Welcome to the September & October 2026’s edition of Movers & Shakers.

This month saw a steady mix of high-profile appointments, industry expansions, and awards.

Top Scottish firms made key appointments, while both the private and public sector saw expansions in hubs and offerings.

All that and more coming up.

Appointments

Cytomos appoints board member to support commercialisation drive

Cytomos, an Edinburgh-based biotechnology company, has appointed senior life sciences executive Dr Alex Jones as non-executive director, as it looks to accelerate the commercialisation of its unique cell analysis technology.

Dr Jones brings extensive expertise in life science tools and cell and gene therapy. As the incumbent CEO of Cellply, and previously CEO of Cellular Highways, Dr Jones has a strong track record of building and scaling technology companies, raising growth capital and delivering successful exits. Prior to working in the life science field, Alex spent 10 years as a conservation biologist, primarily in the South Atlantic region.

He joins a three strong board, led by Executive Chair Alan Raymond.

The new appointment will support Cytomos’ commercial drive for its flagship cell analytic intelligence platform AuraCyt®, together with its novel benchtop technology Celledonia®.

Tech Provider Brightridge Appoints Sales Director

Scottish technology provider Brightridge has appointed experienced IT services professional Greig Scott as Sales Director, bringing forward its recruitment plans as the business targets further growth across Scotland and the UK.

The senior appointment follows a period of significant investment and growth for Livingston-headquartered Brightridge, which is approaching £3million turnover this year, up from £2million last year. The company has invested in new premises, strengthened its senior leadership team, expanded its cyber security capabilities and opened its first Aberdeen office.

Greig, who joined Brightridge on 1 October, brings almost 20 years’ experience across managed IT, connectivity, communications, infrastructure and cyber security. He has built an extensive network and long-standing client relationships spanning businesses, third sector organisations and public sector bodies across Scotland and the wider UK.

He joins from cyber security specialist Closed Door Security, which will continue to work in partnership with Brightridge.

The Data Lab Appoints New Head of Professional Learning and Education Programmes

The Data Lab has announced that Jen Henderson has been appointed Head of Professional Learning and Education Programmes at The Data Lab, following nearly five years of leading talent partnerships at Heriot-Watt University.

Before joining The Data Lab, Jen was Head of Talent Partnerships at Heriot-Watt University, where she led a team working across key sectors with employers ranging from multinational organisations to SMEs, alongside industry bodies and academic colleagues, to understand workforce and skills needs, grow employer engagement and develop work-based learning programmes in response to changing industry demand.

Earlier in her career, Jen established and led Developing the Young Workforce Forth Valley, building more than 600 employer–education partnerships and creating stronger pathways for young people to progress into further learning, apprenticeships and employment.

Before her career in skills and education, she led the development and delivery of local, regional and national sports and physical activity initiatives.

She is also a board member of College Development Network, Scotland’s national development and enhancement agency for colleges, which supports collaboration and innovation across the college sector.

Jen will lead the development and delivery of professional learning and education programmes that build workforce skills, confidence and organisational capability to adopt and apply data and AI effectively.

BDO Promotes Three to Partner as it Invests in Scottish Team

Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO LLP has announced the promotion of three people to partner. This includes the appointment of Claire Robertson as a Consulting, Risk & Outsourcing Partner, Ally Rolland as a Business Restructuring Partner and Craig Goold as a Deals Partner.

Claire, who joined BDO in 2013, leads the firm’s Risk Advisory Services team in Scotland, working across a range of sectors, with particular expertise in Government and Infrastructure. Over the past 20 years, she has been helping public sector clients navigate change with confidence and gain assurance and advice around their key risk areas.

Ally specialises in turnaround and restructuring and has almost 20 years’ experience helping businesses, lenders and stakeholders navigate periods of uncertainty, stress and financial challenge.

Craig leads the M&A team in Scotland. He advises business owners, founders and management teams on the corporate finance options available to them. Having started his career in 2009, he is a trusted advisor to ambitious entrepreneurs in Scotland across a wide range of sectors.

Overall, BDO has promoted 94 people across Scotland, including 46 people in its Glasgow office, with a further 48 promoted in Edinburgh.

In total, the firm has promoted over 2,200 people across its UK offices, including 29 newly promoted partners across its Audit, Tax, Consulting, Risk & Outsourcing and Deals business areas effective from 1 November 2026.

Partnerships

redM Aberdeen Partners With CyberSafe Scotland to Tackle Online Risks to Children

redM Aberdeen is supporting CyberSafe Scotland in raising awareness of the online risks facing children and young people, including exploitation and abuse. The collaboration brings together redM’s professional network and CyberSafe Scotland’s specialist expertise in online safety to promote education, encourage conversations and help communities recognise and respond to potential threats.

By sharing knowledge and connecting professionals, the organisations aim to strengthen prevention efforts and create safer online environments for children across Scotland.

Zumo and Zeyro Join Forces to Provide Crypto Firms With a Compliant Bridge into the Evolving UK Crypto Market

Edinburgh-based digital assets platform Zumo has partnered with regulatory specialist Zeyro to help cryptocurrency firms comply with the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Financial Promotions regime. The collaboration combines Zeyro’s regulatory approval services with Zumo’s technical infrastructure, providing businesses with an end-to-end solution for marketing cryptoassets to UK consumers.

The partnership comes ahead of new UK crypto regulations taking effect in October 2027, with Zumo’s research revealing that just 10% of crypto firms consider themselves fully prepared for the incoming requirements.

Kura appoints Acumen Cyber to run 24/7 cyber defence across UK and South Africa operations

Edinburgh Napier and Approov Team up on Smartphone Security Innovation

A new partnership between Edinburgh Napier University and mobile cybersecurity firm Approov Limited will aim to improve smartphone security.

The Edinburgh-based company has agreed a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with ENU, which will include the recruitment of two cyber security researchers, co-funded by Innovate UK.

Over the course of 30 months, Approov and Edinburgh Napier will work together to create innovative defence mechanisms and an offensive test bed – known in cyber security as ‘blue team’ and ‘red team’.

The project, which received the highest rating in Innovate UK’s assessment for this funding round, will involve the ENU-hosted Scottish Centre of Excellence in Digital Trust and Distributed Ledger Technology.

It builds on Edinburgh Napier’s strong record in cyber security and digital trust technology. It has been recognised by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) as an Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Education (ACE-CSE) – and was the starting point for several successful cybersecurity spin out companies.

Expansions

Edinburgh-based Accountability achieves ‘triple crown’ of accolades

Investment management firm Aberdeen has hired 60 new staff as part of a strategy to strengthen its in-house technology capabilities and reduce reliance on external software providers. The recruitment drive forms part of the company’s efforts to take greater control of its financial adviser platform, bringing more software development expertise directly into the business.

Awards

Lower-cost rocket engine wins first national Space Challenge award

Scottish innovators developing a lower-cost rocket engine designed to be easier to manufacture have won the inaugural Converge Space Challenge.

Edinburgh-based Pleiades Dynamics, led by University of Edinburgh researcher Stephen Spice, secured the award for ASTEROPE, an early-stage bi-propellant rocket engine project focused on reducing the cost and complexity involved in developing launch technology.

The company is developing ASTEROPE as an affordable, easily manufactured engine using off-the-shelf hardware and ablative cooling techniques, with the aim of powering its first generation of test vehicle.

Stephen Spice, of Pleiades Dynamics, said: “At the heart of what we’re looking to do is bring more usability and openness to the Scottish and UK space sectors. We want to do that by making our engines as cost efficient and accessible as possible.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to have won. We didn’t expect to get to the finals, so we were just happy to be here. Winning the Space Challenge is a huge boost for us as we continue developing the technology and working towards making access to space more open and affordable.”

Five UK Startups Secure Patents from Global Technology Giants

Five UK startups, including Aberdeen-based cybersecurity firm Cyber Nandhini, have secured eight patents developed by global technology companies Panasonic, Nokia, NEC and DENSO through the IPHatch UK 2026 competition.

Selected from 21 finalists at City of Glasgow College, the winners gain access to patented technologies and opportunities for collaboration with the corporations behind them.

The initiative, operated by Piece Future, aims to help emerging businesses accelerate innovation, reduce research and development costs and strengthen their competitive position in international markets. In exchange for the patents, participating startups provide an equity stake.