Welcome to the latest edition of the DIGIT Deal Roundup.

Last month, Scotland’s tech sector saw some big funding wins in medical tech, electric vehicles, satellites, and the broader innovation economy.

For a recap on those standout stories, here’s our round-up.

Funding and Investments

Evri Invests £1M in AI to “Further Transform” Its Customer Service

UK parcel company Evri has announced that it’s investing £1 million in its artificial intelligence (AI) strategy to “further transform” its customer service, as well as parcel security and workforce planning.

Formerly known as Hermes, the company said that its AI strategy will help to position it as a “disruptor” in parcel delivery, as well as a “leader” of AI adoption within the sector.

In terms of how Evri wants its strategy to benefit customer service, the company said it’s looking to automate data collection and the identification of customer issues in particular, as to free up its customer team so they’re able to attend to more complex issues.

Read more here. 

Edinburgh-based Sofant Technologies Raises Additional £3.4M

Edinburgh-based wireless tech specialists, Sofant Technologies, has successfully raised £3.4 million in additional funding.

The investment, which has come from Scottish Enterprise, Kelvin Capital, and EMV Capital, is to be used to complete development of the firm’s core technology, and support the production and shipment of beta versions of its satellite antenna to customers.

Sofant’s radio frequency microelectromechanical systems (RF MEMS) are microscopic devices that integrate mechanical and electromechanical components to perform radio frequency signal processing functions such as phase shifting, switching, and tuning.

Read more here. 

Scottish National Investment Bank Plugs Further £10M Into FOR EV

Investment has been confirmed as FOR EV and South of Scotland Enterprise unveil new rapid charging hub at Loch Ryan ferry port, Cairnryan.

Scotland’s only private electric vehicle charge point operator, FOR EV, has been boosted by a £10 million follow-on investment from the Scottish National Investment Bank.

The cash injection follows an initial investment of £2m by the Bank in 2021, followed by £10m the following year, and now a further £10m commitment.

Read more here. 

AWS Commits Over £180 Million to GenAI Startups

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced a $230 million (£180m) commitment for startups around the world to accelerate the creation of generative AI applications.

This will provide startups, especially early-stage companies, with AWS credits, mentorship, and education to further their use of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.

Part of the new commitment will fund the second cohort of the AWS Generative AI Accelerator, a programme that provides expertise and up to $1 million in credits to each of the top 80 early-stage startups that are using generative AI to solve complex challenges.

Read more here. 

‘Skyscanner for Construction’ Bags £1M Seed Funding with AI Platform

BuildBuddy, a Scottish startup founded by James Menzies and Alix Baldwin, has won £1m from investors for its innovative platform that’s been dubbed the ‘Skyscanner for construction materials.’

The tech startup uses artificial intelligence (AI) to find the best construction materials at the best price for small and medium enterprise builders across the UK.

The company aims to revolutionise the way construction materials are purchased for small businesses with the platform, which works similarity to Scottish unicorn Skyscanner.

Read more here. 

Scots Tech Firm iGii Secures £8.8M to Accelerate Growth

Stirling-based nanomaterial producer iGii has secured £8.8 million in new funding to accelerate its growth.

Formerly known as Integrated Graphene, the company will use the funds to grow and scale customer projects, increase its manufacturing capacity, and deepen its research and development to explore further applications of its patented Gii™ material.

iGii also plans to expand its facilities and continue creating highly-skilled local jobs.

Read more here. 

Scots Biotech OGI Bio Gains £650K to Accelerate Expansion

Scots Legal Tech Firm Raises $5M Seed Funding

AI-powered legal assistant platform, Wordsmith, has raised $5 million in a round led by Index Ventures, with participation from General Catalyst, and angel investors including Skyscanner founder Gareth Williams.

The investment is a testament to how applied AI is rapidly augmenting and enabling professional services.

“AI is not about replacing professionals,” Wordsmith CEO Ross McNairn said. “Just as the word processor didn’t replace writers, but instead made them more productive, Wordsmith is ushering in a new era of AI-assisted professional services.”

Read more here. 

Initiatives for Next-gen Manufacturing in Scotland Get £14M Boost

Waracle, the Scottish technology services company, has agreed a deal to acquire Screenmedia, the Glasgow-based design and software engineering agency, in a move to further develop its digital product development capability.

The acquisition pairs the 145-person team at Waracle—with expertise in mobile app, digital product development, and AI—with Screenmedia’s team of 60 to take Waracle to over 200 employees.

Waracle, which has offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, and London, is making the strategic move to bolster its digital product development and AI offerings, as the market evolves and the technology services industry focuses on AI and its impact on software development.

Read more here. 

Scots Courts Award MLL Telecom £1.8M Contract For New SD-WAN

A three-year contract worth £1.8 million has been awarded from the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service (SCTS) to MLL Telecom, the public sector managed network integrators, for a new software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN).

Set to be deployed by August this year, the integrated mixed carrier WAN solution is being established in all 54 of SCTS’s sites across Scotland.

MLL’s solution will support the facilitation of virtual hearings, remote juries, and the livestreaming of court proceedings, for example, as well as offer staff reliable connection to important admin-related applications.

Read more here. 

Scots All-electric Intercity Bus Operator Ember Gets £5.6M Loan

Ember, the UK’s first all-electric intercity bus operator, has increased its fleet of zero emission coaches with a loan totalling £5.6 million from Triodos Bank UK, the ethical bank.

The transport startup launched in Scotland in 2020, with two coaches operating its first route between Edinburgh and Dundee.

Today, Ember’s network also includes services to destinations including Glasgow, Stirling, and Kinross.

Read more here.