🍣 Whitebox Cocktails, New grants, more seaweed, Lario gets £4.7m for Parkinsons

Plus this year's Fintech Scotland Festival is announced.

Here's your Campfire for the 29th of July, 2024.

💼 Want to create template legal agreements in minutes for free? Check out what Shepherd and Wedderburn making available for Campfire readers below in the ‘Asks and Offers section’. Also follow the Start to Scale LinkedIn page for useful videos and posts designed to help founders.

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🌊 Updates

🎉 The Fintech Scotland Festival is set to launch it’s 7th instalment on September 25th over two weeks. Organised by FinTech Scotland, the event will feature discussions on key issues in the global fintech industry. FS TS DGT

🚀 A team from the University of Glasgow is a finalist in the UK Space Agency challenge to establish a permanent base on the moon. The Aqualunar Challenge involves ten finalists presenting plans to purify lunar ice for drinking water, air, and fuel. The Glasgow team, from the university's School of Chemistry, is among the contenders from across the UK. TH

🍸 Edinburgh-based Whitebox Cocktails (single serve canned cocktails) is launching a new crowdfunding campaign on Republic Europe (formerly Seedrs), aiming to raise £200,000. The funds will be used to boost inventory, expand internationally, and improve marketing for their ready-to-serve cocktail business. SBN

👔 Scottish Enterprise has introduced the Workplace Transformation Support programme, offering grants between £15,000 and £100,000 for companies planning to take investment in the next two years. The initiative aims to help businesses “develop leaders, improve processes, and enhance digital systems, ultimately boosting productivity and creating higher-value jobs in Scotland”. DGT

🩺 Edinburgh-based Lario Therapeutics (a startup that develops precision medicines for neurological disorders) has received a £4.7m grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. The startup is collaborating with the Oxford Parkinson’s Disease Centre. The funding will support Lario's preclinical programme, focusing on a new treatment approach for Parkinson’s involving selective CaV2.3 calcium channel inhibition. IN

🌿 Scottish Seaweed Co (SHORE) (specialises in incorporating Scottish seaweed into different products) has secured a deal to sell its seaweed chips in 48 Tesco Scotland stores. This expands their distribution to over 200 supermarkets across Scotland. Two flavors, Sweet Sriracha and Lightly Salted, will be available in 80g share bags. Yummmmmmm. IN

🤔 The Scottish Government announced a new business support programme that includes £1k grants to fund 'specialist enterprise coaches' to help provide 'practical help' for early stage entrepreneurs. The inner cynic in me feels skeptical. Who are these specialist enterprise coaches? What background do they have? What do they mean by practical help? Based on an admittedly biased first look, it reads like yet another way for 'professional business consultants' to get paid to give questionable advice to early stage entrepreneurs. Well-meaning programmes of the past have time and again led to a perception of a revolving door of government money to a set of professional service providers who often deliver mediocre support and advice. It’s the opposite of "widen[ing] the funnel beyond existing routes to encourage more people to set up and scale their businesses, as opposed to sticking with existing structures and systems." If someone from the South of Scotland Enterprise would like to share about how this is different from what’s come before and why my skepticism is misplaced, I'd love to publish their response. DGT

💪 For the first time in Scotland, the number of women involved in entrepreneurial activities has statistically matched that of men. A report by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) revealed that in 2023, 8.6% of working-age women were starting or running new businesses, compared to 9.8% of men, achieving "statistical parity." This marks a significant increase from 2022, when the figures were 7.2% for women and 10.5% for men. The report, compiled by the universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Strathclyde, also noted that 300,000 people in Scotland were engaged in early-stage entrepreneurial activity in 2023. BBC

💬 Comment: Dr Peter Mowforth talks about Scotland's potential opportunities and strengths in ecommerce that haven’t yet been realised. 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.

💡 Frontier Robotics is hiring! A new vacancy for a UI/UX Engineer is open at Frontier Robotics based at the National Robotarium in Edinburgh. Responsibilities include: designing and developing graphical user interfaces using C++, Qt, docker, and ROS2, developing web interfaces using technologies like Node.js, designing interfaces that are user-friendly, aesthetically pleasing, reduce friction, and build user trust in data and autonomy, and more. Full job spec here. 👉 Send CV and Cover Letter here.

🥃 Are you a problem-solver driven by curiosity and a passion for your work? Do you thrive on deep, meaningful conversations and value fostering long-lasting relationships? Do you love whisky? If so, we invite you to become a founding member of Dram & Discourse. Learn more here

🦅 Barclays Eagle Labs launched their new Eagle Labs Academy, funded by the UK Government. The Academy provides access to free learning content and entrepreneurship training from different sources. Aiming for those starting their journey to those wanting to scale. Aside from the content, Eagle Labs has partnerships and access opportunities with the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, and their Demo Directory. Find out more 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 Campfire? Have an opinion you'd like to share? get in touch!

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📅 Events

🦅 30/07, 10:00 🗺️ Aberdeen: Eagle Has landed - Barclays Eagle labs July Drop in Clinic: Drop in and let’s have a chat about your business goals and ambitions here at One Tech Hub. MORE INFO

🍻 30/07, 18:00 🗺️ Dundee: Dundee Data Meetup: Welcome to the monthly recurring Dundee Data Meetup, a vibrant community-driven event that brings together curious learners, data enthusiasts and professionals to explore the captivating world of data and its applications. MORE INFO

🤳 31/07, 18:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Edinburgh UX meetup: Edinburgh UX meetup invites UX people of all flavours to a monthly meeting of minds – a place to share ideas and indulge in idle banter. MORE INFO

📅 31/07, 18:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Entrepreneurs Social Club (ESC) - Edinburgh Startup Meetup: The social club for founders and aspiring entrepreneurs - skip the talks, presentations and lectures - and go straight to networking! MORE INFO

🎥 01/08, 10:00 🗺️ Glasgow: Founders Live Glasgow: Founders Live is an unforgettable happy hour competition sweeping the globe. So bring your friends and coworkers, grab some food and drink, get to know your local entrepreneurs, and vote for what you think will be the next big thing… built in the Nordics. MORE INFO

👥 01/08, 19:00 🗺️ Glasgow: Tech Meetup Glasgow - August 2024: Join us at Civic House, Glasgow on the first Thursday of each month for our free event featuring two talks on tech with soft drinks and pizza. MORE INFO

🤝 06/08, 17:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Tech Meetup Edinburgh - August 2024: ​​​​The Tech Meetup is a monthly excuse for the tech community around Scotland to network, learn and share new ideas! MORE INFO

☕ Series: Unfiltered: An in-person and informal catch-up with the Codebase community! Come join us for a coffee!
⛾ 07/08, 08:30 🗺️ Aberdeen, MORE INFO
⛾ 07/08, 08:30 🗺️ Stirling, MORE INFO
⛾ 07/08, 08:30 🗺️ Inverness, MORE INFO
⛾ 07/08, 08:30 🗺️ Edinburgh, MORE INFO
⛾ 07/08, 08:30 🗺️ Glasgow, MORE INFO
⛾ 07/08, 08:30 🗺️ Dundee, MORE INFO

🛈 07/08, 17:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Inclusive Innovation: Ensuring No one is Left Behind: This inspiring event will bring together women from different backgrounds to explore experiences of social innovation. MORE INFO

👨🏻‍🏫 13/08, 11:00 🗺️ Dundee: Dundee Presentation Club: Join us in the Abertay cyberQuarter for a chance to practice your pitches and public speaking in a friendly, supportive setting. MORE INFO

🎯 13/08, 13:00 🗺️ Stirling: Marketing Meetup with Scunnered Digital [Stirling]: Join us for a six-month event series dedicated to elevate your marketing skills, build connections and exchange ideas with fellow marketers. MORE INFO

🌱 14/08, 09:00 🗺️ Aberdeen: Implementing and Sustaining Workplace Organisation: Learn to think lean as we support you through the development of a continuous improvement plan aligned with energy transition priorities. MORE INFO

🍺 15/08, 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

🤝 19/08, 18:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Startup Founders Meetup - August 2024: ​Each month, we'll have a combination of tactical fireside chats with experienced entrepreneurs and plenty of opportunities to network with other founders, potential cofounders, and investors. MORE INFO

🥼 20/08, 10:00 🗺️ Aberdeen: Eagle Has landed - Barclays Eagle labs August Drop in Clinic: Drop in and let’s have a chat about your business goals and ambitions here at One Tech Hub. MORE INFO

🚀 20/08, 10:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Register Your Interest - Amazon Accelerator Programme: The Programme aims to equip you and your business with the skills & knowledge to significantly boost sales on the Amazon platform globally. MORE INFO

🥼 22/08, 11:00 🗺️ Dundee: Barclays Eagle labs at MSIP August Drop-in Clinic 2024: Drop in and let’s have a chat about your business goals and ambitions here at Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc. MORE INFO

🔗 22/08, 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

🔬 22/08, 18:00 🗺️ Online: MedTech Connect: West of Scotland Innovation Forum [Online]: Join us online to explore the future of engagement and support for MedTech businesses in Glasgow and the West of Scotland! MORE INFO

💬 28/08, 18:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Entrepreneurs Social Club (ESC) - Edinburgh Startup Meetup: The social club for founders and aspiring entrepreneurs - skip the talks, presentations and lectures - and go straight to networking! MORE INFO

👥 29/08, 17:00 🗺️ Stirling: The Social at CodeBase Stirling: Open to everyone, this is an in-person celebration to connect and catch up with the CodeBase and Central Scotland community. MORE INFO

🎯 29/08, 17:15 🗺️ Edinburgh: Barclays Eagle Labs and CodeBase monthly Quiz - Edinburgh (August): Join us for this month's pub quiz - bringing together the CodeBase and Edinburgh community for a bit of fun. MORE INFO

💻 29/08, 18:00 🗺️ Dundee: NoCode Workshop with Oli Littlejohn: This will be an introduction to the world of NoCode: what it is, the tools available, and how it can be used to build digital products. Oli Littlejohn will share some of his insights on NoCode and then lead a workshop session where you can build your own NoCode product with him. MORE INFO

🎯 Deadlines

📐 Royal Academy of Engineering – Enterprise Fellowships Now Open: Are you a graduate or researcher with a brilliant tech innovation? Apply now for 12 months of spinout and startup training with a grant up to £75k. Not your average accelerator – no fees, equity or IP taken. Apply by 27 August here.

📣 The Tech Trailblazers Awards are open for nominations The first independent global awards dedicated to enterprise tech startups, have opened nominations for their 13th edition. Covering 13 tech categories, along with Firestarter, Diversity, Investment, and individual CxO leadership categories, these awards recognise and celebrate cutting-edge enterprise tech innovation from young startups worldwide. Learn more here. (SS)

🇬🇧 Upcoming Innovate UK deadlines:

• Europe Quantum Technology CR&D 2024 Applications close 28 August

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

Team 🔥 Campfire