What does stac mean for start ups?
Quite simply, STAC supports start-ups to scale.
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Our unique programme supports entrepreneurs from early stages of their journey to global operations. At 18 months long, the programme ensures a deep engagement with all elements of your smart things business – product development to supply chain management, market engagement to customer onboarding, business growth to managing funding and investment.
Our programme is delivered by a team and network who specifically know how to develop, support and scale smart things. Crucial company components and business growth is supported by a wealth of experiences from successful start-ups, SMEs and multi-national corporations. This dedicated smart things accelerator centre aims to help exciting start-ups put Scotland on the map as a world leader in IoT.
A hands-on, 18 month, milestone based programme taking your big ideas from concept to global operations. STAC is with you throughout.
4 step programme
STAC’s 4 stage programme is partly modelled on a tried and tested programme that has supported around 650 start-ups that have created over 4,000 jobs. STAC takes the best from this programme layering on a high-profile leadership team and advisory board with a specialising in smart things and builds on the IoT foundations already laid by CENSIS, Scotland’s Innovation Centre for IoT, and Glasgow headquartered product design firm Filament PD.
propose
create
grow
lead
Throughout the programme you’ll meet regularly with the STAC team who’ll to guide and support you, get consistent regular one-to-one mentor support, and engage with both the advisory board and programme partners to help overcome any challengesyou meet on your way.
In ‘Propose’, the first of our four stages, the STAC team spend time to really understand your vision, what has inspired you and what your goals are. Through explorative and challenging sessions with mentors and business leaders, the STAC team will support you in strengthening your proposition and strategy, proportionate to your individual businesses. This stage is focussed on developing the plan which you will execute in the following stages including the actions required to meet the goals and objectives you have set. We will encourage you to identify your own style, which will drive the culture of your business as you develop.
We have a plan, and now we are ready to ‘Create’. As a ‘whole business’ accelerator, create means more to STAC than product development alone. The STAC team will focus on developing you, the founders, to support the development of all components which you will require to deliver a successful business, including legal, financial, operational, marketing and people support. People support includes helping you identify which skillsets are required to execute your vision and how such resources are best acquired. Best practice product development workshops and access to the STAC ‘Maker Space’ will inspire you to create and refine your products to make them market ready.Â
The STAC ‘Grow’ stage focuses on the commercialisation of your offering, ensuring that every element of your business strategy is well designed, validated and proportionate to your target market. The objective is to ensure your first commercial success and that if you need to pivot or change direction due to market feedback, that we do so early. This is when you really start to ‘sell’ your business, supported by a Sales and Marketing campaign that focuses on those actions / activities which will deliver the best chance of success. As your success grows, the STAC team will be on hand to offer ongoing advice as to the best way to expand your team to meet your changing business objectives.
Our ‘Lead’ stage is where we really see you break away from the pack and accelerate into a dominating position within your market. STAC will support you in taking your winning formula and driving dramatic growth, through opening up your geographic reach, diversifying into new vertical markets and launching new sales channels. The STAC team will support your efforts to seek out opportunities to innovate and automate components of your offering, best allowing you to maintain exceptional customer service as your success continues to accelerate.
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As a founder, you will mentor and support your growing team and inspire the next generation of smart tech businesses to emerge from Scotland.
mentorship
Regular one-to-one guidance from STAC experienced mentor team.
expert support
Exclusive sessions with business leaders and industry experts through our advisory board and industry partners.
local and international network
Warm introductions to development teams, manufacturers, professional service providers and investors when you need it.
Co-Working space
The opportunity to work from STAC HQ, with desk space in a dynamic modern environment.Â
smart things maker space
A workshop and test lab, kitted out with all the equipment you need to prototype, test and assemble hardware.
meeting rooms. internet, printing & coffee
Because there’s better things to worry about.
Stac team
Paul Wilson, CEO
gregor aikman, COO
paul winstanley, NXD
leighanne jordan
Aileen Moar biagi
ronnie darroch
craig lynn
jim rowan
evelyn macdonald
richard lewis
kim mccann
craig whittet
angus macfadyen
Douglas Shand
stefan raue
partnering with:
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Mark Sorsa-Leslie,
Beringar
“Beringar worked with CENSIS and Filament, both of whom were pivotal to going from a concept to a commercially viable market solution, but what’s been offered with the Smart Things Accelerator Centre would have allowed us to deepen our understanding of volume production economics and sharpen our business proposition. What we missed along the way was knowledge of what our product should cost, how to negotiate with large customers and suppliers and what commercial models provide the best opportunities for business growth. STAC will provide that support together with a global exporting focus – a perfect response to the growing base of wonderful IoT solutions beginning to emerge from Scotland.”
“In developing our product we engaged both Filament and CENSIS who helped by providing us with the expertise needed to de-risk our prototype product. This has enabled us to get to market quickly, test our product with enterprise customers and build an initial revenue stream. If STAC was about when we started we would have used it to accelerate our initial product development and build earlier relationships with key design and manufacturing partners.”
Want to be a STAC'ER?
to apply for stac you must be:
- Based in Scotland
- A registered company
- Developing a Smart Thing
our ideal stac’
- A founder or inventor looking to grow a sustainable company.
- Ready for engaging with an intense programme and a community powered by
partnership. - Able to demonstrate a proof of concept of their world beating idea.
get in touch
Whether you’re curious about STAC, interested in being a sponsor, or looking to join our next cohort – we want to hear from you!Â