TechCube | Co-founder & Operations Director | 2012-2014
About Link to heading
Another example of my entrepreneurial instincts getting the better of me, I found myself co-founding a community-led project to renovate an old 7 floor university tower into Scotland’s first privately funded technology incubator.
Started like all things of the nature - a casual conversation at the local tech-meetup turns into a speculative text to the owner of the building, which turns into a ‘yes’ and us getting our hands on a decommissioned lab tower in central Edinburgh.
We brought together the tech community on weekends to kick off the removal and prep work for the professional refit. We started a co-working space and running events as soon as the ground floor was finished - building the bike as we were riding it so to speak. Steadily we built up enough momentum and credibility to have all our spaces filled with the communities best startups - including one of Scotland’s first $1bn revenue startups - and a long waitlist for entry.
This project was interesting for me particularly as I got to jump on the other side of the startup fence, receiving pitches, working closely with angel & venture capital groups, and incorporating a broader and more mature perspective on the startup ecosystem.
Impact Link to heading
- Founded Scotland’s first private technology incubator from the ground up
- Rallied developer community to help support and renovate the building
- Venture investment in tenants over $200m
- Planned and launched co-working space
- Produced dozens of startup community events
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