Tech companies set to transform the public sector announced

A group of 13 companies will have access to multi-million-pound funding to prepare their products for public sector challenges, following the conclusion of a record-breaking round of the Scottish Government’s CivTech programme.  

Teachers, firefighters, entrepreneurs and researchers are set to benefit from the new solutions, which are aiming to deliver significant cost-savings and environmental protections.  

Business minister Richard Lochhead said: “I want Scotland to be a global digital technology leader. Properly harnessed, we have an opportunity to unlock unprecedented benefits that will have a profound, positive impact on our society and our economy.”

Having delivered successful pitches at the end of the year-long programme, the companies have now entered the pre-commercialisation stage and will have access to up to £7m of funding to deliver their products. 

CivTech10, which received a record-number of applicants, addressed 11 public sector challenges, of which two focused for the first-time on the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver change.  

Since launching in 2016, CivTech has helped around 100 businesses, with around £150m of cross-sector funding. 

Lochhead added: “CivTech is recognised internationally as the world’s first successful public sector-focused innovation Accelerator, and as a leader in the rapidly expanding GovTech sector - set to be a trillion-dollar worldwide market. 

“Through CivTech we are not only driving economic growth and stimulating the high-growth start-up community, but unlocking solutions that are already delivering benefits and millions of pounds of savings across Scotland’s public sector.” 

Technologies sponsored by the challenge, include a device with the potential to detect avian pests, a platform that provides users with unique insights to help address skills shortages and an AI suite of tools that automates documentation processing for teachers.    

Another AI-powered platform, called BobbAI, aims to provide entrepreneurs with “targeted, inclusive, and data-driven support”.  

BobbAI co-founder Bayile Adeoti said:  “There’s truly nothing like CivTech anywhere else in the world, and it’s a testament to Scotland’s unique commitment to innovation and inclusive tech development.  

“As someone passionate about inclusive entrepreneurship, being part of CivTech and creating our solution in alignment with Scotland’s ambitions has been an excellent opportunity. With our Challenge through BobbAI, we’re tackling issues that not only impact Scotland but have the potential for global relevance. As a woman in tech, this journey has allowed me to be a voice for the underrepresented and a role model for those still to come.” 

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), which sponsored two of the CivTech10 challenges, will now support companies Rowden and PharmaResearch, in developing software to improve real-time risk monitoring of incidents, and manage firefighter exposure to contaminants, respectively.