New US Boost for Scottish science and tech companies
The founders of five cutting-edge science and tech companies have gathered in Edinburgh to begin a journey that will see them take their Scottish innovations all the way to Silicon Valley.
Scottish Enterprise’s US MarketBooster Programme* is set to support these companies to enter and scale in the world’s largest market for technology products and services, by immersing them in the tech-renowned US region.
The pilot Programme is part of Scottish Enterprise’s new Missions-based approach, launched in ‘Our Focus on Economic Transformation’ this time last year, which aims to transform Scotland’s economy by doubling the number of scaling companies in Scotland over the next ten years.
To support each company’s efforts to accelerate their US Market readiness and revenue growth, the founders of these companies are embarking on a 16-week programme of immersive and intensive wrap-around support, on both sides of the Atlantic.
The first eight weeks ‘discovery’ phase will be in Scotland, where the companies will work with US and Scottish business experts to ensure there is a strong fit between their products and the market they intend to enter.
The second phase will see them spend eight weeks in the heart of Silicon Valley, working closely with our US based team, industry networks and partners, to build the strategy, data and skills to compete for customers and investment in the highly competitive US market. The company founders will be based in a co-working space and have the opportunity to network with and learn from the other Scottish, US and global entrepreneurs and the local investor community.
The Scottish companies selected for the pilot are Aveni, Cloudsoft, Lasting Asset, Lupovis, and Talking Medicines. By leveraging new technology in areas such as AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity and healthcare data analytics, each of these companies is innovating, setting new standards and crucially, have huge ambitions to grow.
The aim is for these companies to get to US revenue 6-12 months faster than companies entering the market without this support.
Reuben Aitken, Managing Director International, Scottish Enterprise said: “To scale up, Scottish businesses need to go global. The US is our top export market and this US MarketBooster Programme is an exciting new way of working. With targeted, wraparound support here in Scotland, followed by immersion in Silicon Valley, these innovative companies will have the best opportunity to grow faster.
“This Programme is about giving companies access to our expertise, advice and networks rather than direct funding, because we know how highly valued this is by them.
“Scotland has a rich history of great inventions and innovative spirit. This new approach will help propel this next generation of ambitious, innovative companies forward, delivering maximum impact for both them and Scotland.”
Jo Halliday, one of the Founders of Talking Medicines, said: “We’ve been supported by Scottish Enterprise over the years in many useful ways and in our experience their help means you can go further, faster and bring the benefit into your business and bottom line sooner.
“We’re very excited to be involved in this US MarketBooster programme, alongside other scaling companies that are looking to enter, expand and go big in the United States.
“Talking Medicines has a successful presence in the US, and we see this programme as the catalyst to further US acceleration and scalability in 2025 through extension of our current market and growth of AI.
“Others in this group are entering the US market for the first time, so I’m looking forward to learning from each other and sharing the experience together.”
The Scottish phase of the pilot is now underway. The group will travel to Silicon Valley in early March and complete the pilot by the end of April.
Ends
Contact Information
Wendy Fleming
Notes to editors
A rigorous evaluation process took place for the pilot with five companies chosen to participate. They are:
1. Aveni
Aveni - AI solutions built for financial services
Aveni is transforming financial services with its award-winning AI-driven solutions. Powered by cutting-edge natural language processing (NLP) technology, our advanced platform analyses documents and meetings to extract actionable insights that drive operational excellence. From automating client administration and compliance monitoring to managing Consumer Duty requirements and assessing adviser performance, Aveni integrates seamlessly with human expertise to deliver significant efficiency gains across business operations.
Purpose-built for the financial services sector, Aveni bridges the gap between generic AI tools and the unique challenges of the industry, accelerating workflows and enhancing productivity. Trusted by some of the UK’s leading financial services companies, Aveni is also developing FinLLM, a financial services-specific large language model, to further advance AI capabilities tailored to the sector's needs.
Backed by a team of world-leading NLP scientists and engineers, Aveni empowers organisations to harness the transformative potential of AI, enabling smarter, more streamlined, and sustainable operations.
2. Cloudsoft
Cloudsoft, based in Edinburgh, Scotland, is a leading Software and Cloud Engineering
company known for its expertise in connecting SaaS and Technology platforms to the Enterprise Stack. Founded in 2008, Cloudsoft offers a unique approach to platform integration, migration services and accelerating product roadmaps and are already trusted by the worlds leading tech organisations such as Amazon, Aviatrix and Dynatrace.
By leveraging advanced cloud computing experience and vast industry knowledge, Cloudsoft are empowering technology businesses to win more customers and offer seamlessly integrated solutions
3. LastingAsset
LastingAsset, a spinout from the Cybersecurity and Cryptography lab at Edinburgh Napier University, is tackling the growing threat of impersonation fraud with its innovative solutions. Their unique value proposition lies in their ability to help enterprises confirm their identity to customers and protect them from imposters posing as legitimate representatives. This is crucial in the US, where over $2.7 billion was lost to scams last year, with imposter scams being the most prevalent type of fraud according to the FTC.
4. Lupovis
Deception as a Service | Lupovis
Lupovis, based in Glasgow, Scotland, is revolutionizing cybersecurity with its AI-driven deception technology. Founded in 2021, Lupovis offers a unique value proposition by transforming networks into dynamic deception environments that lure cyber attackers away from valuable assets. This proactive defense strategy not only identifies threats early but also manipulates attacker behavior, reducing the risk of data breaches and enhancing overall security.
By leveraging advanced AI and deception techniques, Lupovis is setting new standards in cybersecurity resilience and adaptability.
5. Talking Medicines
AI-Powered Conversational Data Intelligence for Healthcare Marketing
Talking Medicines, based in Glasgow, Scotland, is transforming healthcare marketing with its advanced data science and AI solutions. Founded in 2013, the company offers a unique value proposition by leveraging AI and natural language processing to analyze conversational data from patients and Healthcare Professionals. Their flagship product, Drug-GPT, provides precise, actionable intelligence from unstructured data, enabling pharmaceutical companies and healthcare agencies to gain deep insights into Healthcare Professionals and patient experiences by drug.
With a commitment to innovation and quality, Talking Medicines is setting new standards in healthcare data analytics and patient-centric marketing.
*In the US, this will be known as the US MarketBooster Program.