Building Place-Based Pathways for Tech Founders in Forth Valley

At CodeBase, we believe strong startup ecosystems are built locally, shaped by the places founders live and work, and strengthened through trusted partnerships. Our ongoing collaboration with Ceteris reflects that belief in action. Together, through Techscaler, we are supporting founders and innovation-led businesses across Forth Valley by combining national startup support with deep regional infrastructure and expertise.

Ceteris has spent four decades supporting businesses across Central Scotland, offering more than workspace alone. Their model brings together physical space, business advice, training, and local networks, all reinvesting into the communities they serve. Through our partnership, Techscaler’s founder-centred programmes and learning pathways are woven directly into this local fabric, ensuring founders in Falkirk, Alloa, and surrounding areas can access the same high-quality support as those in Scotland’s larger cities.

This collaboration is all about strengthening what already exists and creating the conditions for founders to start, build, and scale within their own communities.

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A Shared Commitment to Local Growth

Ceteris and CodeBase are aligned by a shared mission: driving sustainable economic growth that benefits people, places, and communities. For Ceteris, this means being more than a landlord. With 21 properties across 10 sites and hundreds of tenant businesses employing thousands of people, they take responsibility for enabling long-term business success across Forth Valley.

Techscaler, delivered by CodeBase on behalf of the Scottish Government, brings national infrastructure, education, mentorship, and ecosystem connectivity. Through this partnership, those resources are made more accessible to founders and small businesses who may not otherwise engage with tech-focused startup support.

What makes this partnership effective is its grounded approach. Rather than pulling founders away from their local context, it strengthens local networks and capability. Founders can access workspace, peer connection, and tailored support close to home while still benefiting from Techscaler’s national reach and expertise.

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Turning Space Into Support

A central pillar of the partnership is the integration of physical workspace with founder development. Techscaler members can access coworking and meeting spaces at Falkirk Business Hub and Ceteris Alloa, providing flexible environments where founders can work, collaborate, and connect.

However, space is only the starting point. These hubs act as gateways into wider support. Through events, workshops, and informal networking, founders are introduced to Techscaler programmes, learning opportunities, and mentors who can help them move from early idea to viable business.

By embedding startup support within trusted local spaces, the partnership lowers barriers to entry. It creates an environment where founders feel part of something, supported not only by national programmes but by a regional ecosystem that understands their context.

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Activity Rooted in Regional Strengths

Forth Valley has a diverse and growing innovation landscape, with strong representation in medtech, edtech, energy, sustainability, and creative industries. The partnership between Ceteris and Techscaler reflects this diversity through targeted activity designed around regional strengths.

One standout example is the Forth Valley MedTech Expo, delivered in collaboration with NHS Forth Valley and other regional stakeholders. The event brought together founders, healthcare professionals, investors, and academics, creating space for meaningful knowledge exchange and collaboration. It demonstrated how place-based partnerships can convene the right people around shared challenges and opportunities.

Alongside this, Techscaler and Ceteris have worked together on Forth Valley Business Week for multiple years, delivering sessions focused on entrepreneurship, digital capability, and AI readiness. These activities ensure that businesses across the region are not only aware of emerging technologies but are equipped to adopt them responsibly and effectively.

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What the Partnership Delivers in Practice

The value of the partnership is reflected in the practical outcomes founders experience day to day.

• Accessible infrastructure through co-working and meeting spaces in Falkirk and Alloa
• Founder engagement via regional events that connect local businesses to national support
• Sector-focused collaboration through initiatives like the MedTech Expo
• Capability building through education and AI readiness sessions delivered during Forth Valley Business Week

Together, these elements create a joined-up pathway that supports founders from early exploration through to growth.

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Creating ground-level impact

One of the clearest ways this partnership comes to life is through the founders it supports. Natalie Garry, founder of DanceSing and a Ceteris tenant, joined Techscaler’s International Programme and travelled to Silicon Valley alongside a cohort of fellow founders. Her journey reflects how local infrastructure, when paired with national and international support, can open doors that extend far beyond regional boundaries.

For founders across Forth Valley, this collaboration creates tangible pathways. Whether building in medtech, developing an edtech platform, or launching a sustainability venture, the partnership is designed to meet founders where they are and support their next stage of growth.

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Impact Across the Ecosystem

Over time, the partnership has helped strengthen connectivity across the Forth Valley ecosystem. Founders are more aware of the support available to them. Businesses are better connected to peers, partners, and sector expertise. Regional stakeholders are aligned around shared goals.

By anchoring Techscaler activity within Ceteris’s established network, the partnership has also played a role in improving digital and AI adoption among local SMEs. This capability building is critical, not only for individual businesses but for the long-term resilience of the regional economy.

The collaboration has also reinforced Forth Valley’s position within Scotland’s wider innovation landscape, ensuring the region is not on the periphery of startup activity but an active contributor to national progress.

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Why This Matters for Forth Valley

Thriving tech ecosystems do not happen by accident. They are built through sustained collaboration, trust, and a commitment to inclusive growth. The partnership between CodeBase, Techscaler, and Ceteris demonstrates how national programmes and regional organisations can work together to deliver meaningful impact.

For founders, this means access without relocation. For communities, it means investment that stays local. For the ecosystem, it means stronger pipelines of talent, innovation, and opportunity.

As this partnership continues, our focus remains the same: supporting founders where they are, strengthening regional capability, and ensuring that innovation can thrive across all parts of Scotland.

The collaboration between Ceteris and Techscaler will continue to evolve, with further joint events, deeper engagement with local founders, and ongoing access to workspace and learning opportunities. As regional needs shift, so too will the partnership, always grounded in the belief that place matters.

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Hear from Ceteris

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The partnership between Ceteris and Techscaler represents a shared vision to foster a vibrant startup ecosystem across the Forth Valley. It combines Ceteris’ strength in providing premium workspace solutions and business support to offer a more tailored service for tech innovators. The collaboration offers events, mentorship, and Techscaler’s renowned courses and programmes to help Forth Valley founders grow their businesses.
_{Maggie Gorman, Business Support and Development Director, Ceteris}

We have been delighted to refer Ceteris tenants and business support clients to the Techscaler programme, including Natalie Garry, founder of DanceSing. She joined the Techscaler International Programme, delivered by CodeBase, travelling to Silicon Valley with a cohort of fellow founders and is just one example of the benefits our partnership with Techscaler has delivered to our business community.
_{Maggie Gorman, Business Support and Development Director, Ceteris}

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