Techscaler, the Scottish Government’s national startup programme delivered by CodeBase, has opened applications for two Autumn 2026 cohorts: Catalyst, a 9-week live-delivery foundations programme for 60 early-stage founders, and its third cohort to Singapore, a two-week in-market programme for up to ten Medtech, Healthtech, Biotech, or Life Sciences founders.
Applications for both opened on 10 August 2026.
Catalyst: 9 weeks, 60 founders, one demo day
Catalyst is described by Techscaler as its “live-delivery cohort programme for early stage founders”, running for 9 weeks and structured around 8 core workshops of three hours each, delivered mostly online with two in-person sessions — one in Edinburgh and one in Stirling.
The programme is open to any sector, with a cohort of 60 founders. According to Techscaler’s own outline, it walks founders through:
- Understanding your customer properly, using the Jobs-to-Be-Done methodology
- Running low-cost experiments that test assumptions
- Building something tangible, whether an early wireframe or a working MVP
- Learning how to get and grow your first customers without burning through cash
- Getting hands-on with how AI tools can speed up early-stage decisions
Catalyst key dates
- Applications close: 6 September 2026
- Onboarding starts: week of 14 September
- Welcome social: 24 September
- First workshop: 29 September
- Demo day: 29 October
- Programme ends: 24 November
Techscaler states the demo day will see founders pitch what they have built “to investors and mentors”, with “the wider Techscaler ecosystem” also in the room.
Singapore: third cohort, ten founders, timed to SWITCH
The third Singapore cohort is a two-week in-market programme running 24 October – 7 November 2026, timed to coincide with the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH), which Techscaler describes as “one of the region’s biggest innovation events”.
The cohort is capped at up to ten founders and senior leaders, drawn from Medtech, Healthtech, Biotech, or Life Sciences companies. Follow-up guidance published on 17 August confirms the programme is also open to “DeepTech companies applied to those sectors”.
Applicants are expected to have:
- A product or technology mature enough to engage customers and partners
- A regulatory strategy aligned with the APAC market and/or be revenue-generating
- Identified key regional partners for regulatory or commercial milestones in the APAC region
The two weeks split into: week one at SWITCH itself, and week two self-led, built around meetings and openings founders identify themselves. Pre-departure activity includes an online cohort mixer on 14 September, an online pre-departure workshop on 8 October, and mentorship sessions running through September and October.
Singapore key dates and support
- Non-member membership deadline: 12:00 (noon), Tuesday 18 August (membership is free)
- Final programme application deadline: 9:00, Monday 24 August
- Panel review: 24 – 25 August
- Outcome sent: Thursday 27 August
- In market: 24 October – 7 November
For first-time participants, Techscaler covers return flights from Scotland, hotel accommodation, coworking space access in Singapore, access to SWITCH 2026, four 1-on-1 sessions with international mentors, and pre-departure workshops. Repeat participants receive partial support on a sliding scale.
From past participants
In its 17 August follow-up post on how to strengthen a Singapore application, Techscaler quoted a past-cohort participant, Scott Cunningham of MyWay Digital Health:
“Techscaler was a fantastic opportunity for MyWay Digital Health to immerse in the APAC region, to follow-up with existing contacts and collaborators and to work in the same time zone, which shouldn’t be underestimated. I learnt a lot that I’ll be able to take in to decisions around setting up a subsidiary in the region (initially in Malaysia) and gained essential knowledge around the regulatory and data governance landscape.”
How to apply
Applications for both cohorts are open now via the Techscaler website. Catalyst and Singapore each require Techscaler membership; membership is fully funded and free to join. Non-members applying for Singapore must submit a membership application by noon on 18 August.
