SWURF, the Edinburgh-based, remote-working platform, has announced that it has secured £200,000 of investment, to accelerate expansion. Investors will join existing backers and industry leaders including Gareth Williams, co-founder of Skyscanner, and hospitality entrepreneur, Anna Lagerqvist Christopherson. The investment will primarily drive the roll-out of SWURF pods, which are on-demand private meeting spaces, designed for professionals who require immediate privacy for se

Creative agency, Story, has announced a change of leadership, as Sue Mullen steps back from her role as chair, after almost 24 years. Charlie Cutler takes over as managing director. Charlie has been Story’s digital director since 2015, when Story acquired digital company The Weather. Sue co-founded Story in 2002, since when it has gone on to deliver award-winning campaigns for UK and global clients across many sectors, including drinks, public sector and financial services. 

Leith-based communications agency, Feel Good Comms, which launched in January, has announced its first hire. The firm has recruited account executive, Euan Hunter, who joins from whisky distillery, Ardbeg, where he worked in the global brand team, on new product launches, social-media campaigns, events and brand storytelling. Feel Good Comms has notched up a number of new-business wins over the last few months, across the hospitality, retail and tech sectors, including client

Business confidence in Scotland rose four points during February to 41 per cent, according to the latest Business Barometer from Bank of Scotland.  The Business Barometer, which has been running since 2002, provides early signals about UK economic trends both regionally and nationwide.   Looking ahead to the next six months, Scottish businesses identified their top target areas for growth as introducing new technology, such as AI, automation or digitalisation (51 per cent), i

Women in Advertising and Communications Leadership (WACL) has announced the expansion of its mission to accelerate gender equality in the advertising and communications industry, with a new nations and regions initiative, covering Scotland and the north of England. The initiative will be co-chaired by WACL member, Juliet Simpson, chief executive of Stripe Communications, which has offices in London and Manchester, as well as in Edinburgh.  WACL, a network of over 350 senior w

A £170,000 refurbishment is underway, set to revitalise the closest pub to Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament. Kilderkin on Canongate will be renamed The Parliament Arms to reflect its location and will be transformed into a top-quality pub celebrating Scottish hospitality, cuisine and spirits.   The Parliament Arms is scheduled to open by mid-March, creating 20 new jobs. The overhaul is being carried out by Heineken-owned Star Pubs – which is headquartered in Edinbu

Dales Marine Services, a specialist in dry dock and ship repair, fabrication and conversion, has appointed Stuart McLeod as director of operations, strengthening its leadership team, as the company advances its long-term growth and operational strategy. Stuart will have oversight of operations across all the company’s sites, leading Dales Marine’s day-to-day performance and ensuring the consistent delivery of high-quality ship repair and maintenance services to clients across

An Edinburgh-based digital and web services start-up is building a successful future after its founder turned to Business Gateway for support at a critical moment, following two years of significant personal and professional hardship.    Power On Web Design, founded by Martin Kay in October 2024, provides creative web design, technology and digital consultancy services to small-and-medium-sized businesses across Scotland.  Since launching in October 2024, the business has gro

Capital Service Solutions Group (CSSG), the West Lothian-based specialist cleaning company, has strengthened its senior leadership team with the appointment of its first head of HSEQ (health, safety, environment and quality) and facilities management. Lawrence Curran joins the award-winning firm from a similar position at veterinary services company Linnaeus. A former facilities manager at South Lanarkshire Council, he brings a wealth of experience to the new role as CSSG pre

Health-care brand, First Contact Health Clinics, has announced the launch of a new UK-wide network of healthcare clinics, to tackle what its leadership team calls the ‘UK’s severe pain problem’. The company reported that it is looking for ambitious business partners in Edinburgh to help spearhead rapid-growth plans. First Contact Health Clinics’ founder, Peter Watson said: “The UK doesn’t have a shortage of pain. It has a shortage of answers. For too long, people with muscle

Edinburgh-based entrepreneur John McClarey, founder of corporate, charity sports-events company, Business Fives, is to appear on an upcoming episode of Dragons’ Den . John founded Business Fives 10 years ago, without seed investment, starting with a single charity sports event in the capital. Since then, the business has grown into a multi-location operation spanning more than 50 cities across the UK and Ireland, as well as Europe. Today, Business Fives delivers professionall

Law firm Aberdein Considine has appointed M&A lawyer, Stewart Gordon, as partner in the firm’s Edinburgh office. Stewart joins Aberdein Considine from Addleshaw Goddard, where he was a managing associate in the infrastructure, projects and energy team. Ritchie Whyte, partner and head of corporate at the firm said: “We are very pleased to welcome Stewart to our growing corporate and energy teams. “He brings more than a decade’s experience of successfully handling complex M&A a

Bid and tender experts Andrew Morrison and Chris Denyer have joined forces, to launch a new company, Aspire Bidding.  Based in Edinburgh, Aspire Bidding has started trading with a UK-wide client base already on its books, from the west of Scotland and the Lothians north of the border, to Yorkshire, Cheltenham and London in the south. The boutique consultancy has launched with six members of staff located throughout the country, with plans in place to add to the personnel as t

Engineering firm, Civic, has announced the acquisition of Quattro Consult – a structural and civil-engineering consultancy based in Edinburgh. The acquisition supports Civic’s continued expansion in Scotland and brings a team of 15 engineers and technicians into the business. Founded in 2009, Quattro (incorporating Stuart McTaggart Limited) has delivered its engineering-consultancy services across a range of sectors, including residential, hotels, industrial and logistics. Th

Dales Marine Services has made the shortlist in two categories of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce 2026 business awards.   The specialist in dry dock and ship repair, fabrication and conversion has been named as a finalist in the Leith Business of the Year   and Developing the Young Workforce awards.   A spokesperson for the firm, which was founded almost 40 years ago, said: “It is an honour for Dales Marine Services to be shortlisted for not one, but two accolades at the Ed

Technology and communications consultancy, brass neck, and marketing consultancy, KMA Marketing have announced the launch of a strategic partnership, to boost the capabilities and drive the growth of each business. Both consultancies, run by Kirsten Paul and Killian McAleese respectively, started up in 2024. The two organisations will initially provide Droplet NeverTrust TM , the secure-vault company, with marketing and PR support.  The firm helps organisations protect hardw

Edinburgh-based family housebuilder, Lochay Homes, has appointed Andy Wyles, former northern regional chair at Bellway, as its new non-executive chair. Andy joins the business following a 23-year career at Bellway, where he held senior leadership roles and led major delivery programmes across the north of England and Scotland. In his role at Lochay Homes, Andy will support the company’s strategic growth, as it expands its portfolio of homes across Scotland. He said: “One of t

Nova Herita, a specialist in digital preservation and AI development, has been shortlisted for an Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce award, in the Innovation category. This nomination marks the second consecutive year that founder and chief executive Benjamin Llewellyn’s work has been recognised.  Last year, Opulence Security, which Benjamin co-founded and where he held the role of chief information security officer, was also shortlisted.  Nova Herita focuses on emerging technolog

More than 2,500 tonnes of crushed demolition material have been transported across Edinburgh as part of a scheme to provide a long-term solution for people facing homelessness. The mammoth operation saw almost 100 truckloads of building rubble recycled from a city-centre development site to form the foundations of a new Social Bite Village, located on the capital’s Granton waterfront. Local charity, Social Bite, teamed up with regeneration specialist, Artisan Real Estate, to

Law firm, Lindsays, has started the new year by recruiting two new partners. Commercial property lawyer   Stephanie Nichol and private client lawyer Rob McNab began work at the firm this week, taking the number of partners in the firm to 56. Both are based at Lindsays’ Edinburgh office. Managing partner, Andrew Diamond, said: “What better way to start the new working year than by welcoming two new partners? “Making strong strategic hires like Stephanie and Rob is a key part o