Scottish Tech: Techscaler, CivTech link helps start-ups

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Two Scottish Government initiatives pledge to offer mutual support to program participants as part of a new global GovTech market that has grown to around $500 billion in 2022.

It brings together Scotland’s start-up support programme, Techscaler, in partnership with public sector innovation accelerator CivTech.

The joint initiative allows CivTech alumni companies to access Techscaler membership, maximizing cross-ecosystem support for GovTech startups, while contributing to the growth of Scotland’s growing GovTech sector.

Steven Drost, of CodeBase, who manages the Techscaler program, said: Innovation is already transforming the delivery of government and public sector-related services to citizens around the world, the speed of transformation will only increase globally and The Techscaler-CivTech partnership is designed to provide an even stronger support system and playbook in Scotland for our most exciting and ambitious GovTech startups.

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CivTech’s challenge program drives entrepreneurial technology innovation and citizen engagement in government procurement, improving the delivery of public services, generating economic development opportunities, and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset within government.

CivTech’s 15-week accelerator program is said to prepare startups to work and acquire business from the public sector.

He said that, to date, CivTech companies have secured over £67m in investment, creating over 320 jobs, and in February the Scottish Government announced £46m in funding for CivTech over the next four years.

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Mark Logan, Chief Entrepreneurial Advisor to the Scottish Government, said: The CivTech-Techscaler partnership is an important element in our strategy to create a world-class start-up ecosystem here in Scotland.

Linking the services offered across our key startup ecosystem enabling resources results in a powerful startup support network that is greater than the sum of its parts.

This accelerates both our start-up creation rate and the subsequent success rate of these businesses.

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Companies participating in CivTech programs and cohorts, as well as CivTech program leaders and organizations sponsoring the same challenges, will have the opportunity to develop skills that will accelerate the ideation and growth of innovative solutions for public services.

They will also have access to a variety of Techscaler support and resources, including via Techscaler’s seven regional hubs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling, Dundee, Aberdeen, Dumfries and Inverness, as well as bespoke mentoring, expert training courses and a community network of peers innovators.

Richard Lochhead, Minister for Small Business, Trade and Innovation, said: The world-class CivTech program enables Scotland’s public sector to work with the most innovative businesses to solve the biggest problems we face. The demonstrations show how successful these ideas can be.

This alliance with Techscaler can help inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs and create a cutting-edge network for startups. This is another example of Scotland’s technology ecosystem being strengthened by the partnership. It’s exactly the kind of creative thinking we want to encourage through our National Innovation Strategy, which sets out our vision to become one of the world’s most innovative small nations over the next decade.

Alumni companies that have come through CivTech include early-stage or growing startups such as Amiqus, Trickle, GearedApp, Volunteero, and The Routing Company; established companies including Sweco, AECOM and Buro Happold; and companies like Symphonic Software and Homelync, where the founders achieved a successful exit.

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