Tech Events by Venture Cafe Edinburgh

A special Thursday Gathering with the UK's Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) on how it funds scientific and technological breakthroughs on a high-risk, high-reward premise — backing unconventional ideas, scientists and founders where others see only uncertainty. The evening also offers a direct look at one of the most high-impact roles in UK R&D: ARIA opens applications for its third cohort of Programme Directors on 17 August, and this session is a chance to understand the role first-hand. Whether you're a deeply technical leader, a founder or a researcher working at the frontier of deep tech, this is Edinburgh's must-attend gathering of the week. Venture Café's weekly anchor — free, open, and built for serendipitous connection. Held at The Bayes Centre.

Venture Café Edinburgh's flagship weekly Thursday Gathering returns to The Bayes Centre. Every week the Gathering connects creators, entrepreneurs, investors, coworkers, students and technologists to build a stronger, more inclusive innovation ecosystem across Scotland — with talks, spotlights and open networking. A dependable anchor point in the Edinburgh tech calendar; full programme announced closer to the date. Powered by the Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA).

Venture Café Edinburgh's weekly Thursday Gathering returns from its summer break to spotlight the people building better systems for Scotland's charities and social enterprises. Founders, funders, technologists and changemakers come together for honest conversations on how skilled volunteering and smarter funding infrastructure can close the resource gap — including the launch of More Than Profit®, a new organisation supporting the sector. Free, at the Bayes Centre, with spotlights, open networking and connections that go beyond the room; the city's most reliable weekly cross-ecosystem gathering.

with Lori Anderson (Director, Festivals Edinburgh) · Trevor Jones (Artist (EXPOS3D), Independent)

Summer Connections kicks off Edinburgh's festival season with an evening of ideas, creativity and community at Venture Café Edinburgh's flagship Thursday Gathering (EFI). Lori Anderson (Director, Festivals Edinburgh) joins for a conversation on the festival ecosystem, and artist Trevor Jones for a fireside chat on the art, tech and AI behind his EXPOS3D exhibition. Alongside the talks: a summer reading book swap, photo booth, workshops and plenty of room to connect with the city's creative and innovation communities. Free.

Venture Cafe Edinburgh's flagship weekly Thursday Gathering at the Edinburgh Futures Institute, this week themed on education in the age of AI - how learning, teaching and skills are being reshaped by AI tooling. The Thursday Gathering connects creators, entrepreneurs, investors, coworkers, students and academics for talks, showcases and open networking. Programme to be confirmed closer to the date. Free to attend.

with Claudia Cavalluzzo (Director, Venture Cafe Edinburgh) · Ross Tuffee (Co-Founder, MotionLab Ventures) · Fiona McIntyre (Managing Director, Scottish Women's Premier League) + 1 more

A SportsTech-themed edition of Venture Cafe Edinburgh's flagship weekly Thursday Gathering at the Edinburgh Futures Institute. An evening on the innovation, data and leadership shaping the future of sport in Scotland - from fan engagement to scaling women's sport - with an innovators showcase featuring MotionLabs, Crowd Legends and SEITA, a fireside on scaling women's sport with the Scottish Women's Premier League, and a view from Deloitte's Sports Business Group. Open networking throughout. Free; one of the broadest rooms in the Scottish ecosystem - founders, investors, operators and the curious.

Sustainable Gastronomy Day at Venture Café Edinburgh: 'Future-Proofing the Plate' digs into how technology, science and business model innovation are reshaping the food system — from regenerative agriculture and alternative proteins to data, packaging and waste. Expect founders, researchers and investors working on agri-food and climate. Free, open-door evening at EFI.

Venture Café Edinburgh teams up with Converge — Scotland's leading business creation programme for university talent — to celebrate the next generation of Scottish entrepreneurs. The Thursday Gathering remains one of the city's most reliably good rooms: founders, researchers, students and investors in the same space, no badge required. Free and open to all.

Venture Café Edinburgh's weekly Thursday Gathering marks World Oceans Day with 'Below the Surface' — an open-door evening at the Edinburgh Futures Institute. Free to all, with no agenda beyond conversation and connection. The Thursday Gathering is one of Edinburgh's most reliably good rooms: founders, researchers, students and investors in the same space, no badge required.

Venture Café Edinburgh's Thursday Gathering tackles funding for female founders — in partnership with Pathways Forward and Scottish EDGE. From equity investment to crowdfunding and IP-backed lending, the evening unpacks the full funding mix with funders and investors in the room. Expect practical takeaways, connections that matter, and a session designed to move past the diagnosis of the problem.

Venture Café Edinburgh's weekly Thursday Gathering turns the spotlight on the researcher-turned-CEO dilemma. Panels, open conversations and drinks for deep-tech founders, academics and spin-out teams working through whether the science lead should also run the company.

Weekly Thursday Gathering at Venture Café Edinburgh, this week exploring programmable immunity and the shift from reactive medicine toward proactive biological resilience. Relevant for health-tech founders, researchers and operators building at the bio × tech boundary. Free, open, networking-first format at the Edinburgh Futures Institute.

Earth Day edition of Venture Café Edinburgh's weekly Thursday Gathering. Focused on practical sustainability action for Scotland's innovation community — from climate tech founders to investors and researchers. Free, open, and built around serendipitous networking across the Edinburgh Futures Institute.

Venture Café Edinburgh's flagship Thursday Gathering at Edinburgh Futures Institute. This week's theme asks why Scotland supports startups and scaleups — and how to move the ecosystem beyond discussions, programmes and reports to genuine action. Open, free, no hard sales — the room spans founders, investors, students, researchers and operators.