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Baillie Gifford legend Richard Burns joins Tricapital Angels. 1 Sep 2026 Reading time: 2 minutes Tricapital Angels has appointed former joint senior partner and chief investment officer at Baillie Gifford Richard Burns to its board as a non-executive director. The Melrose-based investment syndicate also revealed that investor and ocean technology entrepreneur Mogens Mathieson is taking on an expanded role as its group director of strategy and international development. Tricapital said in a statement: "During 33 years at Baillie Gifford, Richard helped oversee its transformation into one of Europe's leading investment houses, championing the long-term, conviction-led approach to investment for which the firm became renowned. "Richard joins our board at an exciting time for Tricapital. Over the past 24 months, we have completed more than 30 investments, with member funding leveraged alongside Scottish Enterprise backing to unlock more than £40 million for innovative Scottish businesses and support hundreds of skilled jobs." TriCapital Angels chief executive Moray Martin said: "Richard is one of the most respected figures in Scottish investment management and someone whose judgement has been shaped by decades of backing ambitious businesses over the long term. "Throughout his career he has demonstrated the importance of patience, conviction and supporting exceptional management teams. Those are values which align perfectly with our own investment philosophy. "As we continue to grow TriCapital Angels and support an increasing number of ambitious Scottish businesses, Richard's experience, strategic insight and governance expertise will be invaluable. We are absolutely delighted to welcome him to the board." Mr Burns said: "TriCapital Angels has established a strong reputation for identifying promising businesses and providing the capital and strategic support they need to grow. "Scotland has no shortage of entrepreneurial talent or innovative companies with global potential. I look forward to working with the team as they continue to help ambitious businesses scale and create long-term value."

New Scottish coding and AI hubs to address 'unacceptable postcode lottery' By Scott Reid Published 25th Aug 2026, 06:01 BST "Access to grassroots computing initiatives in Scotland is often a postcode lottery with varying coverage and support" - Kraig Brown, Digital Xtra. A charity dedicated to boosting the provision of extracurricular computing activities for young people in Scotland is looking to set up a national network of community coding and AI hubs. Over the past ten years, Digital Xtra has supported more than 200 grassroots activities by awarding some £1.1 million via its annual grants programme. These initiatives have engaged more than 60,000 young people while laying a foundation for ongoing engagement about computing and technology. The charity is now looking to turbocharge those figures under its new "Code Xtra" strategy. It will see several new community coding and artificial intelligence (AI) hubs rolled out across Scotland as the organisation focuses on more of a "place-based" approach rather than funding individual projects. You May Like In turn, these community hubs will directly support the growth of grassroots computing clubs in their local areas. With Scottish government support, the first phase of the project will see hubs based in North Edinburgh (Muirhouse Library), Midlothian (Dalkeith Library), Inverclyde (Creative Regeneration) and Moray (Elgin Library), with more scheduled to be confirmed elsewhere in the country later this year. Digital Xtra will then continue working with the government and its industry partners, including Skyscanner, Baillie Gifford and Cirrus Logic, to extend the hub network. Kraig Brown, Digital Xtra's partnerships and development manager, said: "Technology is evolving faster than ever, and extracurricular tech activities are no longer just 'nice-to-have' - they are now a key part of young people's learning journey. When assessment and accreditation aren't the primary focus, young people have the freedom to think creatively, naturally building their 'STEM Capital'. "They are also a proven way to reach young people who often disengage in a traditional classroom setting and can be delivered in various locations or times that work for young people, their families, and the wider community. "However, access to grassroots computing initiatives in Scotland is often a postcode lottery with varying coverage and support. This is unacceptable. "Digital Xtra will continue to champion extracurricular computing initiatives for young people through our new community coding and AI hubs network, which will create a more joined-up approach to informal digital learning." Each hub will drive growth by focusing on three aspects - delivery, training and resources. They aim to act as a lending library with equipment and resources for local schools and community groups. The hubs will feature Lego Education's new, curriculum-aligned computing science and AI kits which teach "age-appropriate lessons" about foundational coding and machine learning. Digital Xtra is understood to be one of the first organisations in Scotland to make this kit available to the public, while also introducing machine learning and AI skills to the charity's remit for the first time. Ongoing training and support will be provided by Digital Xtra, Raising Robots, and Raspberry Pi Foundation as well as Digital Xtra's other education and industry partners. Minister for business Tom Arthur said: "Digital skills are essential for Scotland's future, and every young person should have the opportunity to develop them, regardless of where they live, which is why I am proud to support this initiative."