Here's your Campfire for the 27th of October, 2025.
💼 Johnston Carmichael are a leading accountancy and business advisory firm, with offices throughout Scotland, in Newcastle and London. A partner owned firm for over 85 years, they have grown to offer core and specialist services to business of all sizes.
With specialist sector teams, they are fast becoming one of the most trusted advisers for entrepreneurs, founders and businesses that are successfully scaling.
Talk to the team today to discuss what growth stage your business is at.
🌊 Updates
💻 CodeBase has relaunched CodeClan and has announced the first cohorts will start in early 2026. Initial programmes include a “9-month Software Engineering programme for ‘first-timers’ and a 12-week Applied Agentic AI programme for experienced engineers”. TH DT IN SM
🧪 Glasgow-based “digital chemistry” company Chemify raised $50 million in Series B funding co-led by Wing Venture Capital and Insight Partners, with backing from 8VC, Triatomic Capital, Blueyard, and others. The funding will “scale Chemify’s molecular design and automation platform and expand operations to Silicon Valley”. IN DT
🚗 Glasgow-based TBR Global Chauffeuring has been acquired by US ride-hailing company Lyft in an £83 million cash deal, expanding Lyft’s European presence. They also own ride-hailing app Freenow, which they acquired earlier this year. DT
📣 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.
👭 Interested in connecting with possible co-founders? Fill in your listing on Cofounder Curious today! Connect with others for possible cofounder matching here.
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✍️ Want to write something for Campfire? Have an opinion you'd like to share? get in touch!
📅 Events
💬 27/10, 18:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Edinburgh Mentor Match an evening of connection and collaboration for founders looking to share stories, spark ideas, and meet mentors who can support their business journey. MORE INFO
♻️ 28/10, 09:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Greentech Meetup: Edinburgh Remakery, Building Your Local Circular Economy, Join their monthly meetup where we bring the Edinburgh Greentech community together for a learning session, networking & a spot of breakfast. MORE INFO
🤖 29/10, 18:00, 🗺️ Glasgow: Startup Grind Glasgow: Myth-busting AI: Lightning Talks & Debate, Join us for an evening of fast-paced lightning talks and an open panel debate that cuts through the buzzwords and how to move from hype to ROI and gets to the heart of what AI really means for startups, entrepreneurs, and innovators. MORE INFO
🎉 30/10, 19:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: The Melting Pot turns 18! Join members, friends, and partners for an informal evening of stories, cake, drinks, and networking celebrating Scotland’s Centre for Social Innovation and the community that made it possible. MORE INFO
💬 30/10, 10:00, 🗺️ Aberdeen: Barclays Eagle Labs Drop-In Clinic stop by ONE Tech Hub to chat with the Barclays team about your business goals, challenges, and growth opportunities. MORE INFO
💸 04/11, 12:00, 🗺️ Glasgow: All About Investing, Lending & Finance: Lunch & Learn A practical session at Barclays Eagle Labs demystifying investment, funding, and financial conversations for founders. MORE INFO
👩💼 04/11, 09:30 🗺️ Glasgow: Female Founder Co-Working Club: A full-day coworking session at Eagle Labs Glasgow for women founders to connect, focus, and stay motivated. 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!
☕ 04/11, 09:00 🗺️ Inverness: MORE INFO
☕ 04/11, 09:00 🗺️ Stirling: MORE INFO
☕ 04/11, 09:00 🗺️ Dumfries: MORE INFO
☕ 04/11, 09:00 🗺️ Glasgow: MORE INFO
☕ 05/11, 08:30 🗺️ Aberdeen: MORE INFO
☕ 05/11, 08:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: MORE INFO
☕ 06/11, 09:00 🗺️ Dundee: MORE INFO
🍺 06/11, 19:00 🗺️ Glasgow: People, Planet, Pint™ Sustainability Meetup: A relaxed evening for locals to connect, chat sustainability, and share ideas over a pint. MORE INFO
💻 07/11, 18:00 🗺️ Glasgow: Tech Meetup Glasgow: Open to everyone, this informal gathering at The Social Hub welcomes all levels of tech experience for an evening of networking, learning, and community connection. MORE INFO
🧱 10/11, 17:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Blockchain Scotland Meetup: Monthly gathering at the Bayes Centre bringing together entrepreneurs, developers, and industry leaders to discuss blockchain innovation in Scotland. MORE INFO
💼 18/11, 09:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Small Business Workshop: Sustainability Join this high impact workshop where you’ll discover ways in which you can run a more resilient, sustainable, and profitable business. MORE INFO
💼 18/11, 08:30, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Business Networking Event: E-commerce Customer Retention & Loyalty, bringing together startup founders, entrepreneurs, and professionals to connect and discuss marketing and advertising. MORE INFO
🍺 20/11, 19:15 🗺️ Edinburgh: People, Planet, Pint™ Sustainability Meetup: A relaxed evening for locals to connect, chat sustainability, and share ideas over a pint. MORE INFO
🌍 20/11, 17:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: TravelTech Meetup (Evening Session) Hosted at CreateFuture, this relaxed networking night features a panel discussion, drinks, and conversations on the future of travel and tech. MORE INFO
💻 20/11, 09:00 🗺️ Online: Scale Your Service Business With Tech: A CodeBase workshop for service-based founders on using technology to grow and scale efficiently. MORE INFO
🖥️ 20/11, 09:00 🗺️ Perth: Perth Tech Mornings: Networking with the local tech and business community. MORE INFO
💡 20/11, 17:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Startup Huddle: Edinburgh connect with local entrepreneurs to network, exchange ideas, and share expertise at Bright Red Triangle’s Canalside Office. MORE INFO
💼 25/11, 17:00, 🗺️ Glasgow: Business Networking Event: E-commerce Customer Retention & Loyalty join startup founders and entrepreneurs in Merchant City for an informal evening of networking and discussion. MORE INFO
🧭 26/11, 10:00 🗺️ Online: Techscaler x ScotlandIS Webinar: Learn how early-stage Techscaler members can access ScotlandIS support, free for the first year. MORE INFO
🛡️ 26/11, 18:00, 🗺️ Edinburgh: Network One: Cybersecurity Startups & Professionals Meetup a relaxed evening at Cold Town House for cybersecurity pros, ethical hackers, and startup founders to connect and share insights. MORE INFO
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That’s all for this week - have a great one!
Team 🔥 Campfire
The TBR Global acquisition alongside the earlier Freenow purchase really shows Lyft's strategic pivot toward Europe. What's interesting is that they're buying premium chauffering services rather than trying to compete head-to-head with Uber in the mass market ride-hailing space. This could be a smart move - establising a foothold in the high-margin corporate and luxury segments where they can potentially command better unit economics. Glasgow's not an obvious first choice for expansion, but TBR's existing relationships with corporate clients could be exactly what Lyft needs to build credibility with European enterprise customers before scaling broader.