18:00 🗺️ Glasgow: People Planet Pint: Book Club A sustainability-focused book club with discussion, networking and conversation over a drink. MORE INFO

☕ 01/07, 08:30 🗺️ Aberdeen: Unfiltered Aberdeen Join the local tech community for coffee, conversation, and informal networking with founders, entrepreneurs, and innovators. MORE INFO

👥 01/07, 11:20 🗺️ Edinburgh: Hiring Your First Team: Employment Essentials for Founders A practical session covering employment law, hiring essentials and key considerations for founders recruiting their first employees. MORE INFO

🍻 01/07, 19:00 🗺️ Aberdeen: People, Planet, Pint Sustainability Meetup
Informal sustainability networking for anyone interested in climate, nature, social impact and creating positive change. MORE INFO

⚽ 02/07, 17:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Game Changers- Inside Scotland’s SportsTech Scene Explore how founders, innovators, and investors are driving the future of sports technology in Scotland at this Venture Café community event. MORE INFO

⚡ 02/07, 18:00 🗺️ Glasgow: Tech Meetup Glasgow July 2026
Join Glasgow's tech community for networking, pizza, talks, and the chance to connect with people building and working in technology. MORE INFO

🤖 09/07, 17:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Educating in the Age of AI Talks and networking exploring how artificial intelligence is shaping education, learning and the future of teaching. MORE INFO

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🤖 AI for Product Managers, Cultural Intelligence, Future of Learning

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 07:20:42 GMT

Here’s your Campfire for Monday, June 22nd

📣 Asks, Offers, Updates, & Deadlines

👭 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 or share something with Campfire? Get in touch!

📅 Events

📈 23/06, 08:30 🗺️ Perth: SMAS Breakfast Briefing: Making Change Happen in Your Organisation A practical breakfast session exploring why change is often resisted and how to turn good intentions into lasting behaviours. MORE INFO

💰 23/06, 11:00 🗺️ Online: UK Grant Funding in 2026 - The Masterclass for Early-Stage Founders Learn where UK grant funding is heading, which opportunities are worth pursuing, and how to write stronger applications for non-dilutive funding. MORE INFO

🚀 23/06, 15:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: UnStuck Bring your biggest startup challenge and get practical advice, fresh perspectives, and valuable connections from fellow founders and the wider community. MORE INFO

🤝 23/06, 18:00 🗺️ Eyemouth: New Ventures Networking Connect with like-minded entrepreneurs, chat with a South of Scotland Enterprise business coach, and enjoy refreshments in a welcoming, no-pressure environment. MORE INFO

💡 24/06, 09:30 🗺️ Glasgow: Skills Velocity: The Future of Learning Humans, Machines & Agentics Discover how organisations are using affordable technology and practical innovation to tackle workforce challenges, improve productivity, and adapt to rapid change. Featuring real-world case studies and lessons learned from businesses delivering measurable results. MORE INFO

💡 24/06, 18:15 🗺️ Edinburgh: Developing People with Cultural Intelligence
How do we lead, communicate, and collaborate across cultures? Join Lucy Butters to explore cultural intelligence, inclusion, and practical strategies for developing people in diverse organisations and communities. MORE INFO

🎯 25/06, 17:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: How Do I AI? Day in the Life of Product Managers
Go beyond the AI hype and see how product managers from startups, enterprise, and freelance backgrounds are using AI in their real day-to-day workflows. MORE INFO

🤝 25/06, 17:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Founders Meetup Edinburgh x Venture Café
Connect with fellow founders, hear inspiring startup stories, and expand your network at this special Venture Café and Founders Meetup collaboration. MORE INFO

👥 26/06, 09:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Founder Coworking Day
Join fellow founders for a day of focused work, peer networking, and meaningful conversations in a dedicated coworking space. MORE INFO

🤖 27/06, 11:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: AI for All Carnival 2026 Discover AI through hands-on activities, live demos, workshops, and interactive exhibits designed to make artificial intelligence accessible for all ages and backgrounds. MORE INFO

⚡ 30/06, 17:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Tech Meetup Edinburgh:June 2026
Join Edinburgh's tech community for networking, startup updates, demos, keynote talks, and post-event drinks. MORE INFO

☕ 30/06, 11:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Co-Work Club Edinburgh Swap the home office for a productive day of coworking, networking, and collaboration with fellow remote workers, freelancers, and founders. MORE INFO

🌍 30/06, 10:00 🗺️ Glasgow: EU Digital Market Entry Learn how UK businesses can successfully re-enter and grow within EU markets by navigating post-Brexit regulations, compliance, and digital sales channels. MORE INFO

☕ 01/07, 08:30 🗺️ Aberdeen: Unfiltered Aberdeen Join the local tech community for coffee, conversation, and informal networking with founders, entrepreneurs, and innovators. MORE INFO

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Team 🔥 Campfire

📖 Future of learning, Exscientia's story, new ventures networking

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 10:33:55 GMT

Go Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 ⚽

Here’s your Campfire for Tuesday, June 16th

📣 Asks, Offers, Updates, & Deadlines

📞 SWURF Pods are now live at St James Quarter giving hybrid workers and business travellers instant access to private, soundproof spaces for calls, meetings, and focused work while on the move. Campfire readers can use code FIRE30 for a free 30-minute session.

🚨 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.

👭 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 or share something with Campfire? Get in touch!

📅 Events

🤝 16/06, 18:00 🗺️ Thornhill: New Ventures Networking A relaxed networking session for pre-start and new business owners to connect, share ideas, access support, and meet fellow entrepreneurs over refreshments. MORE INFO

🌟 16/06, 11:00 🗺️ Hawick: Foundations for Female Founders: Confidence Building Workshop Series A welcoming workshop series for women at the very start of their business journey. Build confidence, develop practical skills, and connect with other aspiring entrepreneurs in a supportive and informal environment. MORE INFO

🤝 16/06, 18:00 🗺️ Dumfries & Galloway: New Ventures Networking
A relaxed networking event for pre-start and new business owners to connect, share ideas, access support, and grow their local network. MORE INFO

🤖 17/06, 13:00 🗺️ Aberdeen: Microsoft Build // localhost:aberdeen
A hands-on AI event for developers and tech professionals, featuring Azure AI, GitHub Copilot, live demos, practical workshops, and networking. MORE INFO

🩺 17/06, 16:45 🗺️ Glasgow: Health Elevate: Scaling Scotland An evening bringing together founders, clinicians, academics and ecosystem leaders to discuss healthcare innovation, share insights, and make meaningful connections across HealthTech and Life Sciences. MORE INFO

⚡ 18/06, 08:00 🗺️ Kilmarnock: SMAS Ayrshire Boosting Productivity Breakfast Workshop A practical breakfast session for manufacturing and process-driven businesses looking to improve productivity, performance and leadership capability. MORE INFO

🤝 18/06, 10:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Coworking Day Join fellow founders and startup leaders for a focused day of coworking, collaboration, and productive conversations. Designed to help you unblock challenges, make progress on key priorities, and connect with like-minded entrepreneurs. MORE INFO

🌍 18/06, 14:30 🗺️ Online: Global Blueprint: International Market Validation Workshop Learn how to test, validate, and refine your business idea for international markets before investing time and resources into expansion. MORE INFO

🚀 18/06, 16:00 🗺️ Dundee: Building a Digital Tech Unicorn From Dundee
Exscientia co-founder Richard Bickerton shares lessons on scaling a Dundee startup into a global AI-powered tech success story. MORE INFO

🌍 18/06, 18:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: People, Planet, Pint Sustainability Meetup is a relaxed sustainability meetup bringing together people who care about creating positive change. MORE INFO

📈 23/06, 08:30 🗺️ Perth: SMAS Breakfast Briefing: Making Change Happen in Your Organisation – A practical breakfast session exploring why change is often resisted and how to turn good intentions into lasting behaviours. MORE INFO

💡 24/06, 09:30 🗺️ Glasgow: Skills Velocity – The Future of Learning Humans, Machines & Agentics Discover how organisations are using affordable technology and practical innovation to tackle workforce challenges, improve productivity, and adapt to rapid change. Featuring real-world case studies and lessons learned from businesses delivering measurable results. MORE INFO

🚀 25/06, 17:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Founders Meetup Edinburgh x Venture Café Join founders, entrepreneurs, and innovators for an evening of networking, fresh ideas, and candid conversations. MORE INFO

⚡ 30/06, 17:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Tech Meetup Edinburgh:June 2026
Join Edinburgh's tech community for networking, startup updates, demos, keynote talks, and post-event drinks. MORE INFO

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Team 🔥 Campfire

⛓️ Blockchain Scotland meetup, EDGE final, TechX Demo day, geospatial data engineering lifecycle

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 07:52:11 GMT

Here’s your Campfire for Monday, June 8th. Congrats to Wordsmith for raising its $70m series B!

📣 Asks, Offers, Updates, & Deadlines

🗺️ Applications are now open for Geovation Scotland’s 12-month accelerator for early-stage tech startups using location or property data. Selected startups receive up to £15k equity-free funding, mentorship, Edinburgh workspace, and access to geospatial expertise and data. Open to pre-seed and seed-stage startups under 3 years old with under £300k funding. Closing June 15th. MORE INFO

👭 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 or share something with Campfire? Get in touch!

📅 Events

People, Planet, Pint is a relaxed sustainability meetup bringing together people who care about creating positive change. Expect informal conversations, new connections, and inspiring discussions on environmental and social impact over a drink in a friendly local venue.

🎬 09/06, 17:30 🗺️ Glasgow: NEB x People, Planet, Pint Film Screening MORE INFO
🌍 10/06, 18:00 🗺️ Kirkcaldy: People, Planet, Pint Sustainability Meetup MORE INFO
🌍 11/06, 18:00 🗺️ Glasgow: People, Planet, Pint Sustainability Meetup MORE INFO
🌍 11/06, 18:00 🗺️ Galashiels: People, Planet, Pint Sustainability Meetup MORE INFO
🌍 18/06, 18:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: People, Planet, Pint Sustainability Meetup MORE INFO

⛓️ 09/06, 17:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Blockchain Scotland Meetup Monthly community meetup at the Bayes Centre featuring networking, industry conversations, and a talk from Tokenive CEO Amirreza Sarencheh on bringing real-world data on-chain, self-sovereign identity, and the future of privacy-preserving Web3 infrastructure. MORE INFO

📍 09/06, 17:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Mapping the Geospatial Data Engineering Lifecycle: Join The Data Lab Community for an interactive evening exploring the foundations of geospatial data engineering. Connect with peers, share practical insights, and learn how geospatial data is collected, processed, analysed, and delivered across real-world applications. MORE INFO

👩‍💼 10/06, 09:00, 🗺️ Glasgow: Female Founders Co-Working Club Monthly oin ambitious women founders from across Scotland for a focused morning of co-working, networking, and practical support. This month's session explores how to integrate AI into your product or business without breaking the bank. MORE INFO

🌱 11/06, 13:00, 🗺️ Aberdeen: TechX Demo Day After 14 weeks in the TechX Accelerator, our 2026 startup cohort will unveil their pioneering clean energy solutions to an audience of investors, industry leaders and energy stakeholders. The startups will take the stage to pitch their ventures, showcase their technologies, and share the journey that has brought their ideas to life MORE INFO

🏆 11/06, 09:45 🗺️ Edinburgh: Scottish EDGE Round 27 Live Final: Round 27 of the UK's BIGGEST small business funding competition will take place on 11th June at RBS Conference Centre with the latest batch of finalists pitching for up to £150,000 in funding. The event will feature two simultaneous pitching sessions, an exhibitor and networking atrium, and a keynote talk from Dex Hunter-Torricke. MORE INFO

💰 12/06, 10:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: A Guided Masterclass – What Do Investors Want From You? Meet a venture capitalist and gain practical insights into what investors look for when evaluating businesses. Ideal for founders seeking funding, preparing for investment conversations, or planning their next stage of growth. MORE INFO

🌟 16/06, 11:00 🗺️ Hawick: Foundations for Female Founders – Confidence Building Workshop Series A welcoming workshop series for women at the very start of their business journey. Build confidence, develop practical skills, and connect with other aspiring entrepreneurs in a supportive and informal environment. MORE INFO

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Team 🔥 Campfire

🧗 Scottish EDGE, HealthTech Innovation, Sustainability Meetups & Blockchain Scotland

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 07:41:11 GMT

Here’s your Campfire for Tuesday, June 2nd

📣 Asks, Offers, Updates, & Deadlines

👭 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 or share something with Campfire? Get in touch!

📅 Events

☕️ Unfiltered Series: Open to everyone, join CodeBase to connect with members of the local tech community. Come for a coffee, networking, & build connections!
☕ 03/06, 08:30 🗺️ Aberdeen: MORE INFO
☕ 03/06, 08:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: MORE INFO
☕ 04/06, 09:00 🗺️ Glasgow: MORE INFO
☕ 02/06, 09:00 🗺️ Inverness: MORE INFO

💡 02/06, 09:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Fast Forward: Data, Digital & AI A one-day conference on 2 June with the University of Edinburgh exploring data, digital, and AI through talks, workshops, and cross-sector collaboration. “Connect with researchers, industry, and public sector partners to share ideas and explore real-world applications”. MORE INFO

💡 02/06, 10:00 🗺️ Dumfries: Reigniting Your Business Spark: From Stuck to Momentum A relaxed, practical session for business owners to pause, reflect, reset, and find fresh momentum without the pressure to do more. MORE INFO

🌱 02/06, 09:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Greentech Meetup A quarterly gathering bringing together Edinburgh’s green community for conversations, connection, and insights from guest Greentech specialists MORE INFO

People, Planet, Pint is a relaxed sustainability meetup bringing together people who care about creating positive change. Expect informal conversations, new connections, and inspiring discussions on environmental and social impact over a drink in a friendly local venue.
📚 03/06, 18:00 🗺️ Glasgow: People, Planet, Pint Book Club MORE INFO
🎬 09/06, 17:30 🗺️ Glasgow: NEB x People, Planet, Pint Film Screening MORE INFO
🌍 10/06, 18:00 🗺️ Kirkcaldy: People, Planet, Pint Sustainability Meetup MORE INFO
🌍 11/06, 18:00 🗺️ Glasgow: People, Planet, Pint Sustainability Meetup MORE INFO
🌍 11/06, 18:00 🗺️ Galashiels: People, Planet, Pint Sustainability Meetup MORE INFO
🌍 18/06, 18:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: People, Planet, Pint Sustainability Meetup MORE INFO

💬 05/06, 13:00, 🗺️ Virtual: Round-table Conversations for Learning and Connection A relaxed online gathering for thoughtful conversations around leadership, work, personal growth, and organisational development MORE INFO

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Team 🔥 Campfire

🌔 Night for Female Founders, Tech & Founders Meetups, and a different kind of business networking

Tue, 26 May 2026 07:34:54 GMT

Here’s your Campfire for Tuesday, May 26th

📣 Asks, Offers, Updates, & Deadlines

👭 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 or share something with Campfire? Get in touch!

📅 Events

🤝 26/05, 14:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Business Networking Event in Old Town Informal marketing & advertising networking at Levels Cafe & Lounge and connect with founders and professionals, with open networking, a short intro, and Q&A. MORE INFO

💼 26/05, 09:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Business Gateway - Free Business Support at The Melting Pot Free 1-to-1 business support sessions, book a time slot for tailored advice, practical guidance, and expert support to help your business grow. MORE INFO

⚡ 26/05, 17:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Tech Meetup May 2026 community tech talks, demos, networking, free pizza, and drinks with the local tech crowd MORE INFO

🔥 26/05, 18:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Founders Meetup Edinburgh May 2026 tactical fireside chat with experienced entrepreneurs plus speed networking with founders, cofounders, and investors. MORE INFO

💻 26/05, 18:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Together In Tech: Networking & AI Discussion An evening of networking, pizza, and conversation at N-Able’s Edinburgh office featuring a panel of women in tech sharing insights, experiences, and career journeys in a supportive community-focused space. MORE INFO

🤝 26/05, 11:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Raising Money Without Regret: Smart Capital for Impact Founders A founder-first session on making smarter funding decisions, with expert insights. Expect honest conversations, a clear breakdown of funding options for purpose-driven businesses, and an open AMA MORE INFO

🔥 27/05, 18:00, 🗺️ Aberdeen: Start Something Aberdeen: How to Find Ideas, Start and Grow Your Own Venture Join BCS Aberdeen to find out how entrepreneurs come up with ideas and where they go to test and develop their ideas. Learn how to start your business and where to get help to grow and scale. MORE INFO

💻 27/05, 10:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Coworking Day: Connect & Work Smarter @ Anderson Strathern a full-day workspace for startup leaders to get things done, solve problems, and have useful conversations with the right people MORE INFO

✨ 27/05, 11:00, 🗺️ Selkirk: Reigniting Your Business Spark a supportive workshop for business owners feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected from their original vision by offering guided reflection, practical coaching tools, and gentle next steps to help you reset, refocus, and move forward with more clarity and energy. MORE INFO

☕ 27/05, 09:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Notion Coffee Morning a supportive workshop for business owners feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected from their original vision by offering guided reflection, practical coaching tools, and gentle next steps to help you reset, refocus, and move forward with more clarity and energy. MORE INFO

🤝 28/05, 10:00, 🗺️ Inverness: A Different Kind of Business Networking Event A relaxed, intentional gathering in Inverness focused on meaningful conversations, genuine connections, and opportunities that don’t feel forced. MORE INFO

💬 28/05, 17:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Funding That Fits: A Night for Female Founders, Funders & Investors connect with founders, investors, and funders to explore smarter funding options for women-led businesses MORE INFO

🚀 28/05, 17:45, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Growth Metrics & Behavioural UX An evening at CodeBase exploring startup growth, paid acquisition, and behavioural UX, with talks on validating products faster through metrics and reducing Day-1 churn through better onboarding experiences. MORE INFO

💰 28/05, 10:00, 🗺️ Hawick: South of Scotland Access to Finance Conference a practical event for businesses looking to secure funding, connect with lenders, and better navigate the finance landscape MORE INFO

💻 28/05, 19:00, 🗺️ Virtual: Beyond Big Tech: Building on Hetzner with Talos and Kubernetes, and a discussion about European Clouds A virtual discussion exploring ethical, practical, and cost-effective alternatives to Big Tech cloud platforms from self-managed infrastructure and Kubernetes to the future of European cloud hosting. MORE INFO

💻 29/05, 09:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Founder Coworking A monthly coworking day for founders and executives to connect with peers, share ideas, get focused work done, and enjoying good coffee, fast WiFi, and a productive atmosphere.MORE INFO

🛠️ 30/05, 10:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Makers gonna make A full-day maker meetup at The Melting Pot for indie builders, side projects, app ideas, and creative tinkering. Spend the day building alongside other makers, sharing feedback, and optionally demoing what you’ve created. MORE INFO

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Team 🔥 Campfire

🛠️ UX, Traveltech, Greentech (and more!) meetups, Product Tank, Scottish Creative Network + F**kUp Nights

Mon, 18 May 2026 07:34:38 GMT

Here’s your Campfire for Monday, May 18th

📣 Asks, Offers, Updates, & Deadlines

🚀 LAST DAY TO APPLY - Opportunity: Shott Scale Up Accelerator Leadership support for senior leaders of scaling deep tech and engineering SMEs, including training, mentoring, a £10,000 grant and access to expert networks. Apply by 18 May 2026. MORE INFO

📘 The Entrepreneurs’ Guide to Social Investment from Firstport: “a clear, practical resource to help social entrepreneurs understand funding options, key terms, and what it means to be investment-ready. Built with input from Social Investment Scotland, Good Finance, and The Ventures Lab”. Access the Guide 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 or share something with Campfire? Get in touch!

📅 Events

🎤 20/05, 18:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: ProductTank Edinburgh: World Product Day 2026 a special ProductTank event with Matt LeMay, exploring cross-functional teams (through Metallica), plus food and good conversation MORE INFO

🚀 20/05, 17:00, 🗺️ Glasgow: Heritage & Horizon: An Evening at Barclays Eagle Labs Tartan Space Suit & Flying Car Showcase giving a unique evening exploring heritage and future tech, with talks, demos, drinks, and networking MORE INFO

🌍 20/05, 19:00, 🗺️ Aberdeen: People, Planet, Pint a friendly, no-pressure sustainability meetup to meet like-minded people and talk all things climate over a drink MORE INFO

🎤 20/05, 18:30, 🗺️ Glasgow: Scottish Creative Network x FuckUp Nights Glasgow A collaboration like no other, bringing together creativity, entrepreneurship, and honest conversations around failure. Expect games, lots of laughter, and two amazing speakers for an evening focused on the realities behind the journey. MORE INFO

🤖 21/05, 09:00, 🗺️ Glasgow: AI 2026 Business Summit a senior-level forum exploring real-world AI impact, challenges, and how to turn potential into tangible ROI MORE INFO

👥 21/05, 16:00, 🗺️ Dundee & Tay Cities: Techscaler Tech Meetup a casual evening of tech community chats, founder stories, networking, and opportunities across the region MORE INFO

✈️ 21/05, 16:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Traveltech Meet Up explore how AI is reshaping travel search, with practical strategies for staying visible and getting found MORE INFO

🌍 21/05, 18:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: People, Planet, Pint a relaxed sustainability meetup with a short talk from ELREC on local climate projects and the upcoming Edinburgh Climate Festival, plus drinks and good conversation MORE INFO

🎨 21/05, 18:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: UX Meetup Edinburgh An evening of talks and networking at FanDuel exploring the future of UX in AI, with Ben Zhu and Val Miranda sharing practical insights on designing AI products, evolving UX workflows, and how designers can become AI builders. MORE INFO

⚡ 26/05, 17:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Tech Meetup May 2026 community tech talks, demos, networking, free pizza, and drinks with the local tech crowd MORE INFO

💰 28/05, 10:00, 🗺️ Hatwick: South of Scotland Access to Finance Conference a practical event for businesses looking to secure funding, connect with lenders, and better navigate the finance landscape MORE INFO

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Team 🔥 Campfire

🧠 ProductTank, TravelTech, Accelerator & Funding Opportunities, Investment Terms

Mon, 11 May 2026 07:34:56 GMT

Here’s your Campfire for Monday, May 11th

📣 Asks, Offers, Updates, & Deadlines

🚀 Opportunity: Shott Scale Up Accelerator Leadership support for senior leaders of scaling deep tech and engineering SMEs, including training, mentoring, a £10,000 grant and access to expert networks. Apply by 18 May 2026. Details 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 or share something with Campfire? Get in touch!

Sponsored post

Scaling Up: The Terms You’ll See When You Raise Proper Money

By Stephen Trombala, Partner - Corporate, Shepherd and Wedderburn

If you’ve made it through your first round of funding and your founders’ agreement is in place, congratulations. Now for the bit where the terms start to get more complicated. When you raise a proper venture round, you’ll encounter a new set of concepts that can sound intimidating if you haven’t seen them before. Most of them shouldn’t worry you. A couple of them should. Here’s how to tell the difference.

Preference shares: why isn’t everybody equal?

Imagine a world where every investor just buys ordinary shares in the company. Same rights, same entitlements per share. Simple. That’s the easiest model, and at the very early stage, it’s often how things work.

But once you start raising from institutional investors, you’ll almost certainly be issuing preference shares. Specifically, non-participating preference shares, which are the standard financing instrument for venture capital in the UK.

Here’s what they mean in plain English. A preference shareholder is essentially saying: “I’ve put money into this company. I’m trusting the people running it to generate value with that money. But if things don’t work out, I’d like my money back first before anyone else gets paid.” Think of it as a bit of debt sitting inside the company’s equity structure. But here’s the key: if the return is better than just getting their money back, the preference shareholder takes their pro rata equity share instead. Whichever is higher.

That’s a non-participating preference share. And it shouldn’t scare you, because you should be backing yourself. You’re not taking money from investors on the basis that you’re going to destroy the value they’ve given you. You’re taking it because you believe you can generate a lot more with it.

Where founders sometimes get confused is between non-participating and participating preference shares. A participating preference share says: “I get my money back first and I also get my equity share on top.” That’s a much more aggressive instrument, more like double-dipping. It can happen, usually when a company is pushing for a valuation that the investor can’t quite get to, and the participating pref is a way to bridge that gap. But it’s the exception, not the norm.

Anti-dilution: not what most people think

When founders hear “anti-dilution,” they often assume it means an investor is buying, say, 5% of the company and will hold 5% forever. That’s not what it means.

Anti-dilution is really about protecting an investor against overpaying in a previous round. If I invest at a certain valuation and the company then raises its next round at a lower price, a down round, anti-dilution gives me some additional equity to compensate. There are two common flavours. Full ratchet is the more aggressive version: the investor gets repriced to the cheapest price per share in the new round. Weighted average is more common (and more reasonable in my opinion): the investor gets a blended price that factors in the relative size of the new round.

These provisions are standard, and founders shouldn’t lose sleep over them. At the end of the day, it’s the management team that’s running the show and using the capital to generate value. If you’re doing your job well, anti-dilution never bites.

That said, there are some darker corners of the market worth being aware of. Occasionally, you’ll see investors seeking evergreen warrants or options over a fixed percentage of the company’s fully diluted capital, exercisable for basically nothing, in perpetuity. That’s a very different beast and one to steer well clear of.

Preemption rights

In the UK, these are what Americans would call pro rata rights, and they come in two flavours. The first is the right to participate when the company issues new shares, so existing investors get a chance to maintain their percentage by investing in the new round. The second is rights of first refusal on share transfers, meaning if an existing shareholder wants to sell, certain other shareholders get first dibs.

Once upon a time, nearly all shareholders would have had preemption rights. These days, it’s more common for only the material investors, typically those holding around 5% or more of the equity, to have them as standard.

Keep your flexibility

The one piece of advice I’d leave founders with on all of this: try to give yourself as much flexibility as possible to run the business without having to go back to investors for permission on every decision. Investors will have their protections, anti-dilution, preemption rights, board seats, and that’s fine. But make sure you retain enough control to move quickly.

And above all, try to avoid giving any single investor a veto right. It gives them disproportionate leverage relative to their position on the cap table, and it makes your company less attractive to future investors. If you can avoid it, avoid it.

Stephen Trombala is a Partner in Shepherd and Wedderburn’s Corporate division. He has particular expertise in equity capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity. This is Part 3 of a three-part series on legal fundamentals for startup founders, produced in partnership with Shepherd and Wedderburn. Part 1 covered first-round funding instruments and cap table basics. Part 2 covered founders’ agreements and leaver provisions.

To find out more about how Shepherd and Wedderburn can help you design a share incentive scheme that works for both you and your team members, reach out to them here.

📅 Events

🍽️ 11/05, 12:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: U.S Expansion Founders Lunch feat. Wilson Sonsini An exclusive founder lunch for Scottish startup leaders to share insights and get practical advice on US expansion, hiring, and fundraising from experienced experts. MORE INFO

🧠 11/05, 17:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Blockchain Scotland Meetup Blockchain Scotland Meetup at Bayes Centre with talks, pizza & drinks, and relaxed networking, with an after-party at The Pear Tree. MORE INFO

💬 13/05, 10:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Running your own business? Join The Knowledge Room at Hotel Indigo, Princes St. A relaxed and friendly morning for freelancers and small business owners to share ideas, ask questions, and find the right support to help your business grow. MORE INFO

💻 14/05, 11:00, 🗺️ Virtual: Digital Health Funding Webinar learn how Scottish scaleups can access European Series A investment, with real case studies and funding insights. MORE INFO

🌍 14/05, 18:00, 🗺️ Glasgow: People, Planet, Pint a friendly, no-pressure sustainability meetup to meet like-minded people and talk all things climate over a drink MORE INFO

🌍 20/05, 19:00, 🗺️ Aberdeen: People, Planet, Pint a friendly, no-pressure sustainability meetup to meet like-minded people and talk all things climate over a drink MORE INFO

🤖 21/05, 09:00, 🗺️ Glasgow: AI 2026 Business Summit a senior-level forum exploring real-world AI impact, challenges, and how to turn potential into tangible ROI MORE INFO

👥 21/05, 16:00, 🗺️ Dundee & Tay Cities: Techscaler Tech Meetup a casual evening of tech community chats, founder stories, networking, and opportunities across the region MORE INFO

✈️ 21/05, 16:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Traveltech Meet Up explore how AI is reshaping travel search, with practical strategies for staying visible and getting found MORE INFO

⚡ 26/05, 17:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Tech Meetup May 2026 community tech talks, demos, networking, free pizza, and drinks with the local tech crowd MORE INFO

💬 28/05, 10:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Funding That Fits: A Night for Female Founders, Funders & Investors connect with founders, investors, and funders to explore smarter funding options for women-led businesses MORE INFO

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Team 🔥 Campfire

🚀 Flying Cars, AI Summits, Founder Chats, and Free Coworking

Robert Gelb — Tue, 05 May 2026 07:34:48 GMT

Here’s your Campfire for Tuesday, May 5th.

(May the 4th be with you, and happy revenge of the 5th)

📣 Asks, Offers, Updates, & Deadlines

👭 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 or share something with Campfire? Get in touch!

Sponsored post

Founders’ Agreements: Why You Need One (Even If You’re Best Mates)

By Stephen Trombala, Partner - Corporate, Shepherd and Wedderburn

Nobody starts a company thinking about what happens when it goes wrong. You’re excited, you’ve got an idea, and you and your co-founder are completely aligned. Why would you waste time and money on a founders’ agreement? I get it. But having seen what happens when founders skip this step, I’d strongly encourage you to take it seriously. If everything goes well, you’ll never need it. But if things don’t go to plan, it’s the document that stops a difficult conversation from becoming an expensive mess.

What is a founders’ agreement, and why bother?

A founders’ agreement is basically a written record of the shared understanding between co-founders before investors come in and start setting the rules for you. It covers the simple but important stuff: who’s doing what, how the equity is split, and what happens if one of you decides to leave.

If everything goes smoothly, it won’t be needed. When you raise money, it’ll get ripped up and replaced with proper investment documentation. So don’t overthink it. But the question founders need to ask themselves is: what happens if it doesn’t all go smoothly? What if one of you decides this is a bit hard and it’s not for them? Or gets an offer to join the company of your dreams? Is it right that one founder holds on to their full equity position while the other one is doing all the work?

Most people would say no. And that’s what the founders’ agreement is there to address.

What should it cover?

There’s no one-size-fits-all template here, and that’s fine. Different founders bring different things to the table. Someone might have done months of bootstrapping before the company even existed. Someone else might be bringing a specific skill set or network.

The key areas to think about are: the equity split, what each founder is committing to, and what happens to someone’s shares if they leave. On that last point, people take quite different approaches. Some agree that equity vests over a period. Others take a harder line: you’re either in at the point of funding or all your equity goes back. There’s no single right answer. But having an answer, written down and agreed, is what matters.

Without a founders’ agreement, the default position is that everyone just holds on to their shares regardless. And that can be deeply demotivating for the people who stay and keep building.

What happens after investors come in: leaver provisions

Once you raise a proper funding round, the founders’ agreement falls away and gets replaced by investment documentation. At that point, leaver provisions take over. These are worth understanding early, because they’ll shape how your equity works going forward.

The market has matured quite a bit around this. Most sensible investors now use documents based on the BVCA (British Venture Capital Association) templates, or close variants. Because these are widely used and well understood, the default leaver position is now more founder-friendly than it used to be.

Broadly speaking, you fall into one of two buckets: you’re either a “good leaver” or a “bad leaver.” If you’re a bad leaver, you’ve done something genuinely serious: fraud, gross misconduct, that level of bad. In that scenario, you forfeit all your equity. But you have to have been very egregious indeed for that to apply. If you’re a good leaver, which is essentially anyone who leaves without having done something terrible, you get to retain your vested equity. That’s a pretty founder-friendly position, and it’s become the standard.

You might ask: why have leaver provisions at all? Your co-founders probably won’t be thrilled if they’re working flat out and you’re getting a free ride on equity you’re no longer earning. And from the investors’ perspective, if a founder leaves, someone needs to step into that role, and the company needs equity to offer them. Leaver provisions make that possible by allowing some of that equity to come back into the pool.

In practice, founder departures often end up being negotiated through a settlement agreement, using the leaver provisions as a starting point. There might be a conversation about providing liquidity for vested shares, or about whether the leaver retains voting rights. The details vary, but the BVCA framework provides a fair baseline that both sides can work from.

Why this matters early on

The reason I bring up leaver provisions in the same breath as founders’ agreements is that they’re part of the same story. Before investment, the founders’ agreement protects you. After investment, the leaver provisions do. If you’ve thought about both early on, neither conversation comes as a surprise when it matters.

And like most things on the legal side of startups, the time to think about these are before you need them, not after.

–

Stephen Trombala is a Partner in Shepherd and Wedderburn’s Corporate division. He has particular expertise in equity capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity. This is Part 2 of a three-part series on legal fundamentals for startup founders, produced in partnership with Shepherd and Wedderburn. Part 1 covered first-round funding instruments and cap table basics. Part 3 looks at the terms you’ll encounter as you scale.

To find out more about how Shepherd and Wedderburn can help you design a share incentive scheme that works for both you and your team members, reach out to them here.

📅 Events

💬 05/05, 18:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Edinburgh Fellows meetup RSA Fellows informal monthly catch-up at Canopy Café with a relaxed after-work space to connect, share ideas, and chat over coffee or drinks. MORE INFO

👥 06/05, 08:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: European Coworking Day work from Scotland’s Centre for Social Innovation, meet the community, hear real member stories, and grab what might be the best soup in the city (vegan + GF) MORE INFO

☕️ Unfiltered Series: Open to everyone, join CodeBase to connect with members of the local tech community. Come for a coffee, networking, & build connections!
☕ 05/05, 09:00 🗺️ Inverness: MORE INFO
☕ 06/05, 08:30 🗺️ Aberdeen: MORE INFO
☕ 06/05, 08:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: MORE INFO
☕ 07/05, 09:00 🗺️ Glasgow: MORE INFO

💻 14/05, 11:00, 🗺️ Virtual: Digital Health Funding Webinar learn how Scottish scaleups can access European Series A investment, with real case studies and funding insights. MORE INFO

🌍 14/05, 18:00, 🗺️ Glasgow: People, Planet, Pint a friendly, no-pressure sustainability meetup to meet like-minded people and talk all things climate over a drink MORE INFO

🌍 20/05, 19:00, 🗺️ Aberdeen: People, Planet, Pint a friendly, no-pressure sustainability meetup to meet like-minded people and talk all things climate over a drink MORE INFO

🤖 21/05, 09:00, 🗺️ Glasgow: AI 2026 Business Summit a senior-level forum exploring real-world AI impact, challenges, and how to turn potential into tangible ROI MORE INFO

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That’s all for this week - have a great one!

Team 🔥 Campfire

🚀 £10k accelerator, funding guide, AI & Blockchain summit

Robert Gelb — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 07:34:25 GMT

Here’s your Campfire for Monday, April 27th.

📣 Asks, Offers, Updates, & Deadlines

🚀 Shott Scale Up Accelerator Royal Academy of Engineering programme “for deep tech founders, offering leadership training, a £10k grant, and investor connections.” Apply by 18 May. Details 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 or share something with Campfire? Get in touch!

📅 Events

👥 28/04, 13:00, 🗺️ Virtual: Lunch & Learn: Scaling Smart in Food & Drink Lunch & Learn on scaling a food & drink brand, real founder insights on funding, production, branding, and growth, with SUPERKEEN founder Caragh Keane. MORE INFO

💻 28/04, 11:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Co-Work Club Edinburgh Escape the home office with this flexible coworking day at YOTEL, offering unlimited coffee, pastries, a stylish workspace, and relaxed networking with like-minded professionals. MORE INFO

🍄 29/04, 18:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: People, Planet, Pint presents Bunker to Table discover how an Edinburgh nuclear bunker became a mushroom-growing space, with producer and chef Christopher Valentine-Allan sharing practical insights and community-led ideas. MORE INFO

🧠 29/04, 18:15, 🗺️ Edinburgh: The Real Teal: A New Management Paradigm? Join this interactive workshop to explore human-centred ways of working, with practical tools to build more autonomy, clarity, and less hierarchy in organisations. MORE INFO

👥 30/04, 10:00 am, 🗺️ Glasgow: Co-Work MeetUp Glasgow SWURF x Founders Meetup—flexible co-working at Vega with coffee, pastries, rooftop views, fast WiFi, and low-pressure networking for founders. MORE INFO

🏭 30/04, 9:00 am, 🗺️ Hawick: Reimagined SMAS Business Improvement Academy, Hawick Join this LCS-accredited 10-day Business Improvement Academy to build Lean expertise, deliver real impact projects, and drive lasting productivity and leadership across your organisation. MORE INFO

💳 FSTech Summit: On April 30th, a one-day Edinburgh conference bringing together finance and tech leaders for “talks, panels, and networking on AI, blockchain, payments, and the future of financial services”. Details Here

🧠 01/05, 11:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: The Dopamates free weekly body-doubling co-work session for anyone needing focus, Fridays 11–2 at The Pitt Market. MORE INFO

☕️ Unfiltered Series: Open to everyone, join CodeBase to connect with members of the local tech community. Come for a coffee, networking, & build connections!
☕ 06/05, 08:30 🗺️ Aberdeen: MORE INFO
☕ 06/05, 08:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: MORE INFO
☕ 07/05, 09:00 🗺️ Glasgow: MORE INFO
☕ 05/05, 09:00 🗺️ Inverness: MORE INFO

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🦾 Founders Meetup, AI Product Brain, Getting AI into production while the ground keeps moving

Robert Gelb — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:34:36 GMT

Here’s your Campfire for Monday, April 20th.

📣 Asks, Offers, Updates, & Deadlines

👭 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 or share something with Campfire? Get in touch!

📅 Events

🔥 21/04, 18:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Founders Meetup Join tactical fireside chats with experienced entrepreneurs plus speed networking, community shoutouts, and drinks to wrap up MORE INFO

🤖 21/04, 17:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Build your Product Brain using AI Use AI to cut through product overwhelm by joining this hands-on workshop to build your own “product brain,” uncover insights, and make sharper, more confident decisions. MORE INFO

💬 21/04, 17:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Blockchain Scotland Meetup Join us at the Bayes Centre for networking and three upcoming talks MORE INFO

🔗 22/04, 12:00, 🗺️ Virtual: Beyond the Runway: What No One Tells Founders About Insolvency A founder-led session creating space for honest conversations about financial pressure, insolvency, and navigating tough business decisions with support from those who’ve been through it. MORE INFO

☕ 23/04, 09:00 , 🗺️ Edinburgh: Edinburgh Professionals Quarterly Networking A relaxed networking meetup for local professionals and founders to connect, with guided activities, great conversations, and breakfast on us from Barclays Eagle Labs. MORE INFO

☕ 23/04, 09:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Creating Clarity: Finding your next step into business A relaxed workshop to help you explore business support options, gain clarity on your next steps, and connect with others in a supportive space. MORE INFO

📄 23/04, 12:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh & Virtual: Term Sheets - What you’re really agreeing to and why it matters A practical session helping founders confidently navigate term sheets, understand key clauses, and avoid costly mistakes before and during fundraising. MORE INFO

☕ 23/04, 18:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Building Tomoro x AI Demo Night: Getting AI to Production While the Ground Keeps Moving Most teams are still catching up to last week’s release instead of adapting. This is for engineers and product leads building real systems in real organisations, where the models keep changing, the enterprise won’t, and shipping still has to happen on time. MORE INFO

☕ 24/04, 09:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Founder Friday Coworking A focused coworking day for founders and execs to connect, share ideas, and build alongside like-minded peers in a relaxed, energising space. MORE INFO

💡 Fast Forward: Data, Digital & AI A one-day conference on 2 June with the University of Edinburgh exploring data, digital, and AI through talks, workshops, and cross-sector collaboration. “Connect with researchers, industry, and public sector partners to share ideas and explore real-world applications”. Details here

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💸 Beyond the runway, Unfiltered, Quick guide to SAFEs, ASAs, and not messing up your cap table

Robert Gelb — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 07:34:43 GMT

Here’s your Campfire for Tuesday, April 13th.

📣 Asks, Offers, Updates, & Deadlines

👭 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 or share something with Campfire? Get in touch!

Sponsored post

The First Round: a quick guide to SAFEs, ASAs, and not messing up your cap table

By Stephen Trombala, Partner & Head of Corporate, Shepherd and Wedderburn

When you’re getting a startup off the ground and need investment, for most founders, the priority is pretty simple: get money in, as efficiently and cheaply as possible, so you can spend it on actually building the thing. But the way you take that first money in matters more than most founders realise. Here’s a rundown of the terms and instruments you might come across and the early housekeeping that’ll save you a headache later.

SAFEs, ASAs, and CLNs: what’s the difference?

Most founders assume SAFEs and ASAs are the same thing. And at a high level, it makes sense as to why: both let an investor hand you money now in exchange for equity later, without having to agree a valuation upfront. It’s ‘punt’ money. Hopefully it works out, and if it doesn’t, it’s gone. The investor acknowledges that.

But in practice, the two instruments work quite differently. A SAFE, or Simple Agreement for Future Equity, came out of Y Combinator in the US. It’s designed to be minimal: no maturity date, no interest, and typically no hard deadline for conversion. An ASA, or Advance Subscription Agreement, is often painted as the UK equivalent, built specifically to sit within UK company law and, importantly, to align with SEIS and EIS tax relief schemes. ASAs typically include a longstop date, which is a backstop by which the investment must convert into shares, usually at a pre-agreed default price. SAFEs don’t usually have that mechanic. So if your investors care about tax relief, an ASA is almost certainly the route you’ll be encouraged to go down. If you’re dealing with institutional or international investors who might be more used to a SAFE serving the early-stage alternative to a priced round, a UK-adapted SAFE might make more sense. Both are good instruments for early-stage companies. Just make sure you’re using the one that actually fits your situation.

Then there are convertible loan notes (CLNs), which are a different beast altogether. They come with a string attached: technically, the investor could ask for the money back, because it’s a loan. For an early-stage company with no means to repay debt, that’s a risk you probably don’t need to be taking. I’d generally steer most startups away from them at the outset.

Caps, discounts, and the question of price

One of the real advantages of both SAFEs and ASAs is that you don’t have to price the company when it’s far too early to do so sensibly. Pricing an equity round at the very beginning can sometimes do more harm than good. The beauty of these instruments is that you can defer that conversation to a point where there’s actually something to price.

In practice, you’ll usually see either a valuation cap, a discount from the next round price, or both. A cap tends to be more investor-friendly. A simple discount from the next round price is generally more company-friendly. But ultimately, it’s all up for negotiation.

The six-month rule

If your investors are looking for SEIS or EIS tax relief, there’s a wrinkle worth knowing about. HMRC guidance generally expects an ASA to convert into equity within six months. It’s a rule that, in many people’s view, doesn’t make a great deal of sense: the money is committed and the investor is never getting it back, so why impose an arbitrary deadline? We’ve actually made a number of representations to HMRC about relaxing that time period. So far, no joy.

That said, it’s worth noting that the six-month rule isn’t always an absolute requirement, and the way it applies can depend on how the instrument is structured. But it is the expectation in most cases, and if your investors need those tax benefits, you’ll likely have to work within it. My general advice: don’t let the tax tail wag the dog. If you can structure your raise sensibly around it, great. If tax relief isn’t a factor for your investors, don’t let it bend your fundraise out of shape.

Getting your cap table right from day one

With my legal hat on, there are a few things worth bearing in mind that might sound boring, but, without question, are issues that often trip up the most early-stage companies.

Here’s a scenario we see often: a group of founders get together, one person gets sent off to incorporate the company, and that founder ends up as the sole shareholder with one share. Everyone agrees they’ll sort out the proper split later. Then six or seven months pass, some development work gets done, maybe a SAFE comes in, and suddenly the actual cap table doesn’t match the one on the whiteboard. The headaches this can cause are of course fixable, but waste time and money later.

Just doing the basic housekeeping at the outset is really important. If there’s more than one founder, get the pro ratas actually issued from the get-go. You will save yourself a lot of pain in eight or twelve months’ time. If you issue the shares right at the start, it’s dead straightforward, inexpensive, and yes, boring. If you leave it nine or ten months, you’ve potentially created a tax problem, and you’ll end up spending money fixing something that would have cost nothing on day one.

A couple more practical points when forming your company: make sure you set up your shares with enough granularity. If there are three of you, don’t just have one share each. It’s also wise to watch your nominal share value. Companies that set up with shares at £1 each quickly run into trouble. Most properly structured companies use a nominal value of something like £.001 (0.1 of a penny), so you can issue a large number of shares to the founders without it costing anything meaningful. As a bonus, the premium paid above that tiny nominal value gets credited to a more flexible account on the company’s share capital.

Keeping the basics in mind

None of this is glamorous, and none of it is why you started a company. But getting the basics right early means you’re not burning cash on legal fixes six months down the line. And that cash is better spent on building your business.

Stephen Trombala is the head of Shepherd and Wedderburn’s Corporate division. He has particular expertise in equity capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity. This is Part one of a three-part series on legal fundamentals for startup founders, produced in partnership with Shepherd and Wedderburn. Part two will cover founders’ agreements, and Part three looks at the terms you’ll encounter as you scale.

To find out more about how Shepherd and Wedderburn can help you design a share incentive scheme that works for both you and your team members, reach out to them here.

📅 Events

🍻 14/04, 18:00, 🗺️ Glasgow: Small99’s People, Planet, Pint™: Sustainability Meetup Discover how Glasgow is becoming a “Sponge City” in this relaxed pub talk, exploring rain gardens, greener streets, and community-led solutions to climate resilience through People Planet Pint. MORE INFO

🍻 16/04, 18:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Small99’s People, Planet, Pint™: Sustainability Meetup Meet others locally for a relaxed chat about sustainability over a drink. MORE INFO

🔥 21/04, 18:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Founders Meetup Join tactical fireside chats with experienced entrepreneurs plus speed networking, community shoutouts, and drinks to wrap up MORE INFO

💬 21/04, 17:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Blockchain Scotland Meetup Join us at the Bayes Centre for networking and three upcoming talks MORE INFO

☕ 23/04, 9:00 am, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Edinburgh Professionals Quarterly Networking A relaxed networking meetup for local professionals and founders to connect, with guided activities, great conversations, and breakfast on us from Barclays Eagle Labs. MORE INFO

☕ 23/04, 9:00 am, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Creating Clarity: Finding your next step into business A relaxed workshop to help you explore business support options, gain clarity on your next steps, and connect with others in a supportive space. MORE INFO

☕ 23/04, 9:00 am, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Founder Friday Coworking A focused coworking day for founders and execs to connect, share ideas, and build alongside like-minded peers in a relaxed, energising space. MORE INFO

💻 28/04, 11:00 am, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Co-Work Club Edinburgh Escape the home office with this flexible coworking day at YOTEL, offering unlimited coffee, pastries, a stylish workspace, and relaxed networking with like-minded professionals. MORE INFO

🍄 29/04, 18:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: People, Planet, Pint presents Bunker to Table discover how an Edinburgh nuclear bunker became a mushroom-growing space, with producer and chef Christopher Valentine-Allan sharing practical insights and community-led ideas. MORE INFO

🧠 29/04, 18:15, 🗺️ Edinburgh: People, Planet, Pint presents Bunker to Table. Join this interactive workshop to explore human-centred ways of working, with practical tools to build more autonomy, clarity, and less hierarchy in organisations. MORE INFO

💳 FSTech Summit On April 30th, a one-day Edinburgh conference bringing together finance and tech leaders for “talks, panels, and networking on AI, blockchain, payments, and the future of financial services”. Details Here

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🍄 Bunker to table, Co-working club, Tech & Founder Meetups

Robert Gelb — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 07:34:42 GMT

Here’s your Campfire for Tuesday, April 7th

📣 Asks, Offers, Updates, & Deadlines

💰 Glasgow-based MoneyMatiX has partnered with the Ideal Home Show Scotland (May 22-25) to host ‘The Money Village’, a special space within the Ideal Home Show where consumer-focussed fintech companies can sell and exhibit to the public. Open to “consumer-facing brands across all B2C verticals, including payments, savings, budgeting, credit, investment, insurance, legal tech, open banking and beyond.” Contact here for more info.

⭐️ The UHI Business Competition from CREATE Highlands and Islands Hub invites students and residents (16+ in Argyll & Bute, Highlands and Islands, Moray or Perthshire) to “pitch an idea or new venture for the chance to win up to £8,500 plus accountancy, legal, and IT support”. Details here

🤖 Fast Forward: Data, Digital & AI Conference This June, join researchers, industry leaders, and partners for a day of panels, workshops, and networking exploring the “opportunities and challenges of emerging data, digital, and AI technologies”. Details 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 or share something with Campfire? Get in touch!

📅 Events

☕️ Unfiltered Series: Open to everyone, join CodeBase to connect with members of the local tech community. Come for a coffee, networking, & build connections!
- 07/04, 09:00 🗺️ Stirling: MORE INFO

🚀 08/04, 08:30 am, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Business Networking Event Join the Marketing & Advertising Network for a relaxed networking event focused on marketing and advertising. MORE INFO

🍻 08/04, 19:00, 🗺️ Aberdeen: Small99’s People, Planet, Pint™: Sustainability Meetup Meet others locally for a relaxed chat about sustainability over a drink. MORE INFO

🦄 09/04, 16:00, 🗺️ Aberdeen: The Mythical Unicorn vs. the Real Workhorse: Why Exits Beat Valuations Marking National Unicorn Day in Scotland on April 9th, join Mark Bjornsgaard, founder and CEO of System Two Group, as he challenges the startup world's unicorn obsession. With seven successful exits, hundreds of millions raised, and ventures sold to British Gas, GSK and more, Mark makes the case that real exits beat mythical valuations every time. MORE INFO

🌍 09/04, 18:00, 🗺️ Glasgow: Small99's People, Planet, Pint™: Sustainability Meetup Meet others locally for a relaxed chat about sustainability over a drink. MORE INFO

🍻 16/04, 18:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Small99’s People, Planet, Pint™: Sustainability Meetup Meet others locally for a relaxed chat about sustainability over a drink. MORE INFO

🔥 21/04, 18:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Founders Meetup Join tactical fireside chats with experienced entrepreneurs plus speed networking, community shoutouts, and drinks to wrap up MORE INFO

🔗 21/04, 17:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Blockchain Scotland Meetup Join us at the Bayes Centre for networking and three upcoming talks MORE INFO

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Photo by Ocean Intelligence

Coworking day, Unfiltered, FSTech Summit, Mythical Unicorns vs Real Workhorses

Robert Gelb — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 07:34:39 GMT

Here’s your Campfire for Monday, March 30th

📣 Asks, Offers, Updates, & Deadlines

📈 Applications are open for the St Andrews New Venture Challenge, aimed at “those with a developed idea ready to refine and grow. Receive expert feedback and support to strengthen your concept and plan your next steps”. Details here

💳 FSTech Summit a one-day Edinburgh conference bringing together finance and tech leaders for “talks, panels, and networking on AI, blockchain, payments, and the future of financial services”. Details 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 or share something with Campfire? Get in touch!

📅 Events

👯‍♂️ 30/03, 9:00 am, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Coworking Day: Connect & Work Smarter A focused coworking day for founders and startup leaders to work, unblock challenges, and have practical conversations while moving key business tasks forward. MORE INFO

🛠️ 28/03, 10:00 am, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Makers gonna make A relaxed day for makers to work on ideas, build projects, and share progress with a supportive community. MORE INFO

💻 31/03, 17:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Tech Meetup Edinburgh A relaxed monthly meetup for Scotland’s tech community to connect, hear short tech talks and demos, share community updates, and network over pizza, drinks, and a post-event pub visit. MORE INFO

👯‍♂️ 31/03, 11:00 am, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Co-Work Club Edinburgh A casual coworking day designed for professionals who want a productive workspace, great coffee and low-pressure networking.MORE INFO

☕️ Unfiltered Series: Open to everyone, join CodeBase to connect with members of the local tech community. Come for a coffee, networking, & build connections!
☕ 01/04, 08:30 🗺️ Aberdeen: MORE INFO
☕ 01/04, 08:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: MORE INFO
☕ 02/04, 09:00 🗺️ Glasgow: MORE INFO
☕ 02/04, 09:00 🗺️ Dundee: MORE INFO
☕ ~~03/04, 09:00 🗺️ Inverness:~~ ~~MORE INFO~~ sold out
☕ 07/04, 09:00 🗺️ Stirling: MORE INFO

💻 02/04, 18:30, 🗺️ Glasgow: Tech Meetup Join us at The Social Hub for a relaxed tech meetup with talks, drinks, and a chance to learn something new. MORE INFO

🚀 08/04, 08:30 am, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Business Networking Event Join the Marketing & Advertising Network for a relaxed networking event focused on marketing and advertising. MORE INFO

🍻 08/04, 19:00, 🗺️ Aberdeen: Small99’s People, Planet, Pint™: Sustainability Meetup Meet others locally for a relaxed chat about sustainability over a drink. MORE INFO

🌍 09/04, 18:00, 🗺️ Glasgow: Small99's People, Planet, Pint™: Sustainability Meetup Meet others locally for a relaxed chat about sustainability over a drink. MORE INFO

🍻 16/04, 18:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Small99’s People, Planet, Pint™: Sustainability Meetup Meet others locally for a relaxed chat about sustainability over a drink. MORE INFO

🔥 21/04, 18:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Founders Meetup Join tactical fireside chats with experienced entrepreneurs plus speed networking, community shoutouts, and drinks to wrap up MORE INFO

🔗 21/04, 17:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Blockchain Scotland Meetup Join us at the Bayes Centre for networking and three upcoming talks MORE INFO

💻 28/04, 17:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Tech Meetup a monthly, no-pressure space for Scotland’s tech community to connect, share ideas, enjoy peer-led talks, and grab pizza and drinks. MORE INFO

🍄 29/04, 18:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: People, Planet, Pint presents Bunker to Table discover how an Edinburgh nuclear bunker became a mushroom-growing space, with producer and chef Christopher Valentine-Allan sharing practical insights and community-led ideas MORE INFO

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That’s all for this week - have a great one!

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Photo by Ocean Intelligence

Founders Meetup, Video game emulators in Javascript, EDGE & UHI Competitions

Robert Gelb — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 08:34:35 GMT

Here’s your Campfire for Monday, March 16th.

📣 Asks, Offers, Updates, & Deadlines

🧗‍♀️Scottish EDGE applications are open now and close March 25th. Awards include Scottish EDGE (up to £150k loan/grant, Social Enterprise EDGE (up to £75k loan/grant, Young EDGE (up to £15k grant for under 30s), and Wild Card EDGE (up to £15k grant for pre-trading businesses). There are also multiple specialist categories available as well. More info here.

⭐️ The UHI Business Competition from CREATE Highlands and Islands Hub invites students and residents (16+ in Argyll & Bute, Highlands and Islands, Moray or Perthshire) to pitch an idea or new venture for the chance to win up to £8,500 plus accountancy, legal, and IT support. Details here

🤖 Fast Forward: Data, Digital & AI Conference Join researchers, industry leaders, and partners for a day of panels, workshops, and networking exploring the opportunities and challenges of emerging data, digital, and AI technologies. Details 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 or share something with Campfire? Get in touch!

📅 Events

🔗 16/03, 17:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Blockchain Scotland Meetup An evening meetup for the Blockchain Scotland community to connect, share ideas, and explore developments in blockchain technology. MORE INFO

💻 17/03, 19:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Writing an emulator in JavaScript Join the EdinburghJS community for an evening of talks, refreshments, and a talk by Sara Vieira on building a video game emulator in JavaScript. MORE INFO

🚀 17/03, 18:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Founders Meetup Edinburgh A founder-focused meetup featuring tactical fireside chats, community shoutouts, and speed networking with entrepreneurs, potential co-founders, and investors. This month’s guest: Andrew Parfery MORE INFO

💻 18/03, 16:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Agentic Conversational AI Mixer A relaxed meetup for engineers and technical leaders building conversational AI, agentic systems, and voice AI. MORE INFO

📈 18/03, 16:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Business Growth Series: Digital Marketing for Business Growth Learn how SEO, email, social media, paid advertising, and partnership opportunities can work together to help businesses reach new customers and support long-term growth. MORE INFO

🍻 19/03, 18:15, 🗺️ Edinburgh: People, Planet, Pint™: Sustainability Meetup A relaxed sustainability meetup bringing people together over a drink to connect, share ideas, and learn about local climate action. MORE INFO

🌱 19/03, 18:15, 🗺️ Dumfries: Developing a Community Energy Project Join SOSE to explore renewable energy and clean-heat opportunities, hear real community project stories, and learn about the funding and support available to help you get started. MORE INFO

📈 19/03, 14:00, 🗺️ Online: Future Proofing Your Business Next Steps and Practical Tools The final webinar in the megatrends series explores practical tools and real-world examples to help businesses anticipate change, strengthen strategy, and respond confidently to future challenges. MORE INFO

💻 19/03, 9:00 am, 🗺️ Perth: Perth Tech Mornings An informal coffee meetup at the Perth Ideas Centre where anyone can connect with members of the local tech community and enjoy relaxed conversation and networking. MORE INFO

👯‍♂️ 19/03, 10:30 am, 🗺️ Perth: Perth Coworking Day A free coworking day at the Perth Ideas Centre where members of the tech and business community can work, connect and stay productive using shared workspaces, WiFi, and refreshments. MORE INFO

🛠️ 24/03, 13:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Traveltech Meet-up: Building Agentic AI Workflows A practical, hands-on session where you’ll learn what agentic AI is and build a simple AI-powered workflow step-by-step using n8n. MORE INFO

🗂️ 25/03, 18:15, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Mediation: How it works and why it’s so powerful A practical introduction to mediation, exploring how conflict can be turned into productive conversations and sustainable solutions. MORE INFO

🍕 25/03, 17:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Networking Social - The After Work Club A relaxed after-work networking evening with drinks, pizza, darts, and easygoing conversation to help professionals make genuine connections. MORE INFO

🔐 25/03, 18:15, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Scot-Secure 2026 Scotland’s 12th annual cyber security conference bringing together businesses for expert keynotes, workshops, and an exhibition focused on protecting organisations from cyber threats. MORE INFO

🌍 26/03, 15:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Netwalking for Changemakers: Walk with good people, enjoying worthwhile conversations, in peaceful, green spaces. For everyone working for social and environmental change. This month: Holyrood Park. MORE INFO

🍻 26/03, 18:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: ProductTank Edinburgh Networking + Social Join fellow product professionals for a relaxed evening of casual networking, good conversations, and meeting new people at the Beehive Inn. MORE INFO

🏆 26/03, 18:15, 🗺️ Edinburgh: The Scottish Cyber Awards 2026 celebrates excellence across Scotland’s cyber security sector, recognising the people, organisations and innovations shaping the industry. MORE INFO

☕ 27/03, 08:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Coworking Open Day Drop in anytime between 8:30am and 5:30pm to tour the space, try coworking for the day, and chat with the team about membership.MORE INFO

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🔗 Tech Mornings, ScotSecure, Blockchain Scotland, After-work club

Robert Gelb — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 08:34:44 GMT

Here’s your Campfire for Monday, March 9th.

📣 Asks, Offers, Updates, & Deadlines

👭 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 or share something with Campfire? Get in touch!

📅 Events

💻 11/03, 8:30 am, 🗺️ Dundee: SMAS Making Change Happen workshop Join us in Dundee for a free breakfast briefing exploring why change efforts fail, what makes transformation stick, and how our new Lean Competency System and Business Improvement Academy can help your organisation turn change intent into lasting results. MORE INFO

👩‍💻 11/03, 9:00 am, 🗺️ Glasgow: Female Founder Co Working Club A monthly coworking session bringing together female founders and entrepreneurs to work, connect, and grow alongside a supportive community. MORE INFO

👯‍♂️ 11/03, 9:30 am, 🗺️ Aberdeen: Female Founder Co Working Club Join our Female Founder Co-Working Club in Aberdeen as we celebrate IWD26, a monthly space for female founders and entrepreneurs across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire to connect, focus, and grow together within a supportive community. MORE INFO

🍻 12/03, 18:00, 🗺️ Glasgow: People, Planet, Pint™: Sustainability Meetup A relaxed sustainability meetup bringing people together over a drink to connect, share ideas, and learn about local climate action. MORE INFO

🍺 11/03, 18:00, 🗺️ Glasgow: ProductTank Glasgow: Social Drinks & Networking an informal evening of drinks, stories and connection for anyone working in (or curious about) product, with the first few rounds kindly sponsored by Four/Four. MORE INFO

🚀 12/03, 10:00 am, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Innovation Funding: Investor Insights & Founder Connections An interactive event where founders can hear directly from investors, ask candid questions about funding, and build meaningful connections to support their growth journey. MORE INFO

⭐️ 12/03, 13:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Geovation Scotland 2026 Showcase where you’ll hear pitches from our latest property, land and location tech startups, gain insights from alumni founders, and connect with innovators and industry leaders shaping the future of the sector. MORE INFO

👭 12/03, 17:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Innovation Funding: Investor Insights & Founder Connections Join founders and investors for an evening of funding insights, panel discussion and networking with Scotland’s early-stage investment community. MORE INFO

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That’s all for this week - have a great one!

Team 🔥 Campfire

Photo by Ocean Intelligence