Scotland’s Techscaler programme will take a small group of growth-stage start-ups to New York and New Jersey this year as part of an expanded international schedule designed to help companies win contracts, attract investment and build commercial links overseas.
The Scottish Government said the programme will also run visits to Japan, Silicon Valley, Singapore, and Hong Kong and China in 2026, with each trip focused on firms judged best placed to convert the opportunity into orders and partnerships. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes announced the expanded schedule during a visit to CodeBase in Edinburgh, which manages the Techscaler initiative, where she met founders who have taken part in earlier international activity.
Forbes said the aim is to give Scottish companies a more structured route to international engagement, with a calendar intended to help founders plan their approach. “Techscaler International is about helping open doors for the enormous business talent we have in this country,” she said, adding that the programme has been refined after earlier visits to better match what entrepreneurs say they need. “Building on the success of the first pilot programme in Silicon Valley in 2024, the initiative has been continually refined to serve the needs of our entrepreneurs and respond to their feedback.”
The 2026 schedule set out by the government lists visits to Japan in April, New York and New Jersey in June, Silicon Valley in October, Singapore in November, and Hong Kong and China in December. Ministers said each visit will involve a small number of companies, with selection aimed at those most likely to secure contracts, investment or new commercial traction in-market.
One company cited as an example of impact was medtech firm Tiny Air, whose co-founder Cris Helson said a previous visit to Singapore led directly to sales, while the programme’s mentoring support proved equally valuable in building the right networks. “The Singapore opportunity was fantastic and has led to sales,” he said. “But the mentoring programmes from Techscaler have been almost more valuable. They have introduced us to a world class level of people who know how to take a medtech company like us global.” Helson added that the in-country time helped him keep building connections until the final day, describing introductions that linked Scottish and Singaporean healthcare networks. “Those kind of networks and connections we have been able to build.”
CodeBase co-founder and executive vice chair Steven Drost said the wider programme is increasingly focused on firms moving beyond start-up stage. “Techscaler supports tech founders at every stage of their journey, with an increasing focus on scaleups and providing Scotland’s most ambitious founders with a launchpad for global success,” he said.
The Scottish Government’s Techscaler programme is backed by £42 million and is delivered nationally by CodeBase to support technology start-ups across Scotland. The government said the programme had more than 1,400 members in 2024–25, and that applications for the Japan visit are currently open until 23 February, with details of the remaining trips to be confirmed in due course.
AloJapan.com