CodeBase

Cutting-edge microscopy has often come at a price most labs can't afford, until now. Co-founded by Dr Peter Tinning and Dr Ralf Bauer, Northern Light Microscopy is building microscopy systems that are reshaping how bioscience discoveries are made, by offering imaging at a price point every researcher can access. Spun out of the University of Strathclyde, they've since secured backing from Innovate UK and Scottish Edge and recently closed a £1m pre-seed round. Their flagship product AMIS has already outperformed established systems costing significantly more, with international expansion on the horizon. NLM are one of the most notable deep-tech companies we've featured in this year's Ones to Watch report. Find out more in the full report at the link in comments. Fundraise source: DSW Ventures.

Scotland’s AI ecosystem just leveled up 🚀 Last week, we brought our talented Scottish founders together with the global power of #CoreWeave. With a £1.5 billion commitment to Scottish infrastructure, this partnership is a game-changer. Our inaugural event under the partnership offered founders insights into global market access, venture backing, and frontier infrastructure tailored for companies at their stage. Founders walked in with ideas and walked out with venture interest and entry points to networks that normally take decades to access. Watch to hear from the founders directly 🎤 and read the full recap via the link in our bio! #Codebase #CoreWeave #ScottishTech #AI #Startups

Collaborating with the NHS as a founder can be challenging. What if you could help change that? If you're a health-tech or medtech founder in Scotland working out how to engage the NHS as a client or partner, your insights could directly shape a new model designed to make that process clearer and more effective. Join us and NHS Forth Valley for an interactive focus group about the challenges and opportunities of NHS collaboration with NHS colleagues and fellow founders. 📅 Tuesday 19 May, 10am–12pm 📍 Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Larbert Register via the link in comments.

Every year, our Ones to Watch report surfaces the Scottish startups who are about to take off. This is one of them. Neon Guard is built around a deceptively simple question: how do you prove someone's age online without asking them to hand over their identity? Led by Dr Chelsea Jarvie, a cybersecurity leader with a decade of experience, they're building an age assurance platform that works without biometrics or photo ID. Grounded in peer-reviewed research and arriving at exactly the moment global regulation is starting to demand it, Neon Guard is one of the most compelling early signals we've seen in this space. Download the full report from the bio.

Eva Steele built Amytis from a problem she experienced firsthand during her PhD research. While working in life sciences, she repeatedly saw how fragmented systems, siloed datasets, and disconnected workflows slowed down research teams and created missed opportunities. That experience became the foundation for Amytis, a growing platform helping biotech R&D teams manage complex research operations more effectively. Through Techscaler, delivered by CodeBase, Eva accessed founder networks, funding opportunities, and international exposure that helped shape Amytis’ next stage of growth. Key takeaways from Eva’s journey: • User feedback matters more than theoretical perfection • International exposure sharpens strategic decision-making • Founder ecosystems accelerate learning and positioning Today, Amytis is preparing pilot projects with biotech companies while building toward international expansion across Europe and the United States. Read the full case study through the link in the bio.

We’re pleased to bring together AI founders and startups at CodeBase Edinburgh today alongside @CoreWeave , the cloud computing platform powering AI labs and high-growth startups, creating a hands-on environment designed to drive real conversations and next steps. The morning kicked off with networking over coffee followed by a roundtable, bringing founders together for open conversation on what it really takes to build and scale AI companies in Scotland. Key themes from the discussion included: - CoreWeave’s funding model built around compute for equity, providing access to infrastructure and capability. - The growing demand for AI infrastructure and how access to compute remains a challenge for early stage founders. Through one-to-one sessions this afternoon, founders will meet with senior leaders from CoreWeave gaining from their experience in strategy, corporate development and market expansion. They’ll also have the opportunity to pitch directly to them, marking a step towards building tangible infrastructure for growth and scale of AI startups. Watch this space to hear directly from the founders!

Scotland's AI ecosystem has a new and powerful ally. We are excited to join forces with CoreWeave, the cloud platform behind some of the world's most ambitious AI labs and fastest-growing startups, bringing world-class AI infrastructure access directly to founders building here. CoreWeave recently committed £1.5 billion into Scottish AI infrastructure. Through our programmes, we support hundreds of founders across the country. This partnership is how we turn that investment into tangible value that founders can benefit from. If you're building an AI company, especially one running AI workloads at scale, this one's for you. We're hosting an exclusive founder event in Edinburgh on 5th May. In the room: a chance to interact with peers and senior CoreWeave leaders across corporate development, strategy, and market expansion to discuss the fabric of the infrastructure and where support is needed the most. Applications are open. Know more via link in the bio.

Most conversations about women in business stop at access. Jennifer Forbes Iannolo, VP of Business Acceleration at CodeBase, goes further — and has the cross-continental experience to back it up. In her latest piece for The European Business Review, she breaks down what scaling actually demands of women founders: the structural gaps between responsibility and authority, the way capital flows toward familiarity over potential, and why the decisions that define a company's future rarely feel like pivotal moments when you're making them. A sharp, focused read that reframes what we should actually be talking about. Read via the link in the bio.

Some of the most interesting ideas emerge when people are given space to explore freely. Split Screen did exactly that, bringing together creatives, technologists and organisations to test how AI and digital tools could shape live and digital performance. The programme was led by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in partnership with Scottish Ballet, Scottish Opera, Citizens Theatre, CodeBase, Techscaler, Creative Glasgow, and anam creative, and supported by the Scottish Government's Ecosystem Fund. Over five days, a multidisciplinary cohort moved from exploration to experimentation, spanning disciplines from theatre, music and dance to game design, digital art and creative technology. What stood out was the way ideas developed through new connections across disciplines that rarely intersect. That momentum carried into a sprint where participants pitched, tested concepts with mentors, and iterated quickly through direct feedback. Six projects have now been backed through micro-commissions, including immersive grief education, AI-led investigative storytelling, environmental performance and digitally driven dance. Three of these projects will be showcased at the Creative Tech Scotland Gathering, with demos from The Only Witness by Lok Pui Lo, Nightbox by Martin O’Neill, and Afterlight by Lauren Hall. Explore how these ideas are taking shape and where creative technology is opening new ground through the link in the comments.

The way founders experience the ecosystem is often limited to what sits directly in front of them, which makes it harder to see where momentum is really building and how others are progressing at a similar stage. Ones to Watch 2026 is an insight-driven report that highlights high-growth startups across Scotland, built on direct engagement with founders through Techscaler and informed by experienced operators who understand what real momentum looks like. This edition focuses on deeptech, spanning AI, robotics, health, and advanced systems, while also providing a detailed look at how companies from previous reports have progressed across product, traction, and funding. Together, it offers a comprehensive view of where the ecosystem is moving and what is beginning to scale. Download the full report from the bio.

Founders who have lived the full journey bring a different kind of clarity to the ecosystem, and Andrew McGinley is a strong example of that in motion. As an Entrepreneur in Residence at CodeBase, his work has centred on helping companies move beyond theory and validate through real sales, where customers are willing to pay. That perspective is now shaping his latest venture, Hosel, which is tackling trust and transparency in the global second-hand golf market. The company is building infrastructure in a space that has long been fragmented, making it easier for buyers to understand value and transact with confidence. This kind of founder-led progress reflects why we place experienced operators at the heart of how we support scaling companies. It keeps the focus grounded in what actually moves a business forward when the stakes are real. We are pleased to see Andrew’s next chapter taking shape and gaining early traction. Read more about Hosel and the journey behind it via the link in the comments.

Dr Giulia Marcucci built LumiAIres around a question that is becoming harder for the tech sector to ignore: how do we keep scaling AI without scaling energy waste with it? Her journey is also a founder story about transition. Moving from deep research into venture building meant navigating hardware timelines, credibility gaps, and the challenge of commercialising breakthrough science without the usual spin-out path. Key standout lessons from her journey: ▶️ Deeptech needs more than technical brilliance ▶️ Market direction can change everything ▶️ The right ecosystem support can accelerate conviction as well as growth Through CodeBase and Techscaler, Giulia accessed community, mentorship, investor conversations, and a wider frame for what scaling could look like. The result is a company that has grown quickly, sharpened its market focus, and is moving toward commercial validation. Read the full case study via the link in the bio.