Latest news with #Edinburgh-based
Scotsman
19 hours ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Travel Tech: Can Scotland produce another Skyscanner?
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Ever since Edinburgh-based flight search business Skyscanner was snapped up by Chinese travel group Ctrip almost a decade ago for £1.4 billion, the dream of producing another local 'unicorn' has been kept alive by numerous entrepreneurs in Scotland. Nikki Gibson is one of them. Three years ago the former corporate events executive founded Edinburgh-based Swurf, an app that links peripatetic workers with hotels, gyms and other places across the UK where they can park their laptops and work for a day. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This week she and Alison Grieve, a board member and editor of Young Company Finance, welcomed users to a monthly 'coworking' session at the Kimpton Hotel on Edinburgh's Charlotte Square. "Travel tech", pioneered by firms such as Skyscanner, help travellers plan city breaks to destinations such as Prague | Getty Images Gibson founded the business to tap into what she calls a growing 'digital workforce' seeking temporary workspaces, while providing foot traffic for hospitality businesses recovering from the pandemic. The roughly 55 venues signed up to Swurf in Scotland pay an annual fee to be listed on the app, while users enjoy perks like discounted food and coffee. Swurf and other startups in Scotland such as Obvlo and Holibob are part of a global phenomenon known as 'travel tech' – businesses involved in the digitalisation of travel, tourism and hospitality. Its growth has coincided with the post-pandemic rebound in travel and a proliferation of digital nomads and includes established names like and ticketing system Amadeus. Recent startups include TravelPerk, a travel and expense management platform and Barcelona-based Exoticca, involved in the digitalisation of long-haul travel. AI creating travel itineraries Investors have loved the story, in particular how AI is enabling the personalisation of travel itineraries in a way that humans could never manage on a large scale, while increasing the efficiency of booking technology and revenue management. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Edinburgh-based Obvlo, founded four years ago by Aberdeen University graduate Callum McPherson, is a 'digital concierge' using AI to help hotels build personalised food and sightseeing recommendations for guests before they check in. Investors include US-based Blue Run Ventures and Edinburgh family office Murray Capital. Edinburgh is a natural hub for this given a steady increase in tourism, which is driving a spurt in hotel development. It also has a thriving ecosystem of travel tech entrepreneurs and promoters associated with the university's Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI), one of six innovation hubs under the Edinburgh City and Region Deal's Data Driven Innovation programme driving collaboration between academia and business. Josh Ryan-Saha, an authority on AI and data-driven innovation in tourism, operates out of the EFI, where he runs Traveltech for Scotland, a cluster involving over 200 tourism and technology companies that he founded in 2020. He cites TravelPerk as an example of Scotland's tech travel credentials. The Barcelona-based company opened a hub in Edinburgh in 2022 staffed largely by software engineers, some of them former Skyscanner employees. 'They could see the talent was coming out of Edinburgh because of the informatics and data capability at the university,' Ryan-Saha says. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scotland also has a mature funding ecosystem of private equity, VC and angel investors, among them Gareth Williams, co-founder and former chief executive of Skyscanner who has backed Swurf. Angel Capital Scotland, which represents around 2,000 private investors, says the value of deals to fund startups of all types in 2023-24 was up slightly to £106m, involving 94 transactions of between £20,000 and just over £4m. Skyscanner co-founder Gareth Williams | TSPL Scottish government support is also helping through the role of Scottish Enterprise as an early-stage co-investor. McPherson says a £10,000 grant from Scottish Development International allowing Obvlo to attend a tourism conference in Miami resulted in the company being named by organisers as a 'hot travel startup' for 2025. Scarcity of funding Yet all of this masks a tough reality for Scotland's travel techs: funding is becoming scarcer. While Scotland's investment share of equity fund raisings for all types of businesses in the UK grew last year slightly to 4.8 per cent involving 199 deals worth £59m according to consultancy Beauhurst, such funding across the UK in the final quarters of last year was the lowest in deal volume since 2014 due to geopolitical instability and tough macro-economic conditions. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Travel tech funding has fared no better, dropping globally to nearly a decade low in 2023 to $5.2 billion, according to Phocuswright, a research firm whose parent company is hosting a travel tech conference in London next month. It predicts that the number of funding rounds likely to have been completed in 2024 will fall to the lowest level on record. Moreover, investors are becoming stricter about what they'll commit to. Scottish Enterprise acknowledged this in its latest report on Scotland's risk capital market published last week, saying 'changes in investor risk-appetite have perpetuated the drift towards later stage opportunities, with early-stage below £10 million and new to equity investment being the most challenging areas'. Cara Whitehill, a vice-president at Thayer Investment Partners, a US venture capital firm specialising in travel tech, explains that investors are now looking 'for more traction earlier in the lifecycle compared to a few years ago, so it will be tough to capture funding without having something relatively concrete you can point to.'
Hypebeast
19 hours ago
- Business
- Hypebeast
Unboxing: Cash App Afterpay Dropshop Taps Linden Is Enough for the Ultimate Travel Tote
Whether planning your next summer excursion or enjoying a low-key staycation, one accessory will simplify your travels and add a touch of sophistication to your wardrobe rotation: a holy grail tote bag. Soaking up the warm weather and good vibes, Cash App Afterpay's The Dropshop has partnered withLinden Is Enough, a brand celebrated for its heirloom leather goods, to develop a travel tote to debut exclusively onHBX. Earlier this year, Afterpay rebranded to Cash App Afterpay – it's still the same great pay over time service, just with a fresh new look. The Dropshop is a shopping offer that provides access to artist-led collaborations and limited-edition merchandise, including footwear, apparel and specialty items launched by notable rising brands and some of today's most exciting independent creators. Inspired by the season of travel, Afterpay spotlightsLinden Is Enough, a small business that started on Etsy before expanding into a global online retailer. Founded by Daniel Caltik and Mariana Leite during their university studies, The Edinburgh-based brand adopts Moroccan leather-craft techniques, creating durable and undeniably chic leather purses, tote bags, briefcases and more — all designed to weather the ups and downs of everyday life. Arriving in black and made from supple, shiny, full-grain leather, the Linden Is Enough x Cash App Afterpay Maxi Tote features a roomy main compartment with an unlined, suede interior, offering ample storage. A green hanging inner pocket and oversized outer slip provide easy access, with wide shoulder straps for long-wearing comfort and balanced weight distribution. Effortlessly timeless with a vegetable-tanned leather construction that's buttery-soft yet hardwearing, it's a versatile silhouette meant to last a lifetime of adventures — and one of Linden's best-selling styles. A leather paper airplane bag charm accompanies the piece, adding another zesty pop of green to contrast the black exterior. In the latestHypemapsinstallment, Afterpay tapped DJ/modelYazmine Rosarioto traverse her favorite thrifting and nighttime spots in Miami, Florida, sporting the refined handbag during her eclectic travels. The limited-edition item retails for $340 USD and is exclusively available onHBX, starting today. See the bag in action in the video and galleries above. Fashion lovers can find new designers and brands through The Dropshop. See more leather staples from Linden Is Enoughhere.
Scotsman
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Irvine Welsh: Revealing documentary about Trainspotting author to close Edinburgh International Film Festival
A documentary featuring Irvine Welsh will close the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A documentary inside the life of Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh will close this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival, organisers have revealed. The festival runs from August 14 to 20, and will close with the world premiere of Paul Sng's immersive documentary Reality Is Not Enough centred around Welsh. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A scene from the documentary on Irvine Welsh | Chris McCluskie The documentary is said to be a thrilling and revealing exploration of author Welsh, following his huge success with several film adaptations and six million books sold worldwide, and his awareness of mortality. Welsh, who stars in the film, will be seen taking a wild journey that is said to explore the boundaries of consciousness. The autobiographical film combines intimate observational footage, rare archive film clips and readings from his novels narrated by screen stars Liam Neeson, Maxine Peake, Ruth Negga and Stephen Graham, and musician Nick Cave. Author Irvine Welsh tests out his DJ skills | Chris McCluskie Reality Is Not Enough was co-financed and produced by Edinburgh-based production company LS Films, with the support of Screen Scotland and with Sarah Drummond as executive producer. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Paul Ridd, chief executive and director of the film festival, said 'We were so impressed by this brilliantly immersive and fascinating documentary about iconic Scottish writer Irvine Welsh. 'Director Paul Sng's refreshingly unusual and highly cinematic approach perfectly fits his subject – a man who has spent an entire career refusing to be pinned down, always surprising us with works of profound impact, rawness and grace. 'We could not think of a better way to round off our festival than with this terrific film.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sng said: 'I'm completely delighted that Reality Is Not Enough has been chosen to close this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival. 'When I read Trainspotting as a teenager in London back in the '90s, I had no idea I would one day live in the city where the book is set, let alone make a film with its author Irvine Welsh. 'Having our world premiere in our home city is a huge honour and we're looking forward immensely to sharing the film with the EIFF audience.' Drummond said: 'I grew up in north Edinburgh during the era that shaped so much of Irvine's writing, so helping bring this intimate portrait of the man behind the books to the screen has been something truly special. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Reality Is Not Enough is raw and unexpectedly tender, and it's been a privilege to make it here in the city that connects us both.' Confirmation of the documentary's inclusion comes with the Edinburgh Filmhouse - the historical home of the festival - due to reopen next month after a £1.7 million refurbishment. Andrew O'Brien / The Scotsman Scaffolding on the outside of the building has now been removed ahead of the venue's relaunch. A soft launch of the reborn art house cinema will include up to a week of screenings of major films from the past two-and-a-half years, including Brady Corbet's The Brutalist. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The new Filmhouse will include a revamped bar and cafe area, as well as an additional fourth screen, which will give the cinema capacity to expand its programme.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Irvine Welsh documentary to close Edinburgh International Film Festival
Organisers of the Edinburgh International Film Festival have announced a documentary about Irvine Welsh will be screened on the final night. The festival runs from August 14 to 20, closing with the world premiere of Paul Sng's immersive documentary Reality Is Not Enough. The documentary is said to be a thrilling and revealing exploration of Trainspotting author Welsh, following his huge success with several film adaptations and six million books sold worldwide, and his awareness of mortality. It sees Welsh, who stars in the film, take a wild journey that explores the boundaries of consciousness. BIG ANNOUNCEMENT 📢 #EIFF25 will close with the World Premiere of documentary 'Reality Is Not Enough.' Director Paul Sng follows one of the most controversial writers of our times, Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh, as he explores the boundaries of consciousness. — Edinburgh International Film Festival (@edfilmfest) May 30, 2025 The autobiographical film combines intimate observational footage, rare archive film clips and readings from his novels narrated by screen stars Liam Neeson, Maxine Peake, Ruth Negga and Stephen Graham, and musician Nick Cave. Reality Is Not Enough was co-financed and produced by Edinburgh-based production company LS Films, with the support of Screen Scotland and with Sarah Drummond as executive producer. Paul Ridd, chief executive and director of the film festival, said 'We were so impressed by this brilliantly immersive and fascinating documentary about iconic Scottish writer Irvine Welsh. 'Director Paul Sng's refreshingly unusual and highly cinematic approach perfectly fits his subject – a man who has spent an entire career refusing to be pinned down, always surprising us with works of profound impact, rawness and grace. 'We could not think of a better way to round off our festival than with this terrific film.' Sng said: 'I'm completely delighted that Reality Is Not Enough has been chosen to close this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival. 'When I read Trainspotting as a teenager in London back in the 90s, I had no idea I would one day live in the city where the book is set, let alone make a film with its author Irvine Welsh. 'Having our world premiere in our home city is a huge honour and we're looking forward immensely to sharing the film with the EIFF audience.' Drummond said: 'I grew up in north Edinburgh during the era that shaped so much of Irvine's writing, so helping bring this intimate portrait of the man behind the books to the screen has been something truly special. 'Reality Is Not Enough is raw and unexpectedly tender, and it's been a privilege to make it here in the city that connects us both.'
Scotsman
a day ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Why we need to invest in new business start-ups catering for digital nomads
Edinburgh is well placed to become a hub for the growing new 'travel tech' sector - but investment is key Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Ever since Edinburgh-based flight search business Skyscanner was snapped up by Chinese travel group Ctrip almost a decade ago for £1.4 billion, the dream of producing another local 'unicorn' has been kept alive by numerous entrepreneurs in Scotland. Nikki Gibson is one of them. Three years ago the former corporate events executive founded Edinburgh-based Swurf, an app that links peripatetic workers with hotels, gyms and other places across the UK where they can park their laptops and work for a day. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This week she and Alison Grieve, a board member and editor of Young Company Finance, welcomed users to a monthly 'coworking' session at the Kimpton Hotel on Edinburgh's Charlotte Square. "Travel tech", pioneered by firms such as Skyscanner, help travellers plan city breaks to destinations such as Prague | Getty Images Gibson founded the business to tap into what she calls a growing 'digital workforce' seeking temporary workspaces, while providing foot traffic for hospitality businesses recovering from the pandemic. The roughly 55 venues signed up to Swurf in Scotland pay an annual fee to be listed on the app, while users enjoy perks like discounted food and coffee. Swurf and other startups in Scotland such as Obvlo and Holibob are part of a global phenomenon known as 'travel tech' – businesses involved in the digitalisation of travel, tourism and hospitality. Its growth has coincided with the post-pandemic rebound in travel and a proliferation of digital nomads and includes established names like and ticketing system Amadeus. Recent startups include TravelPerk, a travel and expense management platform and Barcelona-based Exoticca, involved in the digitalisation of long-haul travel. AI creating travel itineraries Investors have loved the story, in particular how AI is enabling the personalisation of travel itineraries in a way that humans could never manage on a large scale, while increasing the efficiency of booking technology and revenue management. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Edinburgh-based Obvlo, founded four years ago by Aberdeen University graduate Callum McPherson, is a 'digital concierge' using AI to help hotels build personalised food and sightseeing recommendations for guests before they check in. Investors include US-based Blue Run Ventures and Edinburgh family office Murray Capital. Edinburgh is a natural hub for this given a steady increase in tourism, which is driving a spurt in hotel development. It also has a thriving ecosystem of travel tech entrepreneurs and promoters associated with the university's Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI), one of six innovation hubs under the Edinburgh City and Region Deal's Data Driven Innovation programme driving collaboration between academia and business. Josh Ryan-Saha, an authority on AI and data-driven innovation in tourism, operates out of the EFI, where he runs Traveltech for Scotland, a cluster involving over 200 tourism and technology companies that he founded in 2020. He cites TravelPerk as an example of Scotland's tech travel credentials. The Barcelona-based company opened a hub in Edinburgh in 2022 staffed largely by software engineers, some of them former Skyscanner employees. 'They could see the talent was coming out of Edinburgh because of the informatics and data capability at the university,' Ryan-Saha says. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scotland also has a mature funding ecosystem of private equity, VC and angel investors, among them Gareth Williams, co-founder and former chief executive of Skyscanner who has backed Swurf. Angel Capital Scotland, which represents around 2,000 private investors, says the value of deals to fund startups of all types in 2023-24 was up slightly to £106m, involving 94 transactions of between £20,000 and just over £4m. Skyscanner co-founder Gareth Williams | TSPL Scottish government support is also helping through the role of Scottish Enterprise as an early-stage co-investor. McPherson says a £10,000 grant from Scottish Development International allowing Obvlo to attend a tourism conference in Miami resulted in the company being named by organisers as a 'hot travel startup' for 2025. Scarcity of funding Yet all of this masks a tough reality for Scotland's travel techs: funding is becoming scarcer. While Scotland's investment share of equity fund raisings for all types of businesses in the UK grew last year slightly to 4.8 per cent involving 199 deals worth £59m according to consultancy Beauhurst, such funding across the UK in the final quarters of last year was the lowest in deal volume since 2014 due to geopolitical instability and tough macro-economic conditions. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Travel tech funding has fared no better, dropping globally to nearly a decade low in 2023 to $5.2 billion, according to Phocuswright, a research firm whose parent company is hosting a travel tech conference in London next month. It predicts that the number of funding rounds likely to have been completed in 2024 will fall to the lowest level on record. Moreover, investors are becoming stricter about what they'll commit to. Scottish Enterprise acknowledged this in its latest report on Scotland's risk capital market published last week, saying 'changes in investor risk-appetite have perpetuated the drift towards later stage opportunities, with early-stage below £10 million and new to equity investment being the most challenging areas'. Cara Whitehill, a vice-president at Thayer Investment Partners, a US venture capital firm specialising in travel tech, explains that investors are now looking 'for more traction earlier in the lifecycle compared to a few years ago, so it will be tough to capture funding without having something relatively concrete you can point to.'
