Recruitment
Archangels
Edinburgh-based angel investment syndicate Archangels has announced the appointment of Ian Macleod as the new chair of its board.
The former investment analyst and fund manager takes over from Eric Young, who has held the position since 2014. Eric will continue to sit on the Archangels board.
Macleod has previous experience working as an analyst in London and Paris, specialising in the electronics and telecoms industries, initially with ANZ Capel Cure Myers and longer spells at both NatWest Markets and Jeffries.
Commenting on his new position, Macleod said: “The Scottish angel investment sector is helping to make Scotland a powerhouse in the life science and technology industries. Archangels are at the forefront of that effort and it’s an honour to take on the role of chair.
“While there may be challenging economic conditions ahead, by providing funding and a wealth of other support to our dynamic portfolio companies we can be optimistic about good outcomes for all our stakeholders.
“Under Eric’s chairmanship, Archangels has gone from strength to strength over the last eight years and I’m glad to keep his senior counsel on the board.”
He added: “I’m looking forward to supporting our portfolio businesses and investors, supporting entrepreneurialism and positively contributing to the Scottish economy.”
Want to find out more? Read out full piece here.
Commsworld
Commsworld has appointed business leader Andy Leitch as its new Chief Financial Officer.
He joins the Board of Edinburgh-headquartered Commsworld from M247, where he was Chief Financial Officer of the company, based in Manchester.
Leitch spent 14 years in Semiconductors at Motorola, which subsequently became Freescale Semiconductors. During this period he was based in both Hong Kong, as Asia and Global Manufacturing Controller, and later in Texas as Division Financial Controller.
In 2007 Andy moved into the aerospace industry, where he worked for a decade. His first role was as Europe/International Finance Director for Spirit Aerosystems, with responsibility for its UK, France and Malaysia aircraft structures operations.
He then became Group CFO at Bournemouth-based AIM Altitude, which designs and manufactures precision-made lightweight interiors for the aerospace industry.
Leitch commented: “I am delighted to be joining Commsworld at a key point in the company’s growth trajectory and am looking forward to working with everyone on the team to take Commsworld through the next stage of its development.”
Steve Langmead, Chief Executive of Commsworld, said: “I am delighted that Andy has joined the Board of Commsworld in what is proving to be another excellent year for the company, the highlight of which so far is the securing of a 15-year contract to transform North Lanarkshire Council’s digital infrastructure. His experience and expertise will help guide us to even greater success.”
Andy replaces Graeme St John, who has been Chief Financial Officer for more than 20 years. A key figure in the development and growth of Commsworld, he will be continuing in a new role as an advisor to the company.
Cloud Cover IT
Cloud Cover IT has appointed Owen Smith to the newly created role of Sales & Marketing Director.
Smith joined Cloud Cover IT as Sales Manager 18 months ago, having previously worked in the IT & Digital Apprenticeships space. Smith will work alongside the Cloud Cover IT leadership team including Lance Gauld, Managing Director, and Steven Turner, Group Commercial Director.
Commenting on the new role appointment, Turner said: “I am delighted to see Smith take on this new role heading up the Sales and Marketing activity of Cloud Cover IT.
“In the time since he joined us, the company has seen record growth, and clients are seeing the value of having a partner for their own digital journey.
“Smith has been central to crafting and leading that message and there is no one better suited to accelerate our future growth.”
Commenting on his role, Smith added “I feel privileged to be part of one of Scotland’s most exciting IT companies, where I get to work with great customers and hugely talented colleagues every day.
“My new role represents another growth opportunity for me personally, and I look forward to working alongside the leadership team to ensure we continue to strengthen our service offering and empower more organisations with technology solutions.”
Stellar Omada
IT group Stellar Omada has added 50 tech specialists to its team during the first quarter of 2022, while almost tripling year-on-year quarterly revenue and securing a number of new business wins and assignments.
UK private bank Hampden & Co, NatWest, and Atos are among recent contract wins for Stellar Omada, which recorded revenue of £4.4 million during Q1 of 2022. The company, which specialises in programme delivery and service management, is targeting full-year revenue in the region of £20 million.
Stellar is actively recruiting for multiple positions, including business analyst, test analyst, data analyst and developer roles, which Managing Director and Founder Colin Frame says has been more challenging over the last few months
Frame said: “While we’ve already brought a load of people into the business this year, we need even more people to come on board.
“While there is great tech talent in Scotland, we’re finding that the size of the talent pool is starting to constrain our growth plans, so we’re actively looking at ways we can develop home grown talent.”
At the end of April, Stellar’s headcount numbered 170, only four years on from the company being founded by Frame in 2018.
Frame added: “We’re a client-focussed, people-driven IT business, with our people using their knowledge to drive innovation and deliver the growth ambitions of our clients. Everything we do is in line with this approach.”
SBRC
The Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC) has appointed former Police Scotland Cyber Investigator Mike Smith as Incident Response and Threat Intelligence Manager
Smith will manage its growing cyber division including overseeing its Incident Response helpline.
He joins the SBRC with over 30 years’ experience in policing, having worked across various Police Scotland teams including School Links, Safer Communities, and Cyber Prevention – where he worked with the SBRC and other partners to drive the Cyber Essentials programme.
Smith commented: “The collaboration spearheaded by the SBRC between the private sector, Scottish Government, and other partners across public and third sectors is unprecedented and a clear testament to the importance of cross-sector support.
“I’m confident the experience I’ve gained in cyber policing, including handling incidents, managing enquiries, and forensic work will help me and my colleagues at SBRC better support businesses in the private sector.”
Jude McCorry, CEO of the SBRC, commented: “Mike’s extensive experience on the policing side of cyber incidents will be a huge boon to our incident response team – who are well-versed in limiting the impact of a cyber-attack.
“Having now assisted with 100 cyber incidents and counting, this felt like the perfect time to bring Mike in as Incident Response and Threat Intelligence Manager to lead the team and consider what more can be done to reduce cyber threats within organisations.
“Our ongoing close relationship with Police Scotland, alongside our helpline, executive education courses, and other outreach programmes, are just some of the ways we are working to ensure all Scottish organisations understand and combat the threat of cyber-crime.”
Zumo
Zumo has appointed Jonathan Sepulchre as Head of Growth, a newly created function to drive the next stage of the company’s development.
Sepulchre will work closely with Zumo’s product and marketing teams to build out new customer acquisition channels, further increasing traffic and user numbers whilst unlocking new partner opportunities for the business.
He will oversee Zumo’s diverse community and ensure that customers’ voices help inform future growth initiatives, such as international expansion and new product feature development.
Sepulchre is the latest in a series of senior hires for Zumo, which has now doubled its headcount over the past year whilst recording 25% month-on-month growth in its user base since launch in August 2020.
Commenting on his role, Sepulchre said: “I’ve always loved the interconnection between technology, digital marketing and growth, and I’m particularly passionate about personal finance – with crypto very much representing the new frontier of forward-looking solutions.”
“It was an easy decision to join Zumo; a company full of ambition with an incredible mission to make crypto more accessible. I’ve also been very impressed by Zumo’s progressive approach to working with the regulator and its pioneering work in the decarbonisation of crypto.”
Nick Jones, Co-founder and CEO, Zumo, added: “We’re growing fast and building an incredible, diverse culture; we need people who share our values to join us on this journey. Jonathan, given his pedigree, is a fantastic addition to the team.”
web3 and Metanomic
Nick Murray will join web3 and metaverse gaming engine scaleup Metanomic, supporting and managing commercial partnerships and relationships.
Metanomic has strengthened its team since March 2022 with key hires across business development and engineering, punctuated by the acquisition of Greek AI company, IntooLab in May 2022.
He is no stranger to the Scottish entrepreneurial ecosystem, having worked across business support organisations and within the Scotland Can Do Collective, as well as most recently at digital wellbeing scaleup, Frog Systems.
Murray also has a senior leadership role in Startup Grind Scotland, running monthly events and international programmes for the Scottish tech community.
The organisation made a splash earlier this year with Scottish Government Tech Ecosystem Funding, taking a cohort of 20 tech Founders for an immersive week in Silicon Valley in April.
Theo Priestley, Metanomic CEO, said: “We are all very excited to have Nick joining the team. Building relationships and communicating our offering across the traditional games industry and web3 is key to capitalising on Metanomic’s current traction.
“Nick brings a great mix of creativity, strategy and empathy to this kind of work, as well as a solid track record in the entrepreneurial space.”
Eureka Solutions
Cloud software specialist Eureka Solutions has promoted one of its longest serving members of staff to a newly created strategic role.
Alyson McMenemy, who joined the company from university 18 years ago, has been appointed as Customer Success Director.
McMenemy has had seven different roles in her career with Eureka Solutions to date, across senior positions in project management, sales, and technical support, making her the ideal candidate for the post.
She said: “Customer service and technical expertise are the core values which drive Eureka Solutions, so I am delighted to take on this prominent role which focuses on ensuring both those elements are held to the highest standards.
“I’ve worked across almost every aspect of the business and believe my deep understanding of our products, systems, sales process and after-sales care will be an asset which will further increase our client success and maintain our impressive customer approval ratings.”
McMenemy, Customer Success Director, will be responsible for the early identification of potential client issues and will use her vast experience to undertake root cause analysis, mitigate problems and to tailor responses which maintain client confidence.
Additionally, she will strengthen long-term client relationships and to develop new staff who have recently joined the business, improving their levels of understanding of Eureka Solutions’ products, services, and protocols.
Precision Medicine Scotland
Precision Medicine Scotland Innovation Centre (PMS-IC) has strengthened its Business Development Team with the appointment of Dr Maree Devine as Business Development Manager.
Devine brings a wealth of scientific and business experience to the role and will support PMS-IC’s mission to enable industry, academia, and the NHS to collaborate, leveraging Scotland’s expertise, data assets and delivery infrastructure to accelerate the real-world adoption of Precision Medicine.
She joins PMS-IC from the Social AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Artificial Social Intelligence, where she managed industry-research collaboration.
Devine will be working with the recently appointed Head of Business Development, Georgina Marczak and alongside the project management team.
Commenting on her role, Devine said: “It is clear to me that Precision Medicine Scotland’s work has the ability to transform lives. I am originally from the Glasgow area, and this is a fantastic opportunity to return to the place where I completed my undergraduate and masters degree, to help PMS-IC create the ecosystem for precision medicine to flourish in Scotland and beyond.
“I am excited to be part of a team enabling cutting edge medicine progression and to foster collaborations which help the innovation centre support an even wider network. So that, precision medicine can provide better outcomes for patients and help the NHS reduce treatment costs.”
James Ley has also joined PMS-IC as PR and Marketing Manager. His appointment will give the precision medicine team additional communications expertise at a time of increased interest and activity in personalised medicine.
Ley said: “I’m excited to join the team and to have the opportunity to communicate the ground-breaking projects we’re involved in. PMS-IC innovations have the power to improve the health and wellbeing of people in Scotland and beyond.”
Partnerships
Frog Systems and Small Changes
Frog Systems has announced a strategic partnership with healthcare specialists Small Changes.
The partnership broadens Frog Systems’ corporate offering to include self-help wellness programmes which will be delivered through its cloud-based solution Ashia.
Its wellness programmes designed by the team at Small Changes will be available to all Frog Systems clients on a subscription basis.
They are evidence-based and designed to help people make the eponymous small changes required to improve their approach to nutrition, sleep, exercise, stress, working from home and many other aspects of physical and mental health.
Phil Worms, CEO of Frog Systems, said: “The partnership with Small Changes allows us to offer additional expert-led support across a range of health and lifestyle issues.
“The team’s clinical knowledge will help us develop new initiatives that focus on helping people to make realistic and achievable lifestyle changes rather than setting unachievable goals.”
Frog Systems announced the partnership alongside a new client win which has seen the company create a digital mental health platform for the whole of the music industry. The new mental health platform is called Music Minds Matter Explore and was commissioned by the charity Help Musicians.
Joe Hastings, Head of Music Minds Matter, said: “Music and musicians bring us all enormous joy but mental health needs within the music industry are continuing to rise.
“Working with Frog Systems we have launched Music Minds Matter Explore to provide all those working in the sector with a new and additional form of help – adding to the range of services Help Musicians offers in this area.
“We hope that those using the site will find information to understand their needs better, signposting to support available locally and nationally, plus knowledgeable, and supportive voices.”
AstroAgency and AzurX
Space marketing firm AstroAgency has announced a partnership with Dubai-based space investment and advisory company AzurX.
The partnership seeks to support space businesses in both regions, access new development opportunities and forge collaborative partnerships.
The announcement outlines immediate plans to support the World Space Sustainability Association (WSSA). Additionally, another initial project is being discussed to support Scottish and wider UK space companies to establish a presence in the UAE to access new market opportunities, customers and funding channels and play a role in the local private space ecosystem.
Discussions are taking place with dedicated industrial and innovtion zones across the UAE in close coordination with the UAE Space Agency.
The new partnership is poised to help the Scottish space community build on this momentum by facilitating their access to new opportunities for investment and business development in the UAE. The Scottish space sector is the leading manufacturer of small satellites in Europe and has developed a diverse range of capabilities, from launch services to strong data analysis and research services.
Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise Ivan McKee stated: “Six months on from the launch of Scotland’s space strategy at our Space Day at Expo 2020 Dubai and we are seeing tangible positive results coming to fruition.
“It is great to see dynamic innovative Space sector strategy experts AstroAgency and AzurX coming together to bridge fast-growing commercial space activities between Scotland and the United Arab Emirates.
“The Space industry in Scotland and indeed globally is seeing exponential growth and international business partnerships such as this will become even more important to allow exchange of talent, ideas, and business connections.
“Both AstroAgency and AzurX played a significant role in showcasing Scotland’s space strengths at Expo 2020 Dubai and I am delighted that they are formalising plans to work together and I am in no doubt that this partnership will go on to achieve even greater results.”
Space entrepreneur Daniel Smith, who founded AstroAgency in 2019 and is also a founding Director of not-for-profit group Space Scotland, concluded: “We’re excited to explore further collaboration opportunities around space between the UAE and Scotland, building upon strong foundations from Expo 2020’s Space Week in Dubai.”
Want to find out more? Read out full piece here.
XDesign and FanDuel
XDesign has signed a multi-year partnership with North American sports gaming platform FanDuel.
The new partnership hopes support new entrants to the technology industry and create high-value jobs.
An annual £250,000 joint investment will come annually from xDesign and FanDuel to jointly build programmes, encouraging new talent into the market who can cultivate and extend their tech skills with the two firms.
As part of the agreement, both organisations will commit to creating a total of 400 new jobs by the end of 2022.
This will include increasing FanDuel’s engineering headcount by 250 people with the ability to work in its Scotland and U.S. offices (located in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Atlanta).
xDesign will increase the team working on the FanDuel account by an additional 40 people, taking xDesign support for the sports gaming organisation to 120 people based in Leeds and Edinburgh.
Finally, because of this agreement, xDesign will accelerate its growth plans and increasing the consultancy’s headcount by an additional 150 people to more than 350 by the end of 2022, with expectations that this will jump to over 500 people during 2024.
Euan Andrews, CEO of xDesign said: “Investing in people and creating a platform for future tech talent is a must to tackle the ever-widening tech skills gap.
“While job creation and growth form a huge part of this partnership, engagement, and support for those at the early stages of their career in technology is vital. Extending our relationship with an organisation as successful as FanDuel will significantly contribute to identifying and cultivating the next generation of talent in the UK which both companies are fanatical about.”
Andy Giancamilli, Chief Operating Officer at FanDuel Group said: “We have been continually impressed with xDesign throughout our relationship to date; its people-first approach, technical pedigree, and superb track record of delivery to rapidly scaling companies provides FanDuel with a relationship to be envied by others in the sector.
“The boom of the UK and Scottish tech sector is undeniable, and we believe this partnership with xDesign provides fantastic support and supplements the work our FanDuel world-class engineering teams do.”
Want to find out more? Read out full piece here.
IES and SSE Energy Solutions
Glasgow-based climate tech company, IES, has partnered with SSE Energy Solutions in a bid to help decarbonise the built environment.
The two organisations will use their respective technologies and expertise as part of a series of joint activities.
Founder and CEO of IES Don McLean said: “As a company, our key priority is to look at how we can decarbonise our built environment to curb the impact of climate change and improve the lives of people across the world.
“Our Digital Twin software is key to this and allows us to effectively work with other organisations to achieve this faster – we all know there is no time to waste.
“Working with SSE Energy Solutions as a leading energy provider and sustainable property advocate is an excellent partnership in achieving this mission and we hope our continued work together will amplify these climate solutions and make a meaningful difference in the race to net-zero.”
Managing Director of SSE Energy Solutions, Distributed Energy, Nathan Sanders said: “Data is key to unlocking the potential for decarbonising heat, transport and power in all large-scale distributed energy and infrastructure projects.
“To be able to visualise carbon savings and efficiencies before we break ground and commit to new designs, ownership plans or operational agreements allows us to work with our clients on delivering a whole system that will be fit for the future.
“Our partnership with IES has proven extremely valuable in supporting both feasibility studies, funding and investment decisions and whole systems decarbonisation with a number of clients.”
Want to find out more? Read out full article here.
Know-it and Gigged.AI
Scottish tech firms Know-it and Gigged.AI have partnered to help minimise the number of late payments suffered by freelancers working for commercial clients.
The Know-it and Gigged.AI partnership will give freelancers the ability to mitigate credit risk, increase cashflow and reduce debtor days, the firms have said.
Automated credit management technology, provided by Know-it, will help freelancers to run business credit checks, monitor changes, automate payment chasing and collect overdue unpaid invoices.
Commenting on the new partnership, Know-it CEO and Founder Lynne Darcey Quigley said: “Late payments are a massive problem for freelancers in the UK.
“We’re currently witnessing the rise in the gigged economy with over 2 million freelancers in the UK who contribute approximately £125 billion to our economy.
“It’s vital that we do what we can to help keep these valuable members of the UK workforce afloat. Know-it will help ensure that freelancers who use the platform get paid quicker for the work they do and boost their cashflow”.
Gigged.AI Co-founder and CEO Rich Wilson added: “As Gigged.AI build our community of freelancers we proactively seek out partnerships that will add value to them.
“Most freelancers suffer from late payments especially when they directly engage with a company. We are thrilled to partner with Know-it to help freelancers collect unpaid invoices.”
Want to find out more? Read out full piece here.
Strathclyde University and the Arrol Gibb Innovation Campus
Strathclyde University is partnering in the Arrol Gibb Innovation Campus (AGIC) to transform large-scale manufacturing through innovation and skills development.
Based at Babcock International’s Rosyth facility, the global centre of excellence will serve a range of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the marine, nuclear and energy-transition sectors.
It will offer access to the latest industrial techniques and technology, office space, innovation advice and skills development.
The centre is a collaboration between the University, Babcock International, the University of Edinburgh, Fife College, Fife Council, Scottish Enterprise, and Skills Development Scotland.
Commenting on the new centre, Professor Sir Jim McDonald, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Strathclyde, said: “As a leading international technological university with deep and large-scale strategic industry collaborations, we are proud of our strong links with a wide range of business and academic partners.
“This new Innovation Campus will enable researchers and industry to work together and will build on our strategic partnership with Babcock to develop and deliver innovation through world-class projects.
“It complements the work being done at the Strathclyde operated, National Manufacturing Institute Scotland Group and it will give our academics and students further opportunities to be at the forefront of cutting-edge developments across engineering and advanced manufacturing.”
Ivan McKee MSP, Scottish Government Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise, added: “I welcome the launch of the Arrol Gibb Innovation Campus, which will support employment and skills, benefit the economy, drive innovation and reinforce Scotland’s position as a global leader in large-scale advanced manufacturing.
“Its unique combination of capabilities supports Scotland’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation.”
Want to find out more? Read out full piece here.
Phoenix Group, FinTech Scotland and TCS COIN
Long-term savings firm Phoenix Group is collaborating on an Innovation Forum using fintech to boost engagement and support the financial well-being.
Working alongside TCS’ Co-Innovation Network (TCS COIN) innovation ecosystem and FinTech Scotland, the Phoenix Innovation Forum will invite fintech enterprises and entrepreneurs to explore partnership opportunities that will introduce innovative thinking and new ways of working.
The company said it hopes to work with companies looking to improve financial wellbeing, with a focus on providing a “positive impact on customers’ lives” as they move to retirement.
Phoenix’s Innovation Forum will give fintech enterprises and entrepreneurs the opportunity to design, refine and present innovative solutions to senior leaders across the company.
The initial focus will be on two key engagement themes: gamification and curiosity. These will use creative tools to “spark increased levels of curiosity” about saving and financial planning, as well as providing interactive ways to encourage greater engagement in digital channels.
Commenting on the news, Phoenix’s Managing Director – Pensions and Savings, Colin Williams, said: “This is a great opportunity for Phoenix to connect key decision makers within our organisation with innovative enterprises.
“We are looking to fuel creativity and come up with new solutions which really support our customers and build greater engagement and financial inclusion which is important to our Group’s social purpose and part of our long-term sustainability strategy.
“We are looking to deliver forward-thinking propositions and to be at the forefront in developing innovative solutions, working in collaboration with TCS COIN and the FinTech Scotland community.”
Nicola Anderson, Chief Executive of FinTech Scotland, added: “We are delighted to support the Phoenix Innovation Forum which is a further example of the valuable role fintech innovation can play in improving customers’ financial engagement and well-being.
“Phoenix’s commitment to innovation to support its large customer base and its partnership approach will attract significant interest from fintech entrepreneurs who share their ambition of helping customers more effectively engage with savings and investments.”
Want to find out more? Read out full piece here.
Awards
Converged
Scottish IT, cyber security and internet service provider Converged Communication Solutions has announced its latest digital accreditation.
Converged joins a small band of around 30 UK tech firms to hold IASME (Information Assurance for Small and Medium Enterprises) IoT Certification Body status.
It allows the firm, which has offices in Aberdeen and Inverness, to assess and verify the security capabilities of internet-connected devices being manufactured and used by companies.
John Gillies, the firm’s lead cyber security assessor, has become a certified IoT Assessor – one of only a handful of people in Scotland to currently hold the accreditation.
Neil Christie, managing director of Converged Communication Solutions, said: “Technology is playing a greater role in our lives than ever before, both at home and in the workplace. It is imperative that every internet-connected device we use has the appropriate security protections in place to prevent any cyber breaches. The legislation currently going through the Houses of Parliament will help ensure that.
“As a business, Converged is committed to playing its part in assisting industry to bolster their cyber defences and verifying the security of IoT devices will be a key part of this.
“Gaining the IASME IoT certification standard at an early stage in its implementation underlines this promise and further strengthens the capabilities of our cyber security team.”
Loveelectric
Edinburgh-based ethical fintech, loveelectric.cars, has won the prestigious Start-up of the Year award at this year’s ScotlandIS Digital Technology Awards.
The Awards celebrate Scotland’s finest tech sector talent – businesses demonstrating outstanding commercial success and growth as well as superb tech products or services with long-term potential.
Steve Tigar, loveelectric.car’s founder and CEO, said: “We are thrilled. Our mission is to enable companies of every shape and size to offer their employees affordable new, and fully electric cars.
“So many motorists want to drive electric ahead of the ban on new petrol and diesel cars in 2030 but are being held back by the cost.
“The cost of leasing through loveelectric.cars is typically around 50% less than if the car were leased directly – and much, much less than buying new. It’s a win-win because it costs the employer nothing and reducing our carbon tyre-print is the biggest way the average person can help to reduce carbon emissions into the environment.”
Founded in September 2021, loveelectric.cars’ simple-to-use technology platform makes joining, launching, and managing the scheme very easy. It allows self-selection from a wide range of EVs, and live quotes show employees exactly how much they will pay, with the leasing costs deducted directly from their monthly salary.
“Employees access our portal where they can search for e-cars, receive quotes and request an order,” says Steve Tigar. “We manage the end-to-end order process, all paperwork is done digitally. There is little admin for the employer to do, and we provide support to amend employee contracts and payroll”.
Softcat
IT infrastructure solutions and services provider Softcat has been awarded a place on the new Scottish Government Technology Peripherals & Infrastructure framework.
The national agreement allows all Scottish public sector organisations, including central government, local authorities, NHS and emergency Services, universities and colleges, and third-sector organisations, to purchase hardware installations and network solutions.
Split into two lots, Lot 1: IT Equipment Catalogue and Lot 2: IT Complex Infrastructure Projects – the contract will last for two years, with the option to extend by a further two.
Softcat will work alongside three other organisations on Lot 2 to support Framework Public Bodies’ server and storage requirements by delivering complex infrastructure projects encompassing a broad range of Networking, Audio-Visual, Desktop Print associated IT Peripheral equipment.
The competitive tender process allowed Softcat to demonstrate its ability to align with the framework’s key objectives, including maximising efficiency and collaboration, embedding sustainable procurement and delivering value for money and social value to communities throughout Scotland.
Louise Fellows, Public Sector Director at Softcat, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be awarded a place on the technology peripherals and infrastructure framework. This is a great achievement by the team, and we hope it helps strengthen our relationships with our Scottish Public Sector customers.
“We see this as a massive opportunity to continue developing our Scottish Team, and we are thrilled to be working with Scottish Procurement in making this framework a success.
ScotlandIS
The winners of the Scottish Tech Awards were announced in May, recognising some of Scotland’s finest tech sector talent.
Hosted annually by ScotlandIS, the 2022 Digital Tech Award winners demonstrated a marked dedication to tackling societal challenges and issues such as climate change.
This year’s awards introduced a Climate Champion award, which was snapped up by Clearview Intelligence for its work developing a strong climate strategy.
Continuing on the climate-related theme, the Start-up Business of the Year award was given to loveelectric. Founded by Steve Tigar, the Edinburgh-based startup aims to make electric vehicle schemes more accessible to SMEs and their employees.
Meanwhile, adtech for good startup Good-Loop was recognised for its unique ‘Green Ad Tag’ technology to track the carbon footprint of digital advertising and provide a path to offset it, through funding tree planting.
Karen Meechan, CEO of ScotlandIS said: “Each year we host these awards, the competition is fierce, and I’d like to congratulate our winners and runners-up on what was a challenging year for our judges.
“It’s particularly heartening to see how much the sector is contributing not only to the industry – with companies like Fyne Labs and FarrPoint – but also how the industry is championing issues that impact our everyday lives, with creative and impactful solutions to parts of the climate crisis straight through to cybersecurity.”
Meechan added: “I’d like to send special congratulations to this year’s Unsung Hero, Tommy Lawson, whose breadth and depth of knowledge, and ability to communicate to his students, shone through in his application – as did the respect and admiration his peers have for him.
“Talent is an ongoing challenge for our industry and it’s important to recognise the real champions we have working to inspire the next generation.”
Want to find out more? Read out full piece here.
Moves
KultraLab
An innovative behavioural science and technology company KutraLab has chosen Scotland for a new hub.
The London-headquartered firm will open a new hub in Edinburgh after it received more than £2 million investment from Scottish investment syndicate, Kelvin Capital, and Scottish Enterprise in a move that will create up to 25 jobs.
KultrLab’s Edinburgh site will be its ‘Product Hub’, consisting of teams from Engineering and Product Development. It is seen as being central to the firm’s plans to deliver its unique Behavioural Change Platform to its clients.
Steve Baggi, Founder & CEO of KultraLab, said: “The way in which people work has changed dramatically, around the globe and in every sector. This is a massive space for companies such as ours offering services to help organisations manage these changes.
“We have a number of major advantages: everything we do is driven by science, and we focus closely on the consumer sector, where we have extensive and long-standing connections. With our new funding we are well placed to reach scale very quickly.”
Stuart McKee, Chairman at Kelvin Capital said: “KultraLab’s highly experienced management team has rapidly created a new technology that has already secured major buy-in from the consumer sector and is set to accelerate its growth with this new investment.
“Choosing Edinburgh as its location for product and technology development is a tremendous endorsement of the skills available to the marketplace and we are delighted to be early-stage backers of the business and its board and look forward to working with them to achieve their ambitious plans.”
Cinos
IT service provider Cinos has announced an extension of its footprint in Scotland with new presence in Edinburgh.
The Edinburgh expansion is part of a wider strategy from Cinos to further meet the demands of Scotland’s diverse technology sector.
The move will provide greater access and support to the services Cinos delivers to clients across the healthcare, manufacturing, contact centre, financial and public sectors.
Johanna Guest, Managing Director at Cinos said: “In the era of hybrid working, it’s more important than ever for organisations to choose a trusted partner to help meet their audio-visual, collaboration, and connectivity needs.
“We therefore recognise the importance of increasing the support for all our customers across the UK, so I’m delighted to be able to work more closely with our key customers in Edinburgh and throughout Scotland.”
Cinos’ growing presence in Edinburgh will complement its existing locations throughout the UK in addition to those in Europe, America and Singapore.
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