INFORMATICS VENTURES, which has been supporting technology entrepreneurs since 2008, has announced the cohort of 50 high-growth data-driven companies that will pitch to UK and international investors at its flagship EIE20 event on Thursday 23rd April in Edinburgh.
The year-round investor readiness EIE executive programme run by Informatics Ventures, based at the University of Edinburgh’s Bayes Centre is a unique gathering where intelligence drives innovation and meets investment. To date, EIE has supported over 400 tech startups and scale-up who have collectively raised in excess of £700 million from seed through to Series A and later-stage funding.
In 2020, the EIE cohort contains innovative companies who are tackling real-world problems with cutting edge solutions in sectors including energy, climate, cleantech, cybersecurity, fintech and digital health. The 2020 cohort is also characterised by the largest percentage to date of internationally-founded ventures who are locating to Scotland.
Danny Helson, Programme Manager at Informatics Ventures, said: “We’ve got companies from four different continents this year which is a reflection of the global reach of EIE and speaks volumes as to how far Scotland has come as a technology hub, attracting startup founders and investors from across the globe. Edinburgh, in particular, is fast becoming one of Europe’s main data capitals.”
EIE alumni companies include Current Health (which announced a £9 million Series A round in December 2019), Float, pureLiFi, Good-Loop, Cyan Forensics, Two Big Ears (acquired by Facebook in 2016) and mLed.
One former alumnus company appearing again at this year’s EIE is Criton, an Edinburgh-headquartered travel tech startup that is delivering digital technologies that optimise customer experience and maximise revenue for the hotel and serviced apartment industry.
Criton CEO and Founder Julie Grieve said: “Having gone through EIE17 before going on to raise £5 million later that year, there’s no doubt in my mind that the programme helped us to secure funding. I’m back for EIE20 to kick off our next fundraise planned for later this year. We are so fortunate in Scotland that there is such an amazing ecosystem and support for startups and scale-ups.”
Former Chair of Entrepreneurial Exchange and Scottish Enterprise, Bob Keiller said: “EIE is transformational. It provides a unique opportunity for so many ambitious Scottish companies to meet with hundreds of potential investors and seek the investment that can transform their futures.”
