Startup Summit goes online for first time

THIS year’s Startup Summit is set to go online for the first time with a senior executive from Twitter among the first wave of confirmed speakers.

The event normally attracts more than 1,000 people to Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, it will be held online on October 28 and 29.

David Wilding, director of planning at Twitter, will be among more than 50 world-leading experts sharing their knowledge with entrepreneurs. Other headline speakers amid the early confirmations are Irana Wasti, regional president for Godaddy, and Matt Davey, chief operating optimist of 1Password.

Backed by accountancy firm Johnston Carmichael, the summit will also include a virtual exhibitor marketplace along with interactive workshops.

Bruce Walker, co-founder of event organiser Futurex, said the pandemic has exposed the social and economic problems that lie “just below the surface” of the business landscape.

“Our entire team at Startup Summit and Futurex, alongside all our partners, stand ready to meet the challenge and use the power of entrepreneurial action to supercharge high-growth, high-impact start-ups and entrepreneurs – no matter where they are in the world – at a time when the world needs sustainable companies that scale.”