Welcome to the May 2025 edition of DIGIT’s Movers and Shakers!

Each month, our Movers and Shakers feature gives you the low-down on recent news in the Scottish tech ecosystem.

Esteemed appointments, major partnerships, and important awards all took place throughout the month.

Read on to find out what exactly has been happening!

Appointments

Edinburgh Innovations Appoints New Director of Venture Creation

Edinburgh Innovations has announced the appointment of Lizzie Withington in the newly created role of director of venture creation.

The role, within the University of Edinburgh’s commercialisation service, includes building new spin-out companies around emerging technologies and growing and maintaining a network of investors and experienced CEOs to ensure spinouts have effective management and funds to launch, succeed, and scale.

In November, Edinburgh Innovations (EI) announced record research translation figures for the financial year 2023/24, including the launch of 127 companies, five of which were spinouts (staff companies where the University retains intellectual property rights); 140 patents filed and £141 million invested into University-associated companies.

Read more here.

Cyacomb Appoints New Chair and Secures £2.25M Investment

Digital forensics company, Cyacomb, has appointed a new Chair and secured an additional £2.25m from the Scottish National Investment Bank to further scale the company and expand the international application of its technology.

Cyacomb’s technology quickly and thoroughly scans digital devices for known harmful content and enables law enforcement agencies worldwide to detect evidence of child sexual abuse and terrorist activity faster than ever before.

Its ability to triage suspicious devices on scene in seconds has helped reduce digital forensics lab backlogs, improve overall efficiency and helped safeguard children by enabling law enforcement to bring more perpetrators to justice.

Read more here.

Dr Ian Archer appointed as Commercial Director of James Hutton Ltd

The James Hutton Institute is delighted to announce that Dr Ian Archer has been appointed Commercial Director of James Hutton Ltd, as from 28th April.

Commenting on his appointment, Dr Archer said, “I’m thrilled to be joining the James Hutton Group (James Hutton Scientific Services) at such an exciting time. Throughout my career, I’ve been passionate about the application and commercialisation of scientific research – transforming research science and technology into tangible outputs that create value and impact. 

“This role gives me a unique opportunity to apply my experience in industrial chemistry and biotechnology, analysis, process development, techno-economics, and skills development in new ways. 

“I’m particularly motivated to support sustainable innovation that drives growth but also minimises environmental impact and safeguards our natural resources. I look forward to working with the team to expand our services and help our partners turn great science into real-world value.”

Skyscanner Appoints New Chief Executive Officer

Edinburgh-headquartered Skyscanner has announced the appointment of Bryan Batista as CEO, taking over the role from John Mangelaars. Batista is currently the chief operating officer and will become CEO on the June 1, 2025.   

Departing CEO John Mangelaars shares: “After four and a half incredible years, I am stepping down as CEO and passing the baton to Bryan. The company is in a great position, and I feel that now is the right time for me personally to make this change and pursue new ventures. I have enormous confidence in Bryan’s leadership and determination to take Skyscanner forward in the next stage of its ambitious growth.” 

In the last year, Skyscanner experienced, according to the firm, ‘record performances across its travel products, with double digit growth in flights, car hire and accommodation.’

Read more here.

Scotland’s Cyber and Fraud Hub Appoints Alex Dowall as CEO

The Cyber and Fraud Hub, a Scottish charity that supports individuals affected by cyber-crime and fraud, has announced the appointment of Alex Dowall as chief executive officer ahead of its first anniversary.

Dowall brings over thirty years of policing experience to his new role, which includes time as a Detective Superintendent with Police Scotland and an extensive background in cybercrime.

This, combined with his experience and achievements in his first year in the Cyber and Fraud Centre, makes him well placed to steer the Hub through its next phase of growth.

Read more here.

BCS Appoints New Group Chief Executive

BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, has appointed Sharron Gunn as its new group chief executive.

Gunn takes over leadership of the professional body for information technology, from interim CEO Rob Deri. She has been working for BCS since February to transform its learning and development and membership divisions.

Previously Gunn held leadership roles at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), including Executive Director for Membership, Commercial and Shared Services and most recently, Chief Operating Officer.

Read more here. 

iomart CEO Steps Down as Chair Takes Executive Role

Glasgow-based cloud services provider iomart has announced that chief executive Lucy Dimes is stepping down and leaving the company.

Dimes joined the board as independent non-executive chair in August 2022 before taking on the CEO role in September 2023. Her departure comes as the company continues its strategic shift toward opportunities in the public and private cloud and cybersecurity sectors.

In a statement given to the London Stock Exchange, the board thanked Dimes for “her work in helping to reposition iomart’s business to more fully address the opportunities in the public and private cloud and security markets.”

Read more here.

Partnerships

Mavenir Collaboration with Three UK and Red Hat

Mavenir, the cloud-native network infrastructure provider, working in collaboration with operator Three UK and the world’s leading provider of open source solutions, Red Hat, has successfully demonstrated the performance benefits of 5G non-standalone O-RAN compliant small cells in Glasgow City Centre – doubling 5G speeds at peak times.

This milestone UK-first trial of Open RAN in a dense urban environment also marks the first live deployment of O-RAN compliant small cells working alongside legacy macro cells from traditional vendors in this environment – driving a significant reduction in traffic congestion by delivering high-quality coverage and additional capacity.

During the initial phase of the trial, both 4G and 5G speeds doubled during the busiest times of the day, with Three UK’s 5G speeds reaching an impressive 520Mbps across the trial area. The capacity boost also cascaded into further performance and user experience improvements in surrounding sites.

Expansions

Heriot-Watt Unveils £2.5M Quantum-enabled Optical Ground Station

A cutting-edge £2.5 million facility that will help secure next-generation communications against cyber threats officially opened today at Heriot-Watt University’s Research Park in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The Quantum Communications Hub Optical Ground Station (named HOGS) represents a significant leap forward in the UK’s space and quantum capabilities. Using advanced laser technology to communicate with satellites in ways that could make data breaches a thing of the past, HOGS marks a transition from traditional radio frequency communications to optical links that offer significantly higher data rates and improved security.

Read more here.

Irish Firms Expand To Scotland In New Trade Push

The Irish government’s business development agency, Enterprise Ireland, has launched a trade mission to Scotland with the official opening of a new Glasgow hub.

Enterprise Ireland said the Glasgow office will act as a strategic touchpoint for Irish businesses hoping to scale in Scotland, and marks the agency’s third office in the UK after establishing operations in London and Manchester.

Along with opening the Glasgow site, ten Irish firms have also announced new contracts and expansions in Scotland, plans that are predicted to create hundreds of jobs and see millions in investment.

Read more here. 

New Glasgow Uni Lab Opens to Combat Space Junk

A small piece of outer space recreated in a basement in Glasgow could help ensure that a key enabling technology for future space missions won’t lead to deadly ‘rifle bullets’ of space junk circling the Earth.

Researchers at the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering have built the NextSpace Testrig – the world’s first dedicated facility for testing the structural integrity of materials that will be 3D printed in space.

The NextSpace Testrig was developed by the University’s Dr Gilles Bailet in partnership with The Manufacturing Technology Centre, supported by £253,000 in funding from the UK Space Agency (UKSA).

Read more here.

£2.3M Technology and Innovation Centre Opens in Stornoway

A new Technology and Innovation Centre has been officially opened at UHI North, West and Hebrides’ Stornoway campus following a £2.3 million investment.

As well as increasing the college’s capacity for on-campus learners, the new Centre will allow for an expansion of the curriculum in areas like renewable energy, engineering, construction and the built environment, sustainability and net zero.

The modernised facility includes a Future Energy Lab, which will support research into renewable energy technologies, a Newton Room, designed to offer primary and secondary school pupils hands-on experience in STEM subjects, and virtual welding simulators for engineering students and apprentices.

Read more here.

Edinburgh-based Scale-up Tomoro AI Launches Singapore HQ

AI consulting and engineering firm Tomoro, has announced the opening of its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore.

The new office will serve as Tomoro’s regional command centre for designing, building and scaling production grade AI solutions for large enterprises across finance, healthcare, consumer goods, media and beyond.

The firm whose leadership is split across Edinburgh and London, previously announced in May 2024 a £4m investment in building a ‘world class AI team in Edinburgh’. In the 12 months since that announcement, the firm has stated that it has quadrupled employees across the firm and increased monthly revenue by more than 10x.

Read more here.

FarrPoint Grows with New Edinburgh Head Office

FarrPoint’s strong start to 2025 continues, with exciting developments across the business. Over the last month, the consultancy welcomed three new team members and settled into a new head office in Fountainbridge, Edinburgh — milestones that reflect its ongoing growth and ambitions for the future.

With 24 core staff members and four offices internationally – in Scotland, England, the US and Canada, FarrPoint continues to lead in its specialism of connectivity, and continues to expand into new areas as technology and the markets develop.

As the FarrPoint team expanded, so has its need for space. Its move into a new headquarters at Lochrin Square in Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, reflects not only the growth of the business but also its commitment to creating an environment that supports collaboration, wellbeing, and innovation. With FarrPoint’s BCORP certification and net-zero commitments, it was important that the new office is more environmentally friendly than the previous space.

“The move to our new office represents a milestone in FarrPoint’s journey,” said Andrew Muir. “As our client base and staff numbers grow, it’s a space that’s not only better suited to our current team but also supports our ambitions for further growth in the years ahead.”

Awards and Recognition

Scots Firms Celebrated in King’s Awards for Enterprise

Eleven Scottish businesses across the country, from South Lanarkshire to the Highlands, have been celebrated in the third year of The King’s Awards for Enterprise.

Spanning three categories – innovation, international trade, and promoting opportunity – this year’s award winners represent a diverse range of sectors, from the spirits industry to biotech and tourism.

Among the three Scottish firms recognised for their innovative practices are South Lanarkshire’s Glencairn Crystal Studio, known for its handcrafted premium whisky glassware; Aberdeenshire-based Gray & Adams, specialists in temperature-controlled refrigerated trailers; and Ross-shire Engineering,(RSE) a Highland firm pioneering in water treatment solutions.

Read more here.

Scottish EDGE Awards £1.5m to High-Growth Startups

Scottish EDGE returned for its 25th round as 35 winners with high-growth potential took home £1.5 million in prize money.

The awards ceremony was hosted by Royal Bank of Scotland at Citation in Glasgow city centre and united entrepreneurs who made it through the competitive pitching process to secure funding.

The biggest winner at the awards was Vanilla Farms, who cures and supplies premium-quality vanilla using sustainable, high-tech agriculture. The business received a total of £150,000 from the newest addition, Missions EDGE, supported by Scottish Enterprise.

Read more here.

TSB and FinTech Scotland Reveal Innovation Labs Winners

Three UK fintech innovators have been named winners of the 2024 TSB Innovation Labs programme, a partnership between TSB and FinTech Scotland aiming to shape the future of financial services through the responsible use of data and technology.

This year’s winners, Sikoia, Credit Canary and Aperidata, are focused on the use of Open Banking technology to simplify and accelerate customer support, with the firms gaining the chance to work with TSB on developing their proof of concepts for future banking tech.

Sikoia is set to make finance applications simpler for new customers through the automation of manual, document-heavy verification processes that currently depend on unstructured or disconnected data buried in customer documents.   

Read more here.

Smart Data Challenge Prize Reveals Finalists Vying for £50K Funding

Ten breakthrough teams have been named finalists in the Smart Data Challenge Prize, bringing new technologies and platforms designed to fast-track net zero, help gig workers manage their money, and take on life-admin tasks.

Each of the finalist teams will receive £50,000 and gain access to a bespoke Smart Data sandbox, built specifically for the prize by NayaOne. This sandbox will give teams a chance to test their products using secure, synthetic data, representing 5,000 individuals and 100 small businesses over a one-year timeline.  

Later this year, an overall winner with the most promising smart data solution will be awarded £50,000, while two runners-up will receive prizes of £25,000.

Read more here.

CGI named ‘Best Very Big Company to Work for in theTechnology Industry’ in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2025

CGI, one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, is proud to be recognised in the prestigious Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2025 list for the third consecutive year. The company has been acknowledged for its outstanding commitment to employee wellbeing, inclusion and workplace culture.

These achievements reflect CGI’s culture and its continued commitment to creating a workplace where employees are supported, valued, and empowered.

“This recognition highlights the work we are doing to build an inclusive and supportive culture where our people can thrive. We are particularly proud to have been named the Best Very Big Company to Work for in the Technology Industry,” said Tara McGeehan, President of CGI in the UK. “To be recognised for three years running is a testament to the dedication of our employees and the positive, people-first environment we continue to cultivate at CGI.”