22 of Scotland’s smartest tech founders head to Silicon Valley and Singapore

The founders of 22 Scotland-based ventures have been selected by Techscaler, the Scottish Government’s programme for creating, developing and scaling tech start-ups run by CodeBase, for its forthcoming international programmes. The entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to meet investors, potential customers and peers in both key locations.

Cleanifiq, Stamp Free, Valla, Tyre Runner, VanFill, Amytis, 20 Photos, NeuroBright, Neon Circle/Neon Guard, Applo, NoLogo, and Aethernova will be participating in the Techscaler Silicon Valley cohort 4 programme between October 24 and November 14.

Jo Tennant, founder of 20 Photos, said: “You can only get so far aiming to be a big fish in a small pond. This trip is about putting 20 Photos in the rooms where the pace, mindset and ambition of world-class B2C [business-to-consumer] products are shaped and laying the foundations to compete at a global scale.”

Natalie Garry, a former Scottish ballet dancer and chief executive and founder of DanceSing, which runs online choir and fitness classes, added: “Silicon Valley was genuinely transformative for us. We arrived with no US clients, and we now have contracts signed, a clear strategy to scale in the US, and an invaluable network of connections.”

Meanwhile, Rethink Carbon, Seluna, ThermaFY Eco Solutions, Tiny Air, Virtual Reality Empathy Platform, Wristbud/Interactive Health, Danu Insights, Connecting Hands, Trials Link and MyWayDigitalHealth will be taking part in the Techscaler Singapore cohort 2 programme between October 26 and November 14.

Anais Guillemaud, head of scale-up growth acceleration programmes at CodeBase, said: “The second Singapore programme offers a unique opportunity to explore one of Asia’s most dynamic start-up ecosystems, where our focus in this cohort is around growth stage medical and health tech plus climate and energy tech companies looking to expand into Asian markets.”

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: “This marks another bold step in empowering Scotland’s most promising tech founders. By connecting them with global peers, customers and investors, we’re creating pathways for innovation, collaboration and growth that extend far beyond our borders.”

She added: “These international opportunities are not just about scaling businesses, but about building lasting relationships that showcase Scotland’s entrepreneurial talent on the world stage.”

The firms and founders making up the Silicon Valley cohort are:

Cleanifiq, an instant price cleaning marketplace for businesses, which will be represented by CEO and founder Vladimir Scutelnic.

Stamp Free, AI technology enabling parcels, letters, and returns to be sent via smartphone, will be led by CEO and founder Hugh Craigie Halkett.

Valla, which provides instant access to intelligent legal support, will be led by CEO and founder Danae Shell.

Tyre Runner, which helps vehicle fleet companies monitor, predict and replace tyres, will be led by CEO and founder Bryan MacMillan.

VanFill, an AI-driven logistics platform that helps move goods by matching delivery needs with spare vehicle space, is led by CEO and founder Aleksandra Czech-Seklecka.

Amytis, which is developing a next generation digital workspace for scientific research, is represented by CEO and co-founder Eva Steele.

20 Photos, a photo platform that turns photo libraries into story-driven collections, is led by founder Jo Tennant.

NeuroBright, a health wearable start-up helping people manage mental wellbeing and brain performance, is led by CEO and founder Stephen Elliot.

Neon Circle/Neon Guard, an AI-powered system that enables platforms to meet global safety laws without collecting personal data, is represented by founder Chelsea Jarvie.

Appio, which adds mobile widgets and enables native push notifications for web apps without the need for a developer or app store, is led by CEO and founder Michal Gondar.

NoLogo, an advertising company building AI infrastructure for creator brand partnerships, is represented by CEO and founder Nicholas Guy.

Aethernova, a medtech company developing an AI-powered extended reality platform aimed at transforming how neurodevelopmental conditions are assessed, is led by CEO and founder Aphrodite Yao.

The companies and founders making up the Singapore cohort are:

Rethink Carbon, a climate tech start-up helping landowners, communities, investors and policymakers make smarter, faster and more sustainable land use decisions, will be represented by COO and co-founder Zoë Russell.

Seluna, a medtech start-up using ethical, clinician-focused machine learning to accelerate diagnosis of paediatric sleep apnoea and respiratory disorders, will be led by CTO and co-founder Yola Jones.

ThermaFY Eco Solutions, a climate tech company empowering households and communities to live in energy efficient homes, is led by COO and founder Amanda Pickford.

Tiny Air, which is developing technology to decontaminate and inspect surgical instruments , is represented by director and co-founder Christopher Helson.

Virtual Reality Empathy Platform, which is developing a VR learning platform called LifeLens to raise awareness of lesser known sensory and cognitive challenges of dementia and ageing, will be led by CEO and co-founder Kevin Gordon.

Wristbud/Interactive Health, which is developing wearable technology to support mental health, will be represented by COO and co-founder Jay Evans.

Danu Insights, building AI-powered tools to accelerate innovation by helping scientists design faster, smarter, and more impactful experiments, will be represented by CEO and co-founder Stefan Bostock.

Connecting Hands, building a culturally responsive digital health platform that empowers mothers affected by postnatal depression, is led by founder Tolulope Abikoye.

Trials Link, a digital platform for clinical trials recruitment platform enabling real time clinician and patient engagement, is represented by CEO and co-founder Osman El-Koubani.

MyWayDigitalHealth, a company creating innovative software to manage long-term health conditions , is represented by CTO and co-founder Scott Cunningham.

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