Innovative partnership launched to help Scotland’s budding start-up stars

Leading figures in Scotland’s startup community are collaborating to provide support and advice to the country’s future start-up stars.

RookieOven has launched a series of drop-in sessions providing entrepreneurs with a range of advice from leading businesses, including Grant Thornton, Skyscanner and Accelerated Digital Ventures.

Launched in 2011, RookieOven was created by entrepreneur Michael Hayes, in an attempt to create a more cohesive community of startups.

The organisation has grown rapidly and now offers coworking spaces and mentoring support.

The latest monthly drop-in sessions have been designed to provide entrepreneurs with one-on-one access to business leaders. Support includes practical guidance from Skyscanner’s renowned legal team, advice on digital investment opportunities from Accelerated Digital Ventures, and tax, VAT and fundraising guidance from Grant Thornton.

Michael Hayes, Founder of Rookie Oven, said: “Scotland is a great place to found and grow a tech business. Our ecosystem has real strengths in the talent we produce to the support we receive from companies such as Skyscanner, ADV and Grant Thornton. The drop-in days are a perfect example of that, founders can easily access experts and build lasting useful relationships”

Stuart Mackay, audit manager at Grant Thornton UK, added: “We’re proud to work in partnership with RookieOven. The organisation was created to fill a void and has helped to create a single voice and a platform for Scotland’s startup community to collaborate and flourish. Getting the right support at the right time is absolutely crucial to the success of startups and that includes practical guidance on some of the key areas of taxation. There’s a raft of support out there, but it can often be overlooked by entrepreneurs when they’re starting out their journey and focused on their product and initial strategy. There’s a lot to celebrate right now in Scotland’s startup world, and hopefully we can all play our part in helping to develop even more entrepreneurial success stories in the future.”