💫 PowerPhotonic Raise, SNIB annual report, 61% of female-led startups fail to progress
Here's your Campfire for the 25th of August, 2025. A pretty light week in startup land!
💼 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
🔬 Dalgety Bay-based PowerPhotonic (precision micro-optics for high-power laser systems) raised £2.6m from Maven Capital Partners. The funding will support operations at its UK base and US facility in Arizona. PowerPhotonic’s optics are used in aerospace, defence, medical devices, and semiconductors. SBN DGT SS
📊 The Scottish National Investment Bank annual report is out: Its portfolio grew to 42 businesses, income up 80% to £34.5m, with commitments of £785m and £1.4 billion to net zero businesses and projects since launch. It also reported that its subsidiary, Scottish Investments Ltd, “secure phase one authorisation from the FCA, a set of permissions allowing it to arrange investment deals in support of the Bank’s objective to crowd in more private investment and third-party capital.” The portfolio also recorded a £77m paper loss from valuation changes. DGT SC
📉 A new Women’s Enterprise Scotland survey shows 61% of female-led start-ups in Scotland fail to progress, despite women founding 54% of new ventures. Key barriers include funding inequality, rising costs, and discrimination. The report indicates that “78% cannot recover all their increased costs, 55% are using personal savings to capitalise their businesses and 52% are making no pension provision, threatening retirement security.” It’s important to note that this report covers all new business, not just startups. It would be interesting to see how the failure rate and other numbers compare with startups in Scotland in general. SC
🏄♂️ Co-working, bookended by a cheeky climb and surfing during your lunch break? The Lighthouse at EICA is a new co-working space based inside the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena in Ratho. Members can work from desks or offices, then head next door to the climbing wall or nearby surf lagoon at the Lost Shore Surf Resort. SBN
📣 Asks & Offers, Deadlines
🚨 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.
🎮 Cat Burton, founder of Goth Boss Studios, provides consultancy and coaching for games and creative industry founders. With 17+ years’ experience (founder, CTO, CPO), she supports studios and start-ups with business strategy, product, and technical direction. She also works 1:1 with founders navigating burnout, impostor syndrome, and leadership challenges. Learn more at GothBoss.co.uk.
👭 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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📅 Events
📝 27/08, 10:00 🗺️ Online: Scottish EDGE Application Support Workshop. Learn how to submit a strong application for Round 26, with tips on criteria, pitching, and common pitfalls. MORE INFO
💻 02/09, 17:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Tech Meetup Edinburgh Monthly tech community meetup with announcements, a demo, keynote talk, and networking. MORE INFO
🎤 03/09, 08:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Unfiltered Edinburgh Honest conversations, real stories, and connection. A gathering for founders, creatives, and those building something meaningful. MORE INFO
🤝 03/09, 18:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Business & Startup Networking Connect with local entrepreneurs, founders, and small businesses in a relaxed and welcoming environment. MORE INFO
🛠️ 04/09, 17:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Monthly Blockchain Meetup A casual evening for startup people who want to build, chat, and collaborate. MORE INFO
🛡 10/09, 08:20 -16:30 🗺 Glasgow: Scot‑Secure West Summit 2025. Scotland’s biggest annual cybersecurity conference, featuring live keynotes, workshops, and an exhibition at the Hilton. This curated event brings together InfoSec leaders, IT experts, researchers, and law enforcement to explore emerging threats and resilience strategies. MORE INFO
🧠 10/09, 9.30 am-12pm 🗺 Edinburgh: Equal Value Thinking - building a truly inclusive and creative workplace. Join Jay Davies, an autistic ADHDer with dyslexia, helps you understand how to create a truly inclusive and creative workplace. MORE INFO
📊 11/09, 17:00 🗺 Glasgow: DATA:Scotland Pre-Event Meetup Databricks Scotland Meetup with Summit recap, AI/BI Genie demo and networking MORE INFO
🤖 16/09, 09:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: AI for Business Innovation & Impact Explore how businesses are using AI to improve performance and drive growth. Talks, Q&A, and networking. MORE INFO
🎙️ 18/09, 17:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Scotland Women in Technology - Bold Moves: Career Change Stories from Inside & Outside FanDuel Panel event exploring career pivots, transferable skills, and lived experiences from FanDuel staff, SWIT award winners, and external speakers. MORE INFO
📍 23/09 -25/09, 🗺️ Hilton Glasgow: APACT Conference
Organised by CPACT, the APACT conference brings together experts in process analytics and control to share innovations, research, and industry applications. The three-day event offers technical sessions, networking, and insights into the latest developments in process technology. MORE INFO
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That’s all for this week - have a great one!
Team 🔥 Campfire