A national tech education and mentoring programme is expanding its reach across the Forth Valley region to stimulate local business startup and entrepreneurial activity.
Techscaler, the Scottish Government’s £42 million tech startup support programme, has partnered with business support organisation Ceteris to expand co-working hubs in Falkirk and Alloa.
Techscaler, run by CodeBase, already has 29 members in the Central Scotland region, which covers Forth Valley and Fife, with 95 at early stage and 34 at growth and scale-up stage. CodeBase’s Stirling hub, CodeBase Stirling, opened its doors in 2017 and serves as one of Techscaler’s seven hubs across Scotland.
Ceteris provides flexible workspaces, advisory services, and networking opportunities, via 10 sites across central Scotland. In addition to the expansion of existing co-working hubs, the partnership will deliver targeted events, mentorship, and access to a range of Techscaler courses and programmes designed to help founders build and grow their businesses.
Maggie Gorman, director of business support and development at Ceteris, said “At Ceteris, we have been proudly supporting the dynamic and evolving needs of start-ups and entrepreneurs for 40 years. Our partnership with Techscaler combines our strength in providing premium workspace solutions and business support to offer a more tailored service for tech innovators. We look forward to fostering a vibrant environment for tech start-ups to thrive at our locations across the Forth Valley.”
Onyinye Igbokwe, head of central Scotland regional engagement at Techscaler, said: “Forth Valley has a dynamic startup scene, we want to help startups here grow stronger and more quickly, and the partnership with Ceteris will help us to do this.”
In the Central Belt region, Techscaler is seeing a majority of its startup members in the medical technology and educational technology areas, totalling almost 30 per cent, with other sectors including: energy, climate, and sustainability; data analytics; travel and tourism; finance; and creative industries.
Igbokwe added: “The high level of MedTech and EdTech startups here is notable, and accordingly one of our first main events is going to be around medical technology early next year.”
The Techscaler-Ceteris collaboration will be co-hosting a MedTech Community Engagement event on 20th February, bringing together innovators, healthcare professionals, investors, and academics to explore opportunities within the ecosystem.
Sign-up details for the MedTech Community Engagement event, ‘MedTech Expo: Accelerating MedTech Innovations and Investments’ at the Alloa Business Centre: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/medtech-expo-accelerating-medtech-innovations-and-investments-tickets-1091152148449?aff=oddtdtcreator