Funding Consultancy Moves Head Office to Edinburgh – Scottish Business News

Leading innovation funding consultancy, Innovative Partners, has announced its expansion into Edinburgh with the opening of a new head office on South St Andrews Street in the city centre, moving its main base of operations from Aberdeen.

The expansion will enable Innovative Partners to support its growing innovation advisory and investment client roster in Edinburgh and around Scotland’s central belt. The firm will retain its strong presence in Aberdeen. 

Innovative Partners was established in 2019 by entrepreneurs Andrew Marshall and Liam Hurley, who saw the need for an advice-led consultancy for innovative funding solutions following their own business experience. The company aims to make innovative funding solutions for UK businesses simple and stress free while ensuring businesses receive the maximum benefit available to them through grants, investments and tax incentives.

As the business has grown, the boutique firm has developed its offering to not only provide advisory and consultancy services, but also invest in early-stage technology businesses. Among its current portfolio of investments are ValStream, an advanced procurement analytics provider which was named Boeing Supplier of the Year 2023, and Elastik, an education technology company.  

“Innovative Partners already enjoys considerable success from our Aberdeen and London offices. Extending into Edinburgh’s entrepreneurial hub will be pivotal to enhancing our support for clients and investees across Scotland,” said Andrew Marshall, co-founder of Innovative Partners and founder of the parent company, Carlowrie Group.

In 2022, commercial director Michael Davie joined Hurley and Marshall as part of the Innovative Partners leadership team. The company has recently hired a business development manager, an operations manager, and a technical consultant to support the move into Edinburgh, with further hires planned later this year. 

“The decision to open our new office in Edinburgh reflects our confidence in the robustness of Scotland’s business ecosystem and our dedication to delivering unparalleled support to companies across the region,” Davie commented.

Innovative Partners is a Carlowrie Group company, alongside other renowned businesses and charities, including Edinburgh Street Food, Carlowrie Castle and The Breakfast Bothy. Founded by Andrew Marshall over 20 years ago, Carlowrie Group employs 350 people across the UK and places social projects and giving back at the heart of each business.

To give back to the local community, Innovative Partners supports The Breakfast Bothy, an Edinburgh-based charity helping people experiencing homelessness. On the 19th of April, the Innovative Partners team and some clients will join over 100 others at the charity’s first Sleep Out on the lawns of Carlowrie Castle. Money raised will go towards the expansion of The Breakfast Bothy’s services.