Software Development in Edinburgh
Edinburgh is Scotland's deep-tech and fintech capital. Home to FNZ, Nucleus Financial, and backed by the University of Edinburgh's world-class AI research centre, the city punches far above its weight in financial technology, gaming, and artificial intelligence. We help Edinburgh businesses build at speed without the fierce local hiring competition.
Why Edinburgh for Software Development?
Edinburgh's tech scene is distinct from London's. Where London is broad, Edinburgh is deep. The University of Edinburgh's School of Informatics is one of the top AI research centres globally, feeding talent into a fintech cluster that manages over £1 trillion in assets. FNZ, Nucleus Financial, and Baillie Gifford's tech operations are all here. The gaming industry (Rockstar North, makers of Grand Theft Auto) adds creative tech talent to the mix. But Edinburgh's compact size means the talent pool gets thin quickly — especially for niche skills.
- University of Edinburgh's AI research centre is ranked among the world's top 10, creating a deep pipeline of ML and data science talent
- Edinburgh's fintech sector manages over £1 trillion in assets — FNZ, Nucleus Financial, and Baillie Gifford all have major tech operations here
- Rockstar North (Grand Theft Auto) anchors a gaming industry worth hundreds of millions, attracting strong graphics and systems programmers
- Scotland's capital is compact — great for quality of life, but the small talent pool makes scaling engineering teams locally a real challenge
Our Services in Edinburgh
We serve Edinburgh businesses across six areas tailored to the deep-tech, fintech, and research-driven industries that define this city.
Custom Software Development
Bespoke platforms for Edinburgh's fintech firms, energy companies, and government agencies. We build systems that handle complex financial calculations, high data volumes, and the regulatory requirements of Scottish and UK financial markets.
AI & Machine Learning
Edinburgh is an AI hotspot thanks to the university's research centre. We build production-grade ML systems — recommendation engines, NLP pipelines, computer vision, and predictive models — that move beyond proof-of-concept into real business impact.
Web Application Development
SaaS platforms, investment portals, and internal tools for Edinburgh organisations. Built on modern stacks with the performance and security that financial services clients require.
Mobile App Development
Investment apps, energy monitoring tools, and citizen-facing government applications. Cross-platform development in React Native and Flutter for efficient delivery across iOS and Android.
Healthcare & Life Sciences Tech
Edinburgh's BioQuarter houses NHS Lothian, the University, and biotech companies in a single campus. We build clinical data platforms, research management tools, and patient-facing applications for the health and life sciences cluster.
Energy & CleanTech Software
Scotland is a global leader in renewable energy. We build grid management systems, energy trading platforms, and monitoring tools for wind, wave, and hydrogen energy companies operating out of Edinburgh.
Industries We Serve in Edinburgh
Edinburgh's strengths are concentrated in a few high-value sectors. These four drive the majority of our work with Scottish clients.
Fintech & Asset Management
Edinburgh manages more money than any UK city outside London. FNZ processes over £1 trillion in assets. Baillie Gifford, Standard Life Aberdeen, and Scottish Widows all have major tech teams here. We build portfolio management systems, trading platforms, and regulatory reporting tools for firms navigating FCA and PRA requirements.
Gaming & Interactive Media
Rockstar North built Grand Theft Auto in Edinburgh — one of the highest-grossing entertainment products in history. The city has a deep bench of game developers and interactive media companies. We build backend systems, multiplayer infrastructure, and tools for studios that need engineering scale beyond their core team.
Government & Public Sector
The Scottish Government and its agencies are based in Edinburgh. Digital Scotland is driving a transformation programme across public services. We build citizen-facing portals, case management systems, and data platforms that meet Scottish Government digital standards and accessibility requirements.
Energy & Renewables
Scotland generates enough renewable energy to power every home in the country twice over. Edinburgh-based energy companies need software for grid balancing, asset monitoring, carbon trading, and regulatory compliance. We build these systems with engineers who understand the energy domain.
How We Work with Edinburgh Teams
Edinburgh shares the same timezone as London — 5.5 hours ahead of our Dallas office. Our Gurugram team is just 4.5 hours ahead of you.
Discovery & Scoping
A video call during your afternoon (2-5pm GMT). We discuss your project, understand the technical environment, and establish scope. For fintech clients, this includes understanding your regulatory obligations from the outset.
Team Formation
We assign a dedicated team from Gurugram — engineers matched to your stack and domain. For AI projects, we pull from our ML engineering pool. For fintech, engineers with regulated industry experience. Every team includes a project manager available during Edinburgh hours.
Collaborative Sprints
Daily async updates land before your morning. Real-time overlap with developers happens between 1pm-5pm GMT. Your project manager is reachable during Edinburgh business hours for anything urgent.
Fortnightly Reviews
Every two weeks you see working software — deployed, testable, and ready for feedback. Reviews happen during Scottish business hours. Your input directly shapes the next sprint's priorities.
Delivery & Transition
We deploy to your environment, run security and performance testing, and provide documentation thorough enough for your team to maintain independently. Ongoing support with Scottish business hours SLAs is available.
Knowledge Transfer
For AI and ML projects, we provide model documentation, training pipelines, and retraining procedures. Your data science team gets everything they need to operate, monitor, and improve the models we've built.
Ready to get started? Let's discuss your project.
Engagement Models for Edinburgh Businesses
Edinburgh dev rates run £65-£110/hour through local agencies. We deliver senior-level engineering at 40-60% below those figures.
Dedicated Team
A full engineering team — developers, QA, and a project manager — working exclusively on your product. Best for fintech platforms, AI products, or any project that needs sustained deep technical work.
Custom pricing based on your requirements
- Full-time developers dedicated to your project
- Project manager during UK/Scottish business hours
- Weekly standups and fortnightly demos
- Scale the team with 2 weeks notice
- 40-60% below Edinburgh agency rates
- Minimum 3-month engagement
Project-Based
Fixed scope, fixed price. Clear deliverables, agreed timeline, firm budget. Best for well-defined projects like MVP builds, system integrations, or AI proof-of-concept implementations.
Custom pricing based on your requirements
- Fixed price in GBP or USD
- Detailed scope document upfront
- Milestone-based payments
- Formal change request process
- Full IP transfer on completion
- Projects typically run 2-6 months
Staff Augmentation
Our engineers join your Edinburgh team directly. They use your tools, attend your meetings, and work your hours. Perfect for filling specific skill gaps — ML engineers, backend specialists, or mobile developers.
Custom pricing based on your requirements
- Engineers embedded in your team
- Work UK/Scottish business hours
- Your tools and your processes
- Start within 1-2 weeks
- No recruitment fees or employer NI
- Scale from 1 engineer to a full squad
Software Development Edinburgh Questions Answered
Quick answers to the questions we hear most often.
No. Our offices are in Dallas, Texas and Gurugram, India. We serve Edinburgh businesses remotely. This is exactly why we can offer rates 40-60% below local Scottish agencies — you're not subsidising George Street office rent.
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Ready to Get Started with Software Development Edinburgh?
Let's discuss your project and discover how we can help you achieve your business goals with our expert team.