An Edinburgh communications consultancy has added a Swiss tech giant and local ecosystem builder to its roster of clients in a boost to growth.
Freer Consultancy, founded and led by Nick Freer, has signed up tech and engineering multinational Zühlke and startup ecosystem specialist Foras as it expands its portfolio.
The company was longtime media relations adviser to Skyscanner before the travel site’s £1.4 billion acquisition by Ctrip in 2016, and around 50 per cent of the agency’s business is now in the technology sector.
Nick Freer, founding director, Freer Consultancy, said: “Tech has always been a mainstay of the business, alongside more traditional economy companies, although in reality every organisation has a digital focus as we approach 2024.”
Freer also continues to support a range of startups around investment rounds, including Glasgow-headquartered Chemify’s £33 million Series A round earlier this year.
In 2021, the agency advised web3 sports betting exchange BetDEX, founded by former senior FanDuel executives, on what was the largest ever seed round investment into a UK startup, a £17 million round led by US-based venture capital firms.
Freer has also appointed a new Associate, with former Press and Journal Business Editor Erikka Askeland joining the team.
Askeland has spent almost two decades as one of Scotland’s foremost financial reporters, with Insider, The Scotsman, and the Press and Journal, where she spent two stints as Business Editor. Erikka, who is based in Aberdeen, also brings corporate communications experience to her role with Freer.
Other assignments for Freer Consultancy this year included media support and conference hosting for global tech advisory bank GP Bullhound’s Northern Tech Awards in April, and media relations and event management provided to entrepreneur Ana Stewart around the Pathways: A New Approach to Women in Entrepreneurship review, co-authored by Mark Logan, chief entrepreneurial adviser to The Scottish Government.
The agency’s client base includes tech incubator and startup support group CodeBase, Troon-headquartered scaleup CCL Logistics & Technology, St Andrews-based impact investment firm Eos, Scotland’s first internet of things (IoT) accelerator, STAC, and fast-growth ultrasound startup Novosound.