🌯 GDK expansion, King's Awards for Enterprise, Graphene Acquires Adviser Platform, Scale-up Opinion
Here's your Campfire for the 12th 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
💸 The Scottish Government’s 2025 Programme For Government includes new funding for AI, university spinouts, women-led startups, and regional innovation. Key measures include launching AI Scotland, a University Proof of Concept Fund, and £200m for regional Growth Deals. The plan also boosts research grants, small business relief, broadband access, and renewable energy investment. More info: DGT
🏆 Eleven Scottish companies have received King’s Awards for Enterprise in 2025, recognising “excellence in innovation, international trade, and opportunity”.
Winners include Glencairn Crystal Studio (handcrafted premium whisky glassware), Gray & Adams (temperature-controlled refrigerated trailers), Ross-shire Engineering (water treatment solutions), Aberdeen-based Fennex (AI digital tech company), Edinburgh tour operator Rabbie’s Trail Burners, Stirling-based Symbiosis Pharmaceutical Services, Aberdeen-based Impact Subsea, and Angus-based Aydya (a reusable product specialist). Also recognised were North Lanarkshire outfit, ACS Clothing, along with Aberdeen-based Rubberatkins, and Edinburgh-based Occupancy Marketing. 88% of this year’s 197 winners were small businesses. DGT SS
💰Glasgow-based German Doner Kebab (GDK) has raised an undisclosed sum from London-based True to “support its UK and global expansion”. With over 145 UK locations and 170 worldwide, GDK plans to reach 300 UK restaurants by 2028. IN
🥃 Eden Mill (premium Scottish craft gin, whisky and gin liqueurs) has secured its first nationwide UK listing with Waitrose, launching its new-look Golf Gin in 202 stores. The gin, “made with botanicals from St Andrews' Old Course,” will be exclusively available at Waitrose for three months. IN
🤝 Kirkcaldy-based tech startup Graphene acquired the Marlborough Select financial adviser platform for an undisclosed sum. The platform was launched two years ago with Seccl. CW
💡 Glasgow Tech Week 2025 runs from 26–31 May, featuring 40+ events across AI, healthtech, fintech, and sustainability. the week includes “panels, meetups, demos, tartup showcases and founder stories, insight panels, skills sessions with expert mentors, pitch sessions, and more. SS DGT
✍️ Opinion piece from Richard Lennox discussing Scotland’s struggle to scale businesses globally. He argues that while Scotland "has built a robust ecosystem that supports early-stage ventures,” it’s not yet been able to translate that into larger-scale businesses. “Relative to the rest of UK and Europe, few startups get past 50 employees and fewer hit £20m in annual revenue, never mind £100m.” Read more about his perspective about growth capital, spinouts, and more here: TS
📣 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.
☕ 100 Coffees: Barry McDonald is looking to have “100 coffees with 100 different people across the Scottish ecosystem. The reason? To hear from a wide and diverse group about the challenges, opportunities and lived experiences across the ecosystem to develop a deeper understanding from a different POV. I’m blogging as I go.” Email Barry directly here, or book one of these coffees on his calendar 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
📌 12/05, 10:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Innovate UK BridgeAI Regional Roadshow: Edinburgh: This dynamic, in-person is designed to be accessible and locally relevant, these events will help individuals and organisations explore how AI can drive innovation and tackle regional challenges. MORE INFO
💼 14/05, 08:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Talent Acquisition and Retention - How to hire and keep the best work force: Join us, as we discuss how Founders can make sure they attract and keep the right talent for their business. MORE INFO
🔌 14/05, 12:00 🗺️ Falkirk: Unplugged Falkirk with Ceteris: Open to everyone, Unplugged Falkirk is a networking event for professionals in tech, looking to connect with the community. MORE INFO
💬 15/05, 12:00 🗺️ Online: Key Worker Homes in the South of Scotland – Findings and Recommendations: Learn about the barriers to key worker homes, potential solutions, who is considered a key worker, what employers have said and Q&A. MORE INFO
🍺 15/05, 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
🤔 15/05, 18:15 🗺️ Edinburgh: Stretch your Thinking: Conversations Beyond the Bubble with James & Tobi: This session is for people who are interested in people, team, leadership and organizational development and who want to be share their interest with others. MORE INFO
🚀 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
💻 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
🍃 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
🎪 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
🎯 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.
Think someone would like this issue? Forward it to them! Check out previous issues by subscribing.
That’s all for this week - have a great one!
Team 🔥 Campfire