In just a few weeks, 22 of Scotland's most ambitious tech founders will board planes bound for Silicon Valley and Singapore, carrying with them innovations that could reshape entire industries. This is Scottish ingenuity, stepping confidently into global markets.
From a cleaning marketplace that's revolutionising commercial services to AI that's transforming how we understand neurodevelopmental conditions, these founders represent something special: the merging of Scottish innovation with global ambition.
The Power of Going Global: Why This Matters
The numbers tell the story. Barry Leaper from LiberEat didn't just gain experience from his Techscaler Silicon Valley journey - he secured US investment. Natalie Garry from DanceSing arrived with zero US clients and returned with signed contracts and a clear scaling strategy. For Aakanksha Sadekar from Tracker.Health, the Singapore programme opened doors across Asia, leading to commercial partnerships in Singapore, China, and Japan.
Their stories are proof that when Scottish founders get global exposure, magic happens.
"The programme was hugely beneficial for us and directly led to investment from the US. We met someone out there who wanted to put in money, and we took that on a good valuation cap. It was an invaluable learning experience." - Barry Leaper, Founder of LiberEat
Silicon Valley Cohort 4: 12 Companies Ready to Disrupt
24th October - 14th November 2025
This year's Silicon Valley cohort is perhaps our most diverse yet, spanning everything from AI-powered logistics to revolutionary healthcare solutions. What unites them? The ambition to compete at the highest level and the traction to prove they belong there.
The Innovators Heading West:
- Vladimir Scutelnic, Cleanifiq - An instant price cleaning marketplace for businesses
- Hugh Craigie Halkett, Stamp Free - AI technology enabling parcels, letters, and returns to be sent via smartphone
- Danae Shell, Valla - Provides instant access to intelligent legal support
- Bryan MacMillan, Tyre Runner - Helps vehicle fleet companies monitor, predict, and replace tyres
- Aleksandra Czech-Seklecka, VanFill - AI-driven logistics platform matching delivery needs with spare vehicle space
- Eva Steele, Amytis - Developing a next generation digital workspace for scientific research
- Jo Tennant, 20 Photos - Photo platform that turns photo libraries into story-driven collections
- Stephen Elliot, NeuroBright - Health wearable startup helping people manage mental wellbeing and brain performance
- Chelsea Jarvie, Neon Guard - AI-powered system enabling platforms to meet global safety laws without collecting personal data
- Michal Gondar, Appio - Adds mobile widgets and enables native push notifications for web apps without needing developers or app stores
- Nicholas Guy, NoLogo - Building AI infrastructure for creator brand partnerships
- Aphrodite Yao, Aethernova - Developing an AI-powered extended reality platform for assessing neurodevelopmental conditions
Singapore Cohort 2: 10 Companies Conquering Asia
26th October - 14th November 2025
Singapore represents something different: a gateway to Asia's massive markets, with a mature business ecosystem that rewards growth-stage companies ready to scale. Our second cohort focuses on med/health tech and climate/energy solutions - sectors where Asia's demand is explosive.
The Pioneers Heading East:
- Zoë Russell, Rethink Carbon - Climate tech startup helping landowners, communities, investors and policymakers make smarter, faster and more sustainable land use decisions
- Yola Jones, Seluna - Medtech startup using ethical, clinician-focused machine learning to accelerate diagnosis of paediatric sleep apnoea and respiratory disorders
- Amanda Pickford, ThermaFY Eco Solutions - Climate tech company empowering households and communities to live in energy efficient homes
- Christopher Helson, Tiny Air - Developing technology to decontaminate and inspect surgical instruments
- Kevin Gordon, Virtual Reality Empathy Platform - Developing VR learning platform LifeLens to raise awareness of sensory and cognitive challenges of dementia and ageing
- Jay Evans, Wristbud/Interactive Health - Developing wearable technology to support mental health
- Stefan Bostock, Danu Insights - Building AI-powered tools to accelerate innovation by helping scientists design faster, smarter, and more impactful experiments
- Tolulope Abikoye, Connecting Hands - Building a culturally responsive digital health platform that empowers mothers affected by postnatal depression
- Osman El-Koubani, Trials Link - Digital platform for clinical trials recruitment enabling real time clinician and patient engagement
- Scott Cunningham, MyWayDigitalHealth - Creating innovative software to manage long-term health conditions
Learning from the Trailblazers
The testimonials speak volumes about transformation. Natalie Garry from DanceSing describes her Silicon Valley experience as "genuinely transformative": "We arrived with no US clients. We now have contracts signed, a clear strategy to scale in the US, and an invaluable network of connections."
Aakanksha Sadekar from Tracker.Health emphasises the urgency: "AI is being rapidly adopted into digital health solutions worldwide, we have been spending time out in Asia and are now working with commercial partners in Singapore, China, and Japan, so we're seeing firsthand how Scotland must keep pace with the fast-moving evolution of AI."
These journeys are roadmaps for what's possible when Scottish innovation goes global.
Why This Cohort Is Different
What makes these 22 companies special is their readiness for global impact. Each founder has demonstrated the traction, ambition, and execution capability needed to succeed in the world's most competitive markets.
From climate tech addressing Asia's sustainability challenges to AI platforms revolutionising healthcare diagnosis, from revolutionary logistics solutions to platforms democratising legal access - this cohort represents the breadth and depth of Scottish innovation.
"The second Singapore programme offers a unique opportunity to explore one of Asia's most dynamic startup 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.” - Anais Guillemaud, Head of Scaleup Growth Acceleration Programmes at CodeBase
The Journey Begins
In just weeks, these 22 founders will immerse themselves in ecosystems that could transform their businesses forever. They'll build networks, secure partnerships, attract investment, and return to Scotland with expanded ambitions and concrete pathways for international growth.
More importantly, they’ll prove once again that Scottish innovation resonates on a global stage. From Edinburgh to Silicon Valley, from Glasgow to Singapore - these founders are about to show the world what Scotland's tech ecosystem can achieve.
The programmes run simultaneously from late October through mid-November, creating Scotland's largest single international expansion effort.
