SCALE - Growth through real world connections

SCALE - Growth through real world connections Growth through real world connections We’ve evolved.

SME XPO has officially become SCALE — a bold new platform built to support ambitious founders and leadership teams of early-stage and scaling businesses.

Our Chairman Andrew B Morris interviewed Sir Richard Harpin on 23 April. has just published the lessons he shared!Some ...
04/06/2026

Our Chairman Andrew B Morris interviewed Sir Richard Harpin on 23 April. has just published the lessons he shared!

Some of them might be hard to hear. But that’s why you need to listen:

💷Choose backers as carefully as co-founders.

👊 Hire your replacement before you think you need one.

🌍 When you go international, don’t change the model.

🫶 Get a coach, find a mentor, join a peer group.

🗓️Plan what comes after, before you sell.

Their conversation at SCALE Summit was candid, practical and had founders in the audience scribbling notes.

From choosing the right investor to knowing when to step away and let someone else take the business forward, their chat touched on many of Sir Richard’s famous “9 steps”.

Thank you Sir Richard for sharing your experience so generously with the SCALE community. And to the team who joined us on the day and those behind the scenes who helped make it happen.

Read the full article on City AM or on the SCALE website.

What if your setbacks were actually your strategy? We loved hosting and (founder of .uk) for this month’s SCALE Sessio...
03/06/2026

What if your setbacks were actually your strategy?

We loved hosting and (founder of .uk) for this month’s SCALE Session in London.

The conversation was built around Dougal’s new book, Fail Smarter: lessons from the best in turning setbacks into breakthroughs.

Scroll through for some of our favourite moments from the evening. And here are a few takeaways for those who couldn’t make it 👉

💡 Fail fast. Fail often.
Dougal played a few clips from interviews he did for the book. The need to embrace and actively encourage failure came up repeatedly as a necessary cultural shift.

💡 Quit early
Joel quit his job in 2018 after having what his FTE (f**k this event)! He woke up with no job to go to and thought: I have got to make this work. He hit £1m in year one.

💡 There are not many successful companies whose first product is still their best seller. Look at Apple, Netflix, Slack, Nintendo. They failed and moved on.

We always ask for feedback following SCALE Sessions, because we know how critical it is for growth.

One founder in the room sent us this note:
“This SCALE Session has made me even more focused on critique as an opportunity. I’ll be reading Dougal’s books, and I’ll go easier on myself when things don’t always go to plan.”

Thanks to all who took on the tube strike and the rain to join us. Amazing turnout, great vibe, genuine connection. See you at the next one!

"The major reason why Little Dish was a success was because the US business was a failure... The focus it brought me on ...
26/05/2026

"The major reason why Little Dish was a success was because the US business was a failure... The focus it brought me on doing the next thing successfully was completely different. It worked out well" - John Stapleton

Failure is inevitable in business. But the best founders don't just survive it - they use it.

At John was part of a panel of resilient founders - chaired by Dougal Shaw Journalist, author of 'Fail Smarter' - who turned failures into fuel.

Want to go deeper? We're hosting a dedicated Fail Smarter SCALE Session on 2 June with Dougal Shaw and a special guest entrepreneur from the book.

Spaces are limited. Register now:
https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/108639

21/05/2026

Fail Smarter is coming to SCALE! 💡

After nearly 15 years interviewing entrepreneurs, business journalist Dougal Shaw has one clear finding: the most successful founders don’t avoid failure. They know how to use it to accelerate towards success.

Dougal spoke to Amy Knight at the launch event for his new book Fail Smarter - lessons from the best in turning setbacks into breakthroughs.

“That thing you fear most as an entrepreneur could actually be the secret weapon that’s going to help you succeed.”

On 2 June, Dougal + special guest will be at the SCALE Hub in London W1 to share practical ways that successful leaders channel failure as a positive force.

Your ticket includes a copy of Fail Smarter. 📖

📅 Tuesday 2 June
📍 Central London
🕕 6–9pm

Link in bio to reserve your spot! 👆

"More than half of startups will fail after five years. You're going to have to deal with failure whatever happens in yo...
20/05/2026

"More than half of startups will fail after five years. You're going to have to deal with failure whatever happens in your journey."
The question is: what do you do with it?

We're excited to welcome Dougal Shaw Journalist - business journalist and author of Fail Smarter - to the next SCALE Session. After nearly 15 years covering entrepreneurs, Dougal has one clear finding: the most successful founders don't avoid failure. They know how to use it.

In this session he'll share how leaders can channel failure as a positive force - turning setbacks into breakthroughs.

Oh, and your ticket includes a copy of Fail Smarter! 📖

📅 Tuesday 2 June
📍 Central London
🕕 6–9pm

Reserve your spot 👉 https://www.scale-london.com/our-ecosystem/scale-sessions

Underrepresented founders build world-changing businesses. They just don't always get the room to prove it. At , we mad...
13/05/2026

Underrepresented founders build world-changing businesses. They just don't always get the room to prove it.

At , we made sure they did.

Meet Sanjay Sivan Sivakumar (right), Co-Founder & CTO of ARDHANN, winner of our pitch competition for underrepresented founders.

"Winning is a feeling you never get tired of. It tells you that the work, the preparation, the late nights, and the expectations of everyone backing you do get rewarded and recognised. The judges we had that day were a dream blueprint — each of them accomplished in their own field, fully present, generous with their time, and entirely there to just see you grow."

This is just the beginning for ARDHANN. Watch this space! 🚀

Women make up less than 2% of VC funding recipients in the UK. At we had a room full of people determined to change th...
12/05/2026

Women make up less than 2% of VC funding recipients in the UK. At we had a room full of people determined to change that.

Chaired by Irene Graham OBE (ScaleUp Institute), the Capital Culture panel brought together Louise Doyle (needi), Andrea Sommer (Womankind Ventures), Albert Azis-Clauson (Tramlines) and Sam Smith (The SuperScalers) for a frank discussion on capital, culture and the conditions needed to enable more women to build and scale.

Here's what came out of the conversation 👇

https://www.scale-london.com/news-article/lessons-learned-investor-relationship

SCALE is backing diverse founders to shape the scaleup success stories of the future. At two incredible founders scoop...
11/05/2026

SCALE is backing diverse founders to shape the scaleup success stories of the future. At two incredible founders scooped a package of scaleup support from SCALE Ventures and partners after being selected by a panel of experts.

Meet Nina van Schaick, COO and Co-founder of Peripear, who won our pitch competition for female founders.

“Winning at SCALE is an incredible moment for Peripear and for the wider mission behind what we’re building.

Birth injuries impact millions of women globally, yet innovation in this area
has been overlooked for too long.

This recognition validates both the scale of the problem and the importance of delivering better outcomes for women through innovation.”

We look forward to following Peripear's journey over the coming months!

07/05/2026

SCALE Sessions return on 2 June with our next meetup for founders… at a Central London location to be revealed very soon!

Use the link in our bio to save your spot! 👆

Know someone who’s taken a knock, hit a bump in their business journey, or struggles to process feedback? 🙋‍♂️
Bring them along!

Business journalist and author will share “lessons from the best on turning setbacks into breakthroughs” his new book Fail Smarter.

Plus drinks, nibbles and plenty of networking.

Address

18 Newman Street
London
W1T1PE

Opening Hours

Wednesday 9:30am - 5pm
Thursday 9:30am - 4pm

Telephone

+447721612294

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when SCALE - Growth through real world connections posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category