Over the summer some of you may have seen the announcement that Scotland’s start-up support programme, Techscaler, has a new partnership with CivTech. The joint initiative will allow CivTech companies to access Techscaler membership, maximising cross-ecosystem support for GovTech start-ups, while contributing to the growth of the growing GovTech sector in Scotland.

Through this partnership, companies participating in CivTech programmes and cohorts, as well as CivTech programme leaders and the organisations sponsoring the challenges themselves, will have the chance to develop skills that will support their growth and in turn help fast-track the delivery of tech solutions for public services. Companies will also be able to access a variety of Techscaler support and resources, including via the seven Techscaler regional hubs across Scotland - in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling, Dundee, Aberdeen, Dumfries, and Inverness - tailored mentorship, expert educational courses, and a community network of fellow innovators.

With the partnership set to include alumni companies that have taken part in CivTech, we wanted to explain a bit more about how this came about and the benefits it will bring to those who get involved.

Mark Elliott, Programme Director at CivTech: “At CivTech we know the best way to stay in the lead is to plan ahead, and we take seriously our responsibility to play a role in building not just a successful tech ecosystem in Scotland, but a sustainable one. So, a partnership like this has been on our minds for some time, and we are so excited now that it is on offer to CivTech companies.

“There is a lot of talk about how brilliant we are in Scotland at collaboration, but are we? Are we really all working as well as we can to build a sustainable and successful tech sector, or do we all just agree that collaboration is a good thing and we’re good at talking about it? This is the big question that we hold ourselves to account to regularly because we don’t want to be all talk, we want to play our part in building and sustaining a strong and vibrant tech ecosystem.

“The Global GovTech market grew to around $500 billion in 2022, which is incredible, but what is genuinely very exciting for us is that we in Scotland really are considered a leader in the GovTech field. Whilst it’s great to be a leader and give ourselves a bit of a pat on the back, we really can’t take our eye off the ball because we could very quickly fall behind in such a fast-moving sector.

“We are immensely proud of the impact and positive work being done, but we know ourselves at the end of an Accelerator there is only so much we can do to continue to support companies that take part, and whilst we do a lot, we know it wouldn’t be wise to try and do it all. This is where taking action comes in - and taking action to collaborate, and do it well is what is at the heart of our partnership with Techscaler and our place in the wider GovTech scene in Scotland.

“We estimate that at the end of a CivTech Accelerator around a third of companies are ready to scale up straight away, and around two thirds have scale-deep potential, and we want to help facilitate getting them to the right pathways and support to continue to grow after their experience with us.

Yasmin Sulaiman, VP Partnerships at Techscaler, adds: “Our values are well aligned with CivTech as we’re dedicated to making Scotland's tech ecosystem a supportive place for all.

“Techscaler is based on four crucial pillars, which are education, community, mentorship, and workspaces. These aspects are all inherent in our various hubs across Scotland which we’re hoping to expand soon. As part of our workspaces pillar, we hold several events around our hubs including our flagship Unfiltered event which is a free coffee morning that takes place on the first Wednesday of each month. This is a great platform for CivTech alumni to get together, collaborate and troubleshoot, and to meet the rest of the tech ecosystem in your area.

“Our education programmes are aimed at those who are at various stages of going through the pain of their start-up journeys. From figuring out how to market to your customers, to understanding how to attract investment, taking your ideas forward, and to proof of concept, there’s value for everyone. Techscaler also has a separate programme for founders who are already on their journey, either with a prototype or who have completed customer research. The last stage education programme we offer is called Reforge, which is a Silicon Valley based company that offers support for companies who've achieved product market fit.

“Mentoring is another aspect we’re extremely proud of and something we offer at every stage. All our mentors are start-up founders themselves who have been through at least one journey of development, so it's very much a case of being mentored by people who are still in the game.

“Techscaler’s sense of community is also very pronounced. The value for CivTech alumni is being part of a cohort, and really learning alongside people from a variety of sectors, and who have had the same or similar experiences and challenges.

“Our programmes are inclusive, and we work with a range of partners to continually improve our support for founders from under-represented backgrounds. For instance, we run a series of meetups with AccelerateHER that happen across Scotland. These focus specifically on the experiences of women and non-binary founders, to help navigate the ecosystem and get the support they need. Similarly, we have support structures in place in the Highlands and Islands, and in the south of Scotland for our rural members.

“Techscaler is very much about working with partners, regionally and nationally, and sharing the vision of making Scotland a better place for tech start-ups. We want a sustainable tech ecosystem where there are a lot of tech companies all doing very well, and we’re confident that we can achieve that through our partnership with CivTech.”

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