Building Confidence, Culture, and Connection Across Scotland’s Tech Ecosystem

Scotland’s startup ecosystem is changing gear. Investment levels are rising, international attention is growing, and the sense of ambition among founders feels stronger than ever. Momentum, however, does not sustain itself. It has to be nurtured through confidence, culture, and connection, and that is exactly what the next phase of Scotland’s journey demands.

Momentum with Meaning

Over the past year, Scotland’s technology sector has begun to show the kind of rhythm that signals maturity. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, KPMG reported that more than £100 million was invested in Scottish startups. Beauhurst data backed this up, showing a 108% rise in total investment compared to the previous quarter. Between January and May, more than £210 million was raised across 99 deals.

These numbers reflect more than financial progress; they represent a growing sense of confidence and clarity across the ecosystem. That confidence is now being captured and tracked through the new Scottish Ecosystem Platform, an open-access initiative developed by the University of Edinburgh, the Scottish Government, Techscaler, and Dealroom, giving Scotland a transparent window into its own innovation economy.

This level of visibility and accountability matters. It helps founders benchmark themselves, policymakers track progress, and investors identify opportunities. Data alone will not build a startup ecosystem, but shared knowledge is a powerful enabler of one.

From Vision to Infrastructure

When I joined CodeBase three years ago, after nearly two decades with Barclays, my goal was simple: to keep building. At Barclays, I had co-founded Eagle Labs, growing it from an idea into more than 35 startup hubs across the UK. That experience taught me what can happen when ambition meets practical support and how critical it is to translate vision into tangible infrastructure.

Through Techscaler, delivered by CodeBase on behalf of the Scottish Government, that same principle is now being applied at a national scale. Techscaler was never designed as a single programme. It was designed as a platform: an interconnected system of hubs, mentors, investors, and learning pathways that create real conditions for growth.

• More than 60 partners have joined the network so far.
• Around 1,300 startups have been supported through tailored activity.
• Over 3,000 expert mentoring sessions have been delivered to 650 founders.
• Collectively, members have raised £195 million since Techscaler began.

Behind every one of those statistics are founders who have put everything on the line, and our job is to make their path just a little clearer, faster, and less lonely.

A Culture of Building

Building startups is rarely smooth. It involves risk, scrutiny and the constant need to adapt. Public-funded initiatives like Techscaler are no exception. Attention and criticism come with the territory, particularly when something begins to succeed.

At CodeBase, we have learned that progress requires humility. It is not about defending what exists, but about refining it through collaboration. Scotland’s ecosystem is diverse, and that diversity should be its strength. Each organisation, investor, and university plays a role in strengthening the shared culture of entrepreneurship.

Progress will always bring growing pains, but it also brings something much more valuable: momentum. Momentum creates belief, and belief is the foundation of any thriving tech economy.

Looking Outward

If Scotland’s founders are to compete globally, they must be connected globally. Access to international capital, customers, and talent is not optional; it is fundamental. That is why CodeBase continues to expand Scotland’s reach into leading global tech hubs.

Over the past three years, we have taken more than 60 companies to Silicon Valley Japan, Singapore, and China to open doors, build partnerships, and learn from peers. Exposure to these environments changes perspective. It helps founders see themselves as part of the world stage, not operating on the edges of it.

Some have questioned whether this outward focus is the right use of public funds. But in truth, international engagement is an investment in capability. Economies that close in on themselves stagnate. Economies that connect grow.

Exchange of Ideas, Exchange of Energy

November saw the return of the Ecosystem Exchange, hosted at the Edinburgh Futures Institute and co-created by CodeBase, the University of Edinburgh, Barclays Eagle Labs, and partners across the United Kingdom. Last year’s inaugural event brought together 180 investors, universities, and policymakers for a single day of collaboration. This year expanded significantly, welcoming delegates across two days, with contributors joining from the United Kingdom and international hubs including Canada, the United States, Australia, and Finland.

The conversations focused on whether the United Kingdom is building an innovation ecosystem that is fit for the future. Participants explored how ideas, talent, and investment flow across regions, how global connectivity shapes competitiveness, and how national alignment across universities, government and industry can accelerate practical progress. A recurring theme throughout was the need for the United Kingdom to be recognised not only for invention but also for delivery, with a stronger emphasis on execution, clarity of roles, and more coherent pathways for founders.

The Exchange reinforced what is becoming increasingly clear. When regions and institutions work together with intent, collaboration becomes a multiplier. It creates the conditions for founders to move faster, for policy to respond more effectively, and for the United Kingdom to compete with confidence on the global stage.

It is fitting that this conversation is happening in Edinburgh. The city has become a focal point for how innovation can be fostered responsibly, collaboratively and at scale. The Exchange reflects the same mindset that drives CodeBase: creating spaces where different perspectives can meet and shape the next phase of growth.

Beyond the Numbers

Three years in, Techscaler’s story is still being written. The figures are encouraging, but they only tell part of the story. What matters most is the shift in mindset that we are beginning to see: founders with a stronger belief in their ability to compete globally, partners working together with fewer silos, and a culture that values building over criticising.

For every headline figure, there are countless quiet wins: a founder gaining clarity on their business model, a team landing its first overseas customer, or a university partnership translating research into real-world impact. Those are the moments that compound into economic and social value.

Building Belief

At CodeBase, we believe that belief itself is a form of infrastructure. It cannot be built with funding alone, but through repeated proof that progress is possible. The more we build, the more that belief grows.

Scotland’s future in technology will not be defined by any single programme or policy. It will be defined by people: the founders, educators, investors, and partners who choose to build rather than stand still.

If we are not building, we are stagnating. And if we are building, we are creating the momentum that fuels confidence, culture and connection.

Right now, across Scotland, that belief feels stronger than ever.

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