International Programmes

Through Techscaler International we aim to maximise Scotland's startup potential. We believe that international connections are instrumental for individual startup growth and the ecosystem at large, leading to economic development through inward investment, job creation and revenue growth.

Register your interest for Silicon Valley & Singapore Autumn '25

Explore our Global Programmes

Why international travel is important

Travel opens doors. Founders return with bigger ambitions, stronger networks, and the confidence to think globally while staying rooted in Scotland.

Global Mindset

Encourage Scotland-based founders to expand their ambition and mindset, learning from international ecosystems.

Expand Networks

Expose founders to leading ecosystems, investors and customers.

Retain Talent

Provide access to opportunities that look outward, while keeping founders rooted in Scotland.

Showcase Scotland

To showcase quality Scottish startups globally, and act as a wider inward investment channel.

Interconnect Scotland

Connect with leading international tech ecosystems, sharing learning and extending networks at a national level.

How We Deliver

We engage internationally in two ways. Firstly, running programmes for startups across the world, and secondly as a team, travelling to international ecosystems and conferences to represent Scotland and bring home knowledge. 

We deliver programmes across the world, each one shaped uniquely for the country, the target audience, and the mission at its core. None of these programmes feature highly structured itineraries. This is a feature, not a bug. We aim to provide a landing space and supportive network for founders, providing opportunities to engage with the local ecosystem in a way that is most productive for their business growth.

Different ecosystems require different approaches, so we adapt our programmes for new locations, making sure language, local business practice and industry expectations don’t become an obstacle. 

Through continually evolving pre-departure and in-market support, we aim to ensure founders are equipped to make the most out of the opportunity. Each trip, we gain more feedback, and iterate further on the support we provide startups. 

Our International Programmes are deliberately flexible - founders shape their journey

We focus our international programmes around four building blocks:

Founders meeting peers: connecting with local startup founders, often through the pop-up workspace and ecosystem partners; signposting to local meetups and events; attending local conferences such as SaaStr or SWITCH; reaching out to existing Scottish networks.

Founders meeting existing or potential customers: education on local business and cultural etiquette; supporting strategies for outreach through pre-departure workshops and 1:1 mentoring; arranging facilitated pitching events in front of potential customers; opportunities to network and connect at major conferences and local ecosystem events.

Founders meetings existing or potential investors: sharing resources on fundraising good practice; encouraging peer learning between founders with fundraising experience; facilitating pitching events and investors showcases; facilitated pitching events; attending major conferences and local ecosystem events.

Showcasing Scotland: partnering with organisations such as Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Development International, UK Government’s Department for Business & Trade (DBT, UK) and Scottish Government’s Directorate for International Trade and Investment to showcase founders and their businesses on a global stage. This has included arranging showcase and pitching events, ministerial visits and engagement with governments and exhibiting at global events such as the Osaka Expo 2025.

What's included

  • A physical "pop up" Techscaler hub for startups to be based out of during the stay that enables:
    - A practical space to work from, host meetings, and undertake business
    - Fostering of community amongst peers and with local community
    - Easy access to learning and network opportunities in the space, and surrounding community
  • Return flights and accommodation for one founder per startup business
  • Signposting to relevant local events and partner support
  • Funded ticket to relevant startup conference  (dependent on dates & location)
  • Organised cohort events with local partners (dependent on location)
  • Dedicated cohort online hub to access founders directory, logistics details, partners, and recommended events.
  • An opportunity to learn about local business context and setting goals prior to going on location so founders can maximise the time spent in the ecosystem.

What's not included

  • Subsistence and non-flight travel costs (including to/from the airports) on location
  • Passport, insurance, and visa costs.
  • One-to-one introductions to investors - although we may organise showcases or opportunities to meet investors, we cannot guarantee one-to-one introductions.

How our cohorts are selected:

We have a standard selection process for our Techscaler International pop-ups, continually refined to ensure the broadest spectrum of businesses from across the Scottish ecosystem have the opportunity to participate. When delivering pilot programmes, for example the first Silicon Valley, Singapore and China trips - we may curate cohorts against agreed eligibility on an invite-only basis, to enable an agile test and learn approach. 

  • Criteria Definition: we establish a set of criteria for participation tailored to the mission. This may be shaped by factors like sector or stage. 
  • Membership Invitations: we invite all members who meet the defined criteria to apply, via email
  • Programme Promotion: we advertise programmes outwardly through newsletters, social media, and our established partner network.
  • Direct Outreach: our team uses their knowledge of the startup ecosystem, particularly in local regions, to proactively engage potentially strong candidates and ensure they’re aware of support available via Techscaler
  • Application Submission: prospective participants are required to complete an online application form
  • Initial Longlist Creation: we create an initial longlist, based on the essential criteria. We reserve the right to implement affirmative action to ensure diverse representation among underrepresented groups on this list.
  • Panel Review: longlist undergoes a review by a panel. Panels comprise of CodeBase colleagues and, typically, invited panelists from partner organisations such as Scottish Enterprise.
  • Shortlist and Reserve Candidates: a shortlist of successful candidates and a list of reserve candidates are created.
  • Notification and Confirmation: successful candidates are notified via email and requested to confirm their availability for the programme.
  • Space Allocation: in the event that a shortlisted candidate declines their offer, the space is extended to the first reserve candidate.
"[Techscaler] has energised me and enabled me to connect with people from around the world, working at the forefront of tech."
- Daniel Grant, Founder of notation.dev
"[Techscaler] showcases some of Scotland's most promising startups on the global stage."
- Màiri McAllan MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy
"Techscaler Silicon Valley provides unparalleled opportunities for founders to learn, network, and grow their ventures"
- Steven Drost, Executive Vice Chairman of CodeBase

What Success Looks Like

With delivery and practicalities in place, the next step is to define what success means for these missions - and how we will measure it.

Build global networks

Create meaningful relationships with international investors, partners, and customers.

Support founders

Give Scottish founders opportunities to expand internationally and accelerate their growth.

Strengthen Scotland’s profile

Position Techscaler and Scotland as recognised players in key global ecosystems.

Measure success by outcomes

Track new customers/contracts, international revenues, and follow-on investment.

Long-term impact

Evidence that companies are embedding international market entry and scaling strategies after the visits.

What We've Learned (And Improved)

What have we learned so far and how this has impacted what we'll do in the future.

What we learned

How we've improved

We launched our pilot programmes quickly to test the model. Whilst this was effective for some of the cohort, overall more lead time is required for founders to maximise the results of their time on the trip.

We now aim to select companies 3 months pre-departure to ensure time for robust  pre-departure preparation.

For early-stage founders, some ecosystems (e.g Silicon Valley) are easier to navigate and more productive than others (e.g. Singapore).

We now ensure all programmes have clear company stage criteria.For our second Singapore programme, taking place in Autumn 2025, we have focused on more mature companies. Additionally, we have an Energy/Medtech focus, enabling us to tailor activities and support further.

Three week trips are better than more traditional one week international visits. This provides enough time for relationship development and follow up meetings. This is important to see real impact. However, not all founders can commit to being away for this length of time.

We have maintained the trip length for those who are able to make this work, but have built in more flexibility for those who can only attend for a section of the trip due to other commitments. 

Other Scottish organisations are already doing great work in International markets and can provide support to our founders.

We are collaborating closely with SDI and other organisations to continually create new opportunities for our cohorts.

Different locations require different levels of structure and support for participants

We ensure we structure activities accordingly. While Silicon Valley is enhanced by a less-structure itinerary, we have pre-planned activities in place in other countries and engage local partners where we can. We’ll continue to evolve our programmes based on founder feedback on new markets.

Join Techscaler

If our international programmes are of interest to you, apply for Techscaler membership. Membership is for people working in startups who are at all stages of the startup journey, from ideation through to scaling phase, based in Scotland, and with ambitions to grow their business. Fill in the application form and Team Techscaler will get back to you as soon as possible to let you know your suitability for Techscaler membership and benefits available to you.

You can also keep up to date with our tech events and sign up to receive the latest news from Techscaler and the Scottish tech ecosystem.

Explore our Missions

From the Bay Area to APAC, our missions place Scotland-based founders inside the world’s leading tech ecosystems.

Silicon Valley

Singapore

Japan

China

Other Locations