Cyacomb & GeneralPractice.AI Raise, 10 fintech firms showcased, new resources for founders in Aberdeen and Stornoway
Here's your Campfire for the 19th of May, 2025.
💼 This issue of Campfire is sponsored by Shepherd and Wedderburn's initiative to supercharge start-ups and scale-ups. Be sure to follow the Start to Scale LinkedIn page for useful videos and posts designed to help founders.
🌊 Updates
🚀 Ten “fast-growing Scottish fintech firms” will be showcased at Money20/20 Europe in Amsterdam this June. They are: Aveni (AI financial advice and compliance platform), BigSpark (data analytics and orchestration), CreditNature (nature-positive credit risk), docStribute (Secure digital document distribution), Recast (Blockchain-powered content distribution), Encompass (KYC automation and digital onboarding), Inicio (consumer finance AI), Korelabs (product lifecycle and compliance platform), Transwap (Cross-border payments/FX), OneBanx (Banking access for underserved communities). TS FS
💰 Edinburgh-based digital forensics firm Cyacomb raised a £2.25m investment from the Scottish National Investment Bank to support international growth. The company’s tech helps law enforcement rapidly scan devices for harmful content, aiding in the fight against child sexual abuse and terrorism. The funding follows a £4.8m investment in 2023. FS DGT IN
🍾 Bothy Trading has signed deal with the Scottish Co-op Group, bringing its Hipflask Spirits and Gunshot Whisky to 107 stores across Scotland. It’s the second national listing for the Hipflask brand, following a launch in Morrisons last year. Meanwhile, fellow Scottish spirits company Young Spirits has secured an exclusive Scotmid listing for its new single-serve vodka pouch line, Nips & Sips. The product was fast-tracked through the firm’s internal innovation process and won Scotmid’s Scottish Favourites competition. IN
🥼 Glasgow-based startup GeneralPractice.AI (a platform that offers over 50 tools to support GP practices and patient care) raised £250,000 in funding, led by Deepbridge Capital. Founded by GP Dr. Angus Perry, the AI-powered platform supports clinicians in preventing disease through personalised lifestyle interventions. Its app, My Lifestyle Hub, connects patients to tailored advice and community resources. IN FS
✍ The UK startup ecosystem continues to face a stark gender funding gap, according to a new report by Startup Coalition. Despite women comprising nearly 14% of founders, all-female teams secure just 6–7% of equity deals—compared to 72–73% for all-male teams. The disparity grows at higher investment levels, with female-led startups receiving only 2.4% of deals worth £10M or more. The report highlights investor bias, systemic barriers, and the “need for policy change”. DGT
📢 New businesses in Aberdeen can now apply for funding through the city’s Business Start-Up Grant Scheme. Open to sole traders, partnerships, and limited companies launched since October 1, 2024, the scheme offers grants of £1,000 for home-based firms and £3,000 for those with commercial premises. Applicants must be working with Business Gateway and have an assigned advisor. The scheme runs until 28 February 2026 or until funds run out. SFN
💡 Building a startup in Stornoway? New space and resources: A £2.3 million Technology and Innovation Centre has opened at UHI North, West and Hebrides’ Stornoway campus. The new facility will expand on-campus learning and curriculum offerings in renewable energy, engineering, construction, and sustainability. Key features include a Future Energy Lab, a Newton Room for STEM education, and virtual welding simulators. UHI is also home to the country’s only SQA-recognised hydrogen engineering qualification. DGT
📣 Asks & Offers
🚨Start to Scale by Shepherd and Wedderburn is offering eligible subscribers of Campfire exclusive access to their ‘Start to Scale Hub’ which helps companies create template legal agreements in minutes for free. To learn more and request access click here.
💼 Work with TopHatch: Senior Frontend Engineer (Remote, UK/Finland) Looking for a place where you can bring your whole self to work and make a real impact? TopHatch, a remote-first company behind the award-winning app Concepts, is hiring a Senior Frontend Engineer (Contract, £60–£70/hr) based in the UK or Finland to work with modern web technologies in a supportive, people-first environment. Apply here.
✈️ TravelPerk, a hyper-growth SaaS company revolutionising business travel, is hiring a Senior Software Engineer in Edinburgh. You'll work with modern tech (Python/Django, React), shape product architecture, and join a fast-paced, award-winning team trusted by brands like Wise and Red Bull. Apply here.
💻 Looking for an early-stage fractional CTO? Carlos Fontana is an Edinburgh-based experienced tech leader with over a decade of success guiding teams and defining architecture. He is the kind of technical leader who thrives where vision meets execution. He specialises in defining architecture from the ground up, building systems that are both scalable and secure, and organising technical priorities that set teams up for long-term success. If you’re looking for technical leadership support, connect and reach out to Carlos—let’s build something that matters.
👭 Interested in connecting with possible co-founders? Fill in your listing on Cofounder Curious today! Connect with others for possible cofounder matching here.
👷Are you hiring? Send us a blurb and we’ll include it in the next newsletter!
✍️ Want to write something for Campfire? Have an opinion you'd like to share? get in touch!
📅 Events
🚀 20/05, 10:00 🗺️ Dumfries: SOSE AcceleratE Programme - Dumfries: Scale your business with expert-led strategy, branding, sales, and leadership training in our 6-day accelerator programme. MORE INFO
📌 20/05, 17:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Blockchain Scotland Meetup: Welcome to the Monthly Blockchain Scotland Meetup at the Bayes Centre in Edinburgh. The event takes place at the ground floor in G.03. MORE INFO
🎯 20/05, 17:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Healthcare, Robotics, and Innovation: Join us for an open dialogue that welcomes everyone from experts to the curious - you don’t have to be a technical expert to join this session! AI and its applications are here to stay. This event aims to help you understand how it impacts our daily lives so you can critically engage as uses of AI evolve. MORE INFO
📍 20/05, 18:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: May Meetup - State machines with XState: Our talks aim to introduce members of the community, fostering networking, mentorship, learning, and collaboration. Everyone is welcome—whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned engineer. MORE INFO
🎯 21/05, 09:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Edinburgh Professionals Quarterly Networking - Let's talk about AI.: We wanted to bring together our local network or professionals and Founders here in Edinburgh as a way of introducing them to each other. MORE INFO
🌐 21/05, 10:00 🗺️ Glasgow: Pitching Workshop: Understanding Investors: Join us for this in-person workshop to understand investor psychology and criteria! MORE INFO
🙌 21/05, 17:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Edinburgh CAN B: Join us on Wednesday May 21st to continue working together to support collaboration for an even more sustainable and inclusive Edinburgh. Members of the CAN B Movement and anyone interested in getting involved are warmly welcome to join. MORE INFO
🌍 21/05, 17:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: World Product Day - Global Accessibility: Product people! Join ProductTank Edinburgh's special World Product Day celebration, where we will dive deep into making the products we work on, accessible to all. MORE INFO
🤝 21/05, 17:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Catalysing Connections May Gathering: Catalysing Connections is rooted in the values of collaboration, community and learning. At each gathering, two or three people will be invited to share an experience, project or idea that they're working on in order to gain feedback, seek collaborations or solve a problem. MORE INFO
💻 22/05, 08:30 🗺️ Perth: Perth Tech Mornings: An in-person and informal catch-up with the Perth tech community! MORE INFO
🚀 22/05, 09:00 🗺️ Online: Scale Your Service Business With Tech- Hybrid Event - Dumfries and Online: Do you run a service-based business, and are looking for inspiration on how you can grow and scale efficiently through technology? MORE INFO
💻 22/05, 10:00 🗺️ Glasgow: Co-Work Club Glasgow: Tired of the home office grind but not ready for the daily commute? Say goodbye to crowded coffee shops and the endless search for a quiet Zoom spot. We've got the solution: Welcome to Coworking Club at Yotel, Glasgow. Last Tuesday of the month.. MORE INFO
🤝 22/05, 10:30 🗺️ Perth: Perth Coworking Day: A free coworking day in the Famous Grouse Idea Centre for the tech and business community. MORE INFO
📝 22/05, 17:15 🗺️ Edinburgh: Barclays Eagle Labs and CodeBase Quarterly Pub Quiz (May 2025): Join us for this month's pub quiz - bringing together the CodeBase and Edinburgh community for a bit of fun! MORE INFO
🧳 22/05, 17:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Traveltech Meet up: Whether you're a startup founder, developer, marketer, or simply working in travel and technology, this is a chance to connect with others in the sector. MORE INFO
📍 23/05, 10:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Good Ideas: Catalyst: Our Good Ideas: Catalyst is the perfect way to explore the potential of a new idea for social or environmental change. If you’re an early-stage innovator, in need of a change of direction or just passionate about finding a way to address a cause, Good Ideas: Catalyst is an entry point for you to explore the feasibility of a new idea. MORE INFO
🛠️ 24/05, 10:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Makers gonna make - Episode 7: Our monthly event puts emphasis on building, hacking and tinkering with other like-minded makers, followed by an opportunity to present what you did in a community where we help each other, we value honest feedback and help hold each other accountable. We aspire to make something out of nothing and ship it to the world. MORE INFO
🚀 26/05, 18:00 🗺️ Glasgow: Kicking off Glasgow Tech Week: From Scotland to the World. Scotland’s tech ecosystem is thriving, and the world is watching. Join us for a fun summer evening with Startup Grind Glasgow full of inspiring conversations, valuable connections, and insights on taking your startup from Scotland to the world. RSVP here
🤝 26/05, 18:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Startup Founders Meetup - May 2025: Tactical fireside chats with experienced entrepreneurs and speed networking with other founders, potential cofounders, and investors! MORE INFO
🍃 27/05, 09:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Edinburgh Greentech Meetup: Transforming Battery Waste into Opportunity: Join our monthly meetup with Dr. Leonardo Binetti from AraBat on Battery Recycling Innovation. MORE INFO
💻 27/05, 10:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Co-Work Club Edinburgh: Tired of the home office grind but not ready for the daily commute? Say goodbye to crowded coffee shops and the endless search for a quiet Zoom spot. We've got the solution: Welcome to Co-Work Club @ Kimpton Hotel, Edinburgh. MORE INFO
📌 28/05, 08:30 🗺️ Glasgow: Building a winning team: How can your tech company recruit and retain the right people?: Join Shepherd and Wedderburn’s legal experts as they answer that question and more, before considering industry success stories with guest panellist, Anne-Sofie Lagander. MORE INFO
⚡ 28/05, 09:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Smarter Scaling in Stormy Times: How to Leverage C-Suite as a Service (C-SaaS): Understand the power that C-Suite as a Service can play in helping you to grow your business. MORE INFO
🚀 28/05, 10:00 🗺️ Glasgow: The Future of PropTech in Scotland Chapter 3 | Speed Networking: Geovation Scotland, BE-ST, Scottish Development International and The Data Lab have teamed up to host a networking event with a twist! MORE INFO
💸 28/05, 12:00 🗺️ Online: Pre-seed Funding Masterclass: Raising from Angels: Join us for a practical, founder-focused Pre-Seed Funding Masterclass, where we’ll demystify the early-stage investment process. MORE INFO
🏢 28/05, 14:30 🗺️ Glasgow: Investor/IP Office hours with British Business Bank, Lawrie IP for GTW: Are you Scaling? Have a Burning question for an Investor or about your IP? If so then this is your opportunity you've been waiting for! MORE INFO
🎪 29/05, 09:00 🗺️ Glasgow: Fusion Fest: Attendees of Fusion Fest will have the opportunity to network with colleagues and peers in a conference designed for actionable learnings at the same time showcasing talent and expertise in Glasgow. MORE INFO
📍 29/05, 17:00–22:30 🗺️ Glasgow: TecTonic Night Summit at Barras Art & Design: An immersive evening of curiosity, connectivity, and community. Join 400+ founders, creatives, tech professionals, and ecosystem builders for exhibitions, innovation showcases, mentorship sessions, and more as part of Glasgow Tech Week. MORE INFO
🤝 30/05, 09:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Founder Friday Coworking: Join us for a day of networking and inspiration! this is your chance to connect with fellow founders, share ideas, and maybe even spark your next big project. MORE INFO
💻 03/06, 09:30 🗺️ Glasgow: Female Founders Co-Working Club - June: Stay inspired, motivated and connected throughout 2025 with the Female Founder Co-Working Club at Glasgow Eagle Labs! MORE INFO
🌐 03/06, 17:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Tech Meetup Edinburgh - June 2025: The Tech Meetup is a monthly excuse for the tech community around Scotland to network, learn and share new ideas! Enjoy informative tech presentations from your peers, hear about exciting community projects and create new connections. MORE INFO
☕ Series: Unfiltered: An in-person, informal catch-up with the Scottish tech community! Come join us for a coffee!
⛾ 04/06, 08:30 🗺️ Inverness, MORE INFO
⛾ 04/06, 08:30 🗺️ Stirling, MORE INFO
⛾ 04/06, 08:30 🗺️ Glasgow, MORE INFO
⛾ 04/06, 08:30 🗺️ Aberdeen, MORE INFO
⛾ 04/06, 08:30 🗺️ Edinburgh, MORE INFO
🚀 04/06, 10:00 🗺️ Glasgow: The AI-Powered Business: How Businesses Can 10x Their Productivity: Join this event and discover how you can use AI tools to boost your productivity. MORE INFO
🎯 05/06, 08:30 🗺️ Glasgow: DIGIT Expo West 2025 - Glasgow: DIGIT Expo West hosts 1300+ attendees, 50+ speakers and 40+ exhibitors. Experience five stages of tech talks on Cyber Security, Data, AI, ML, Analytics, Cloud Services, Networks, Connectivity and much more. Explore Scotland’s biggest tech exhibition to get up close with the new disruptive products and services that are shaping future businesses. MORE INFO
🌍 05/06, 09:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Global Insights: Consumer Industries Exporters: Join Scottish Development International at this exporting event, where you can connect with trade advisors and market specialists. MORE INFO
🤝 05/06, 18:00 🗺️ Glasgow: Tech Meetup Glasgow - June 2025 - CreateFuture Take Over!: Join us at Civic House, Glasgow for our free event featuring two talks on tech with soft drinks and pizza. MORE INFO
🍺 05/06, 18:00 🗺️ Glasgow: Glasgow - Small99's People, Planet, Pint™: Sustainability Meetup: Pop down to your local People Planet Pint meetup to find more about what's going on locally with sustainability and how you can get involved. MORE INFO
🤖 06/06, 10:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Unleash the Power of ChatGPT & AI to Drive International Business Growth: Join this interactive event and develop your understanding of AI and its business applications. MORE INFO
💪 10/06, 09:30 🗺️ Online: Unlock the Power of Fair Working Practices: Join us for an engaging and transformative interactive workshop that celebrates fair working practices and empowers organisations to create. MORE INFO
💼 10/06, 09:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: From Risk to Resilience: The Critical Role of Testing & QA in Startups: Join us for a session with Nadia McKay, nexa IQ, who will demystify testing for those working in startups and scaleups. MORE INFO
🔋 10/06, 13:30 🗺️ Duns: Developing a Community Energy Project: Join South of Scotland Enterprise, Local Energy Scotland & Communities about net-zero, renewables & clean heat opportunities. MORE INFO
🚀 12/06, 10:00 🗺️ Dumfries: The Next Big Leap: Scaling Women-Led Enterprises - Dumfries: Women in business: scale with strategy, not burnout. A power-packed morning of growth tools, talks & networking. MORE INFO
🚀 16/06, 10:00 🗺️ Galashiels: The Next Big Leap: Scaling Women-Led Enterprises - Galashiels: Women in business: scale with strategy, not burnout. A power-packed morning of growth tools, talks & networking. MORE INFO
🎤 18/06, 17:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: TestTalks: Edinburgh - Career Development: Join us at TestTalks: Edinburgh for a career themed event: career stories, advice, CV workshop. MORE INFO
⚡ 19/06, 14:30 🗺️ Douglas: Developing a Community Energy Project: Join South of Scotland Enterprise and communities to hear about net-zero, renewables & clean heat opportunities. MORE INFO
🎯 Deadlines
Royal Academy of Engineering – Shott ScaleUp Accelerator Now Open
Are you looking to take your DeepTech business to the next level? Apply now to join the Shott Scale Up Accelerator, a programme empowering senior leaders with the insights and leadership skills needed to scale successfully. Apply by 20th May.
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That’s all for this week - have a great one!
Team 🔥 Campfire