AI and health tech to the fore as three Scottish tech companies among 15 chosen for prestigious law firm mentoring scheme
David Anderson
Partner, Co-Head of Tech Group & Head of Corporate (Scotland)
Addleshaw Goddard
Leading international law firm Addleshaw Goddard has unveiled the 15 high-growth tech businesses chosen for its 2023 AG Elevate mentoring scheme, with three Scottish businesses making the final cut.
More than a quarter of this year's intake have AI central to their proposition, with Health tech also featuring prominently among a group which span sectors and represents the wide tech economy.
The three Scottish businesses included are: Legado, a data-as-a-service platform focused on digitally transforming the way firms connect and interact with clients; Vectofy, which creates interactive 3D visualizations of spreadsheets to enable users to save time and reduce errors; and Zelim, which is bringing to market the world’s first remotely operated rescue vessel with advanced AI enabled casualty detection.
The largest AG Elevate cohort to date also features four early stage companies from Europe, joining the 10-month programme, which is designed to advance tech businesses in all sectors through legal challenges that arise as they scale-up.
Addleshaw Goddard was last year named one of Europe's top 4 most innovative firms by the FT Innovative Lawyers Awards, and technology (use of it and advising on it) is central to the firm's work with clients across all sectors – from supporting businesses management of tech needs and risks to helping specialist technology businesses with all of their legal and commercial needs.
Elvan Hussein and David Anderson, Partners and co-programme leads at Addleshaw Goddard, said: "AG Elevate started life as a programme aimed at the nascent Fintech sector, but in just six years we have seen radical changes in the business landscape as tech has become central to almost every sector of our economy. Generative AI has been the focus of attention this year, but there is so much going on behind those headlines and our new cohort represents a microcosm of that activity.
"This year we also opened the programme up to our international network and the response has been fantastic – we're delighted to welcome two businesses from Ireland and two from France. In truth, many of these businesses have a global vision and supporting international expansion is a key element the support we can bring to bear.
"Our mentors across Addleshaw Goddard are ready to lend their specialist knowledge to guide all of these ambitious businesses along the path to achieving sustained growth as they disrupt the status quo and bring new services and approaches to their chosen field."
Designed, developed and delivered by AG's expert lawyers, the flexible programme has supported scores of tech businesses since it launched in 2017. It helps businesses tackle the variety of legal and other challenges they may face when scaling up by providing access to legal advice, legal and business mentors and networks across the globe.
The 15 companies selected this year include: London-based Syntonym, a generative AI startup specializing in hyper realistic synthetic face generation; French firm Cardemy, an AI-based language e-learning platform for B2B customers; Dublin-based EpiCapture, which develops novel epigenetic tests that detect and monitor a range of cancers, and Manchester business Boodil, and Open Banking payments solution supporting eCommerce, SMB and Enterprise businesses.
The selected businesses all have existing plans for high-growth and have received external funding.
Over the 10-month programme the chosen businesses will have access to legal mentors, legal advice and industry networks to help them elevate and grow their business.
The 2023 cohort will also receive bespoke support from Addleshaw Goddard mentors, access to legal documentation and knowledge sources, a series of seminars as well as the opportunity to work alongside like-minded business professionals in the tech ecosystem to help elevate and grow their firms.