Scottish Business Intelligence

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Vittoria invests £2m in fish and chips concept Vittoria Group, a long-standing Edinburgh restaurant operator, has invested £2 million in a new fish and chip restaurant, Landy’s, located on North Bridge. The restaurant, designed by Significant Others and built by Severinos, seats 200 diners over two floors and aims to evoke coastal nostalgia. This is the group’s latest venture since opening its first restaurant in Leith in 1970. Read more here

SSEN planning £22 billion infrastructure investment creating upto 17,500 jobs SSEN Transmission has submitted a £31.7 billion proposal to upgrade Scotland’s electricity network, aiming to create 37,000 jobs across the UK and add £15 billion to the economy. The investment, part of achieving net-zero goals, would fund new infrastructure and community projects. Ofgem’s decision is expected by December 2025. Read more here -

Julius Baer launches second Scottish office in Glasgow Julius Baer International (JBI), part of the Swiss bank Julius Bär Group, has launched its second Scottish office in Glasgow, located at 1 West Regent Street. This expansion supports JBI’s regional growth strategy, focusing on investment advisory and wealth planning. The Glasgow office reflects JBI’s sustainability goals, being carbon neutral and powered by renewable energy. Read full story here -

Design agency to expand into Dubai Fifth House, an Edinburgh-based design agency, is expanding into the Middle East with a new office in Dubai. Supported by funding from Midlothian Council Local Business Support and the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, the agency aims to secure projects in Dubai’s growing commercial property market. Read the full story here -

Inverlochy Castle owner adds Knockendarroch Hotel to portfolio The owners of Inverlochy Castle Management International have acquired the award-winning Knockendarroch Hotel in Pitlochry, which will join their luxury portfolio under Inverlochy Castle Management International (ICMI). The hotel, known for its 18 bedrooms and 2 AA Rosette restaurant, will reopen in February 2025 with plans for expansion. Read the full story here -

Carbogenics secures £500,000 funding for overseas expansion carbogenics, a University of Edinburgh spin-out, has raised nearly £500,000 in its latest funding round to expand its CreChar product, enhance operations, and enter new markets in Europe and North America. Long-standing investors like Green Angel Ventures and new backers Kaplak Ventures contributed to the funding. Read the full story here-

New meat factory plans for Ecclefechan approved Pickstock Telford Limited has received approval to build a meat processing facility near Ecclefechan, which will process 200-250 cattle daily. The development, expected to create 60 jobs, includes an effluent plant and anaerobic digester. Despite local objections citing noise, traffic, and pollution concerns, Dumfries and Galloway Council granted planning permission. Read the full story here -

Key board advisors appointed to HOKO in preparation for Series A round HOKO, a Glasgow-based architecture firm, has announced two new board advisors, Andrew Dobbie and Amir Hossein Noori, as it seeks to accelerate growth ahead of a Series A funding round in 2024. The firm is currently raising £200,000 through the Enterprise Investment Scheme to enhance its AI-driven tools. Founder Danny Campbell aims to make HOKO the first household name in architecture. Since its founding in 2019, HOKO has raised over £750,000 and completed 1,000 projects. Read the full story here -

Glacier Energy invests in digital AI monitoring software firm Ilosta Glacier Energy has invested in Glasgow-based ilosta (Crack Map™), developers of the Crack Map™ AI software. This partnership aims to enhance renewable energy asset management by improving wind turbine performance and lifespan. The investment supports Crack Map™’s commercialization and further applications, addressing market demand for condition-based monitoring. Read the full story below -