binarypublishScottish startup community group Foras plans to take a cohort of 14 Scotland-based business leaders to the renowned South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin, Texas in March 2024.
Foras, a Scottish startup community group, has announced plans to take a group of Scotland-based business leaders to the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin, Texas in 2024. The group will lead a week-long programme that aims to inspire, educate and foster valuable connections within the global entrepreneurship scene. The city of Austin is known for its resilient tech hub, with over 3,380 fast-growing companies, and Scottish businesses will benefit from exploring market entry, international partnerships and fundraising opportunities with global investors.
The South by Southwest (SXSW) conference is an annual event in Austin that celebrates emerging technology, industry trends, and entrepreneurship. The Foras cohort will attend between the 6th and 14th of March 2024, and the programme was designed by Foras co-founders Dec McLaughlin, Nick Murray, and Carolina Melendez, who are well-known for their work in the tech startup scene in Scotland. Since April 2022, the group has supported 96 startup leaders and ecosystem builders across five international trips.
Carolina Melendez, co-founder of Foras, said that the programme is designed to provide participants with introductions, business visits, hands-on workshops and investor-facing opportunities. The goal is to develop lasting peer relationships, expose participants to world-class business education and encourage a global mindset for Scotland-based businesses.
The programme is supported by the Ecosystem Fund, an initiative launched by the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise to assist entrepreneurs in kickstarting and growing their businesses. Mark Logan, the Scottish Government’s chief entrepreneur, said that the fund recognises and supports the vital work of ecosystem-building organisations and these projects will accelerate Scotland’s journey towards being an internationally recognised startup nation. In addition to government support, Foras is welcoming corporate sponsors whose values align with the project’s vision and support business growth in Scotland.
Applications for the programme are open until 8th January 2024 and are open to founders, directors, and C-suite leaders in Scotland-based startups or scaleups from any industry with high-growth potential.
