Virgin StartUp: our first Scottish meetup

We’re thrilled to now be supporting and funding entrepreneurs in Scotland, as well as throughout England. We know that Scotland is an entrepreneurial hotbed, and we’re excited to be part of the startup scene there.

To kick things off, we headed to Edinburgh to hold an event at the Virgin Money Lounge. Joining us were our speakers – Marty Bell of Tens, Jada Sezer of Sezer, and Tom Kennett of Kennett – to talk about how to start a business in Scotland.

Marty Bell founded Tens in the Highlands, a sunglasses brand that took inspiration from grey Scottish summers. Asking themselves the question “What if we could make Instagram for real life?” their sunglasses are based on filters, making both the world (and you) better-looking. They’re so popular that even Richard wears a pair.

Jada Sezer is a plus-side model and founder of soon-to-launch plus-size fashion brand Sezer. She has a huge following on a social media which is a ready-made audience for her brand, and keeps the purpose of her business at the heart of everything she does.

Tom Kennett is the founder of Kennett, creating beautiful watches in Scotland with an emphasis on craftsmanship and quality.

Here are the main takeaways from the night.