Why Edinburgh Is the Perfect Place for Ambitious Tech Teams
Silicon Valley is no longer restricted to California, as all around the world tech start-ups are cropping up all over the place. Edinburgh is quickly becoming a haven for those not in the Sunshine State.
The streets of the capital are dotted with everything from fusion restaurants to classic pubs and a while back it may have been the last place you would see an app developer. Not now. Now there are many  in offices, churning out new and exciting innovations, nestled above these shops and pubs.
The people in these offices are the kind that you would associate with the industry, and they’re young and casual. This is an aesthetic that is rife in more modern industries, as they cast aside the need for suits and smart clothing. Instead, all that matters is that you’re clean and willing to work hard for the company.
The buzzwords and slogans around the offices are exactly what a fly on the wall would expect, with echoes of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates in every room. The desire to do anything and make anything is what makes these young innovators stand out with the get up and go that some more traditional industries just don’t have anymore.
These inventors are creating apps, solutions, new sites that offer casino games and even ways to change your life.
These innovators are the lucky ones however, as they’ve found the capital and investors to turn their dreams into a reality. They gamble with the money of these investors and take it to new places in the country’s capital.
Edinburgh is a heavy hitter in terms of new start-ups coming to the area, with London skirting out in front to become the number one in productivity. Here you still find the likes of Amazon rubbing shoulders with the newest companies that are seeking to solve every problem in the book.
It’s not just app developers that find themselves on our city streets, there are game developers holed up in the city too. Rockstar North, creators of the Grand Theft Auto series of games, also hold offices in the city where once there was The Scotsman.
This city isn’t just the place for locals to go either, developers in these offices come from all over Europe and America. The cost of living is much lower than some other capital cities and the creative new companies create a huge draw for developers in other countries. These businesses are now seen to rival those in other capital cities around the world.
Right now the start-up culture in Edinburgh is equivalent to the land grab of the early Americas, as everyone wants a slice of the action. Some old and decrepit buildings of the city have now received a Google style makeover in the interior, with high ceilings now painted stark white.
These offices style themselves after the larger companies like Facebook, but the developers work more in the business sector. Edinburgh’s plastic surgeons, restaurants and even the government want what these companies are selling. They can do it at a reduced price too, with lower overheads than other cities in the world.
The close links with universities in the region is also a huge asset to the market, with Edinburgh Napier University offering a range of software development courses. Alongside this, these start-ups paint a fun picture of a place to work, with games and movies instead of memos and meetings.
Not every company that opens up in this city is successful but with so many doing so each year, there’s bound to be more than a few that make it – especially with these resources.
