CodeBase’s Techscaler programme has set its sights on creating more entrepreneurs to fuel the Scottish economy, rolling out the Startup First Steps founders course across Scotland.
The Mark Logan-authored Scottish Technology Ecosystem Review (STER) in 2020 revealed that while Scotland’s total early-stage entrepreneurial activity rate had more than doubled in the decade since 2010, it remains below that of many other advanced economies.
Techscaler, the Scottish Government’s £42m programme to support the growth of tech start-ups, was awarded to CodeBase - the UK’s largest technology incubator - last July as part of recommendations from the STER report.
Techscaler aims to offer a suite of support to founders in Scotland, including mentorship, workspaces and education. The range of programmes include Startup Basics, Startup First Steps and Startup Next Steps, delivered online and in person across seven regional hubs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling, Dundee, Aberdeen, Dumfries and Inverness.
Startup First Steps is a practical course, designed for current or prospective founders who are in the early stages of their journey, with the goal of taking a first version of a product into the market. Sessions are designed to be collaborative, with lectures from industry experts, practical activities and group discussions to apply session teachings.
In March, Techscaler launched its first advanced scale-up skills development programme, in partnership with Silicon Valley-based Reforge, with 47 individuals from 17 organisations participating in a four-week course.
In April, the Scottish Government announced a link-up initiative between Techscaler and the NHS to provide expertise and support to young businesses with high growth potential. The partnership gives NHS test bed participants access to Techscaler membership, while Techscaler members will gain access to NHS regional test beds, letting entrepreneurs work alongside clinicians with access to anonymised patient data for product and concept testing.
Minister for Small Business, Trade and Innovation Richard Lochhead attended a pre-workshop mixer with a selection of cohort participants at the Glasgow Barclays Eagle Lab campus earlier today, meeting with start-up founders, course organisers and mentors to discuss the programme.
Lochhead said: “Creating new businesses, generating new ideas and encouraging entrepreneurship through programmes like Techscaler is a key part of the Scottish Government’s ambition to build a wellbeing economy that benefits everyone in Scotland.
“I was delighted to meet with the first cohort taking part in our national Techscaler network’s Start-up First Steps educational programme and hear how it is providing a supportive and collaborative environment for entrepreneurs and start-ups to turn their ideas into reality.”
Jim Newbery, vice president of education at CodeBase, said: “Startup First Steps is a course for founders who are looking to develop an idea into a minimum viable product, through learning early stage best practice and applying tried and tested playbooks.
“Like all of CodeBase’s programmes, the impact of the course extends far beyond the workshops; it’s about fostering community and providing space to grow.
“This is what enables companies to scale, driving overall economic development.”
Genna Masterton of The Gifted Kind, a digital learning platform to support wellbeing in the early years, added: “It’s exciting to be part of Startup First Steps and learn the ropes alongside others who are in the same boat.
“I’ve wanted to explore this idea for so long and now Techscaler has helped me take the plunge and believe it’s possible.“
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