Women only tech/web/startup events are well attended. If these same women were to attend mixed networking events, the gender ratio of ‘typical’ networking events would start to improve and perhaps these wouldn’t feel quite so male-dominated. I raise this point because men and women bring with them different qualities and it would be a shame not to be able to share and benefit from our differences. Continue Reading »
Posted in Events, Opinions | Tagged event, Silicon stilettos, women | 1 Comment »
Happy 4th Birthday FreeAgent!
Big congrats to Ed, Roan and the rest of the team!
http://www.freeagentcentral.com/central/freeagents-fourth-birthday
Posted in Local News | Tagged freeagent | Leave a Comment »
Here’s your quick serving of Events and meetups in Edinburgh this week. [Ed: if you read this before 10.45am on Monday, we missed out the two E-club events – make sure you make note of them!]
PSYBT Elevator, 6.15 for 6.30pm, Mon 21st Feb, Shanghai Nightclub, Le Monde
Elevator events are for people aged 18-30 who are in business or are thinking about going into business. So if you want to meet like minded people to share ideas with, strike business deals and most of all, have a great night out, then Elevator is for you!
Guest speaker this month is Bob McDowell, Vice President of Microsoft. Bob is going to discuss how to maximize income from your existing clients, win new business and also talk about successful strategies that can be implemented in any business to develop and grow it. Following on from Bob’s presentation there will be a Q&A session. Continue Reading »
Posted in Events | Tagged Events, events guide | 2 Comments »
I rarely repost another blog post from somewhere, but this post too good not to mention it.
Somehow, late last night, I was pointed to the first ever blog post of Marc Andreessen – co-founder of Netscape and Ning – entitled: “Why you shouldn’t start a startup“. It listed eight reasons why you would be out of your mind to think about starting up new companies.
I particularly loved his first two points …
First, and most importantly, realize that a startup puts you on an emotional rollercoaster unlike anything you have ever experienced.
You will flip rapidly from a day in which you are euphorically convinced you are going to own the world, to a day in which doom seems only weeks away and you feel completely ruined, and back again.
Over and over and over. Continue Reading »
Posted in Inspiring/Motivating | 1 Comment »
Planning to bring onboard investment for the first time? Want to be more confident with your approach? Alba Innovation Centre is running an event to help you learn the ropes of engaging investors so you can knock their socks off. Don’t forget “Pitch Doctor” Bill Joos is also presenting on 23rd February at E-Club (details here), so you can be an investor engagement ninja by the end of the month. Thanks very much to Ian Stevenson for sending this event our way!
TIPS ON INITIAL INVESTOR ENGAGEMENT – 28th FEBRUARY 2011, 9:30am-1:30pm
Are you the Founder/MD/CEO of an early stage technology company planning to raise equity finance in the foreseeable future? If so, this seminar will provide you with valuable tips and guidance on crucial aspects of initial investor engagement: Continue Reading »
Posted in Events | Tagged alba innovation centre, investment, investor, seed funding, startups | Leave a Comment »
With Anthony Ashbrook and Geoff Ballinger busy at Mobile World Congress, we’re delighted to hear the official announcement of Mobile Acuity‘s partnership with 7digital this week.
As experts in mobile visual search, Mobile Acuity’s prior work includes mobile advertising campaigns for Vodafone, such as You Rockstar. Now they’re moving further into the music scene with 7digital, a digital media delivery company based in London.
While Shazam offers song info based on audible recognition, Mobile Acuity’s technology uses visual recognition to retrieve song and album details for users. By taking a photo of a CD cover, billboard, or even a magazine ad, people can use the “Visual Discovery Service” to pull up song and artist information instantly before previewing, purchasing, and downloading music to their mobile device.
So imagine you see an ad for NOW! 98 while you’re waiting for the bus, Continue Reading »
Posted in Local News | Tagged 7digital, anthony ashbrook, champagne, edinburgh startup, geoff ballinger, mobile acuity, mobile world congress, partnership, shazam, visual search | Leave a Comment »
Want £10K to test a new digital service you’ve developed? Read on, info from Stuart Dredge at Mobile Entertainment below (thanks Stuart :)). And thanks to Colin Adams for sending in the link! Applications due 11th March at noon, contest brief and details from Stuart as follows:
Government-backed IC tomorrow initiative wants to kick off consumer trials of new and innovative digital services.
The UK’s Technology Strategy Board has launched a Digital Innovation Contest, which aims to distribute £200,000 of funding to 20 innovative new digital services.
The contest, organised under the TSB’s IC tomorrow scheme, plans to provide up to £10,000 to each startup chosen from the contest, for a six-month consumer trial. Continue Reading »
Posted in Competitions, Local News | Tagged digital, digital startup, entrepreneurs, funding, IC tomorrow, technology strategy board, tsb | 1 Comment »
So far, lots of drinks and a great view:
17:52 Things are heating up:
18:14 Talk has started. A broad brush overview of what you have to do to start a business. Half the audience is currently involved in starting a new company.
18:19 Considering the life cycle of an entrepreneurial business. Revenues resemble an inverse bell curve. (i.e. MBM recognises that startups have no budget?) Also, my Peroni is running low.
18:27 Partnerships (as a form of business) are still governed by a 19th century law. Did not know that. Also, limited companies, in practice, often offer little protection to startup founders because banks and others require personal guarantees. Lots of questions from the crowd. Continue Reading »
Posted in Events, Local News | 8 Comments »
You’ve probably heard of TechStars, but have you heard of Springboard? We’re excited to share there is a startup accelerator in Cambridge which opened last year, and you have 5 days left to get your applications in for Spring 2011. You may know Springboard’s MD Jon Bradford from his fun presentation at TechMeetup, where he spoke about running The Difference Engine (another cool accelerator) in Middlesbrough. Basically Jon is awesome and if you’re considering something like this, then stop what you’re doing and definitely get your applications in! You can check out mentors and details at http://springboard.com (applications here), with more info from Jon below:
Springboard applications due to close 20 February
With less than a week to go, Springboard Cambridge is making its final call for applications to its Spring 2011 intake.
Springboard, the only TechStars Network partner in the UK, have assembled over 100 awesome mentors including serial entrepreneurs, Venture Capitals, Y Combinator alumni and all of the major tech corporates to help your startup achieve their real potential. Springboard ends with the opportunity to pitch to venture capitalists and angel investors. Continue Reading »
Posted in Events, Local News | Tagged accelerator, Cambridge, difference engine, jon bradford, springboard, startup incubator, techstars | 2 Comments »
After what seems like forever, the UX geeks of Edinburgh have to wait no longer for their own meetup. A new UX book club is in town. Ryan Sackett has put together the first meetup of the group which will be held on Thursday 3rd March, 7pm:
The first book is ‘Undercover User Experience Design’. There is also a twitter account that you can follow (@uxbcedi).
Posted in Local News | Tagged design, ux | 3 Comments »
StartupCafe 