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Movers & Shakers | September 2024
Catch up on September 2024’s recruitment, partnerships, expansions, and awards news from across the Scottish technology sector.
Welcome to the September 2024 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.
September has been another bumper month, with many innovative Scots organisations and key players doing exciting things. Read on to find out what exactly’s been happening!
Recruitment
Aurora Avionics Appoints Orbex Founder to Board
Aurora Avionics, the Scots firm who develops avionics controllers for launch vehicles and robotics in extreme environments, has appointed Chris Larmour, the founder and former CEO of Orbex, the space rocket company based in Scotland, as a non-executive director.
“Chris brings a huge amount of experience and a broad network of connections that will help Aurora be commercially successful, assisting us in getting to the next level. His advice and backing is a significant boost for us as we develop our technology and proposition,” said Oren Smith-Carpenter, Aurora Avionics CEO.
Larmour is widely known within the UK and European space sector and raised around $100 million in venture capital and public funding at Orbex during his tenure as CEO. Orbex now employs more than 200 people.
BGF Strengthens Scotland Presence With New Hires
Capitol investor BGF has added two new team members to its Scottish team following strong recent activity in the region and looks ahead to future deal growth.
Gregor Steedman and Michael Berger join the established BGF team in the Scottish capital.
Gregor joins as an investor, bringing with him a wealth of experience and unique insight. Prior to joining BGF, Gregor worked at AAB as a director within the corporate finance team in Edinburgh, providing buy-side and sell-side support to SMEs and private equity clients.
Michael joins the portfolio team at BGF on the back of continued growth within BGF’s portfolio and ongoing positive exit activity. Michael brings over 15 years of experience across diverse industries, including energy efficiency, technology, vehicle leasing, and financial services. He has a proven track record of driving growth and delivering value through strategic investments and portfolio management.
ScotlandIS Announces New Chair
ScotlandIS, the membership and cluster management organisation for Scotland’s digital technologies industry, has announced the name of its new chair. Andrew Williams, long serving member of the organisation’s board and CEO of app technologies pioneer, Fyne Labs, took up the role on 26th September.
With more than two decades of experience in the tech industry, and almost 10 years on the ScotlandIS board, Williams has been instrumental in advancing skills development and supporting startups across Scotland.
To read more, click here.
Kelvinside Academy Appoints the First-ever Director of Innovation
Kelvinside Academy has appointed the first-ever director of innovation to its senior leadership team amongst a trio of senior appointments as it moves to be the nation’s leading school for developing aspiring entrepreneurs.
David Sassarini, whose full title is director of educational technology and innovation, joins the Glasgow independent school from Belmont Academy, in Ayr, where during 18-years as principal teacher of design and technology he led the development of new curricula and learning environments that led to several educational awards.
Scottish Dealmaker Joins Cleantech Venture Studio
North Sea dealmaker Rob Aitken has joined cleantech venture studio Ventex aiming to accelerate the energy transition and unearth Scotland’s next unicorn business.
The studio wraps senior executive talent and investment around businesses with high growth potential and is focussed repurposing companies, technologies, skills and experience in the existing supply chain to support renewable energy markets.
It is also investing in early-stage companies with technologies which have significant potential to help solve the climate crisis.
Deal veteran Rob will assess potential portfolio companies for the studio, bring additional opportunities and lead the finance strategy for the business.
IBioIC Strengthens Team With Bioprocessing Expert
The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) has brought in an experienced bioprocessing specialist to its FlexBio facility, adding to the range of expertise on offer to support biotechnology companies and projects to scale up to industrial size.
Dr Sheena Fraser joins the innovation centre from Roslin Technologies where, as senior vice president of product development, she was a driving force behind its cultivated – or lab-grown – meat growth media and bioprocess development activities over the last 18 months.
Before moving to Scotland, Sheena was based in South Africa and held several roles in biotechnology and life sciences. In 2020 she was appointed chief scientific officer for Mogale Meat Company (now WildBio), a startup developing cultivated meat from wildlife species – an emerging field that uses cell culture to produce more meat with less livestock.
Concurrently, she served as chief operations officer for MeatOurFuture, an organisation accelerating the cellular agriculture sector in Africa, and team credited with delivering the continent’s first cell-cultivated meat prototype.
Eureka Solutions Promotes Team Member After Decade Away
Eureka Solutions recently welcomed the return of Fiona Hartley, who has been appointed head of marketing.
Originally from Queenzieburn, North Lanarkshire and now living in Cumbernauld with her husband and two children, Fiona began her journey with Eureka Solutions in 2011 as a Graphic Designer and Marketing Assistant.
After two years, Fiona departed to clinical trial software firm Formedix where she assisted in selling software into North America.
With experience at two other software companies, Fiona was drawn back through her belief in its core values of technical expertise and outstanding customer service, something that hadn’t changed in the decade since her departure.
2i Appoints New Chairman
2i Testing has hired software and IT sector leader David Cotterell to oversee its ambitious growth strategy.
The 300-strong firm, with offices in Edinburgh and London, says the appointment is a key milestone for Rockpool Investments, which provided the capital backing in April this year, by way of an eight-figure investment.
Cotterell said: “The global outsourced quality assurance industry is worth in excess of $40 billion a year and 2i is well positioned to capitalise on this. The recent investment from Rockpool Investments gives us a key advantage.
“Having worked for more than a decade with private equity specialists, I’ve seen firsthand the impact such backing can have on a great business model – and 2i is set for a major step up.”
CreateFuture Appoints New Chief Operating Officer
Edinburgh-headquartered digital consultancy CreateFuture, formerly known as xDesign, announced the appointment of its new chief operating officer (COO) Emma Nicol.
Nicol, who brings more than two decades of experience in client service and operations, is the first addition to the consultancy’s leadership team following its rebrand earlier this summer.
Previously the European COO at digital consultancy Kin + Carta, Nicol was a key member of the global executive team, helping to support operational transformation and mergers and acquisitions (M&A).
To read more, click here.
Partnerships
BlackRock Joins FinTech Scotland
BlackRock, the global investment manager, has announced it is joining FinTech Scotland, the cluster management organisation for the fintech sector in Scotland as it continues to expand in the region.
Through the partnership, BlackRock and FinTech Scotland hope to collaborate on innovation and solving problems through data and technology, in line with the FinTech Scotland Research and Innovation Strategy, which focuses on shaping the future of finance through fintech and technology.
BlackRock is the latest firm to join the FinTech cluster, joining the initiative’s founders including the University of Edinburgh, Lloyds Banking Group, HSBC and Scottish Enterprise.
To read more, click here.
Expansions
Dundee-based Aquaculture Tech Company Expands Into Oceania
Aquaculture technology company Ace Aquatec is expanding the presence of their products into Oceania, as New Zealand-based king salmon producer Mount Cook Alpine Salmon continues to see ‘enormous benefits from their award-winning A-BIOMASS® camera at their site in Mount Cook.’
Cleantech Aira Opens Its First Scotland Hub in Stirling
Cean energy-tech specialist Aira, has officially opened a new hub in Stirling, central Scotland, initially creating 30 highly-skilled clean energy jobs in the local area.
The Springkerse Industrial Estate facility will act as the central hub for serving Scottish customers. In 2025, the company plans to open the first Scotland-based Aira Academy at the location, ‘dedicated to delivering high-quality training for the Aira sales team, designers, installers, electricians and all those involved in heat pump installations, throughout Scotland.’
STAC Launches New “Smart Things” Hub, thebeyond
The Smart Things Accelerator Centre (STAC) has opened its new “thebeyond” campus at Glasgow’s Skypark, which CEO and co-founder Paul Wilson says will be Europe’s largest “smart things” hub.
The 22,000 square foot campus comprises a fully furnished electronics lab, a fabrication lab, and an R&D space, in addition to a media lab, an event space, and a 250-desk coworking and hot desk area.
“The launch of thebeyond takes STAC to the next level as we continue on our mission to build world-class startups who can compete on a global level,” said Wilson. “We support our companies through mentorship, access to talent, funding, and networks, and it’s a model which is unique on the Scottish tech scene.”
To read more, click here.
Awards
Scottish Women in Business 2024 Award Winners Announced
The Scottish Women in Business (SWIB) Awards 2024 winners have been announced.
The event, which returned for the first time in five years, celebrated women in business across Scotland, in addition to celebrating and recognising supporters and champions of Scottish businesswomen.
The winner of the Outstanding Achievement Award (sponsored by OutBritain) was Belinda Roberts MBE, founder and CEO of Edinburgh-based WeDO Scotland who throughout her career has created successful businesses through combining people and business.
Since 2008, Roberts has fostered theWeDO Scotland community that’s been a catalyst for Scottish entrepreneurs, cultivating an environment of mutual support and growth.
The other 2024 winners include:
- Champion of Women Award (sponsored by DYW Glasgow): Toni Scullion
- Woman of Influence Award (sponsored by RBC Brewin Dolphin): Heather Lydia Mudhari
- Catalyst of Change Award (sponsored by Glasgow City Innovation District): Dechomai Ltd
- Woman to Watch Award (sponsored by Clarity Accounting): Anji Sandhu
- Fundraiser of the Year Award (supported by SWIB’s Charity of the Year, Baby Loss Retreat): Peter McLennan
To read more, click here.
Young Software Engineer of Year 2024
Strathclyde University student Ben Macdonald was named Young Software Engineer of the Year for a project that seeks to more closely control how companies use peoples’ data.
Macdonald took the top prize home for his project that specialised in data protection. Inspired by Tim Berners-Lee, his project re-thinks authentication protocols, a critical consideration of tech that doesn’t get nearly enough attention.
The Best Engineering Prize was awarded to David Topping of the University of Dundee. David developed a Library Occupancy Sensor (Li-Busy), which gives an overview of how busy the library at Dundee University is, section by section, allowing students to plan their visits.
To read more, click here.
Winners Announced at 2024 Scottish Financial Technology Awards
The winners of the 2024 Scottish Financial Technology Awards have been announced, with Aveni.ai, the AI fintech firm, securing the prestigious “Fintech of the Year” award on the evening.
The ceremony also saw Mickael Paris, Fintech Scotland’s marketing director, secure the Special Recognition award, honouring the ongoing work he undertakes to help ensure the Scots fintech ecosystem continues to innovate and thrive.
The full list of winners from the 2024 Scottish Financial Technology Awards is as follows:
- Best Fintech Collaboration: Lloyds Banking Group/GoCodeGreen
- Best Use of Data/AI: Atto
- Best Start Up/New Entrant: loveelectric
- Climate and Environmental Impact: loveelectric
- Digital Transformation: Soar
- Evangelist: David McLeay at Lloyds Banking Group
- Financial Services Innovation: TSB Bank PLC
- Financial Technology Partner: Stellar Omada
- Fintech of the Year: Aveni.ai
- Fintech Leader: Colin Frame, Stellar Omada
- RegTech Innovation: RegHub
- Social Impact: Inicio AI
- Special Recognition: Mickael Paris at Fintech Scotland
To read more, click here.
