If anyone is a good example of Scottish entrepreneurial spirit it is Tony Quinn.
Having left school at the age of 16 with no clear idea of what he wanted to do, he has since built not just one, but two companies at the forefront of technology in Scotland. Between them, SilverCloud and Acumen Cyber employ nearly 100 people and Quinn has no intention of slowing down.
“I think I have always had quite an entrepreneurial spirit,” said Quinn, who gave up a six figure salary with a technology company to set up on his own.
His interest in technology was fostered when he landed a sales job in the sector when he was 17.
“That period set me up brilliantly,” Quinn said. “What I get a real kick out of is inspiring businesses with what technology can do, showing them the possibilities and watching it transform how they operate. That’s at the heart of everything SilverCloud does - ensuring no business is left behind.”
SilverCloud is a managed service provider which has around 800 clients and 50 members of staff.
SilverCloud began in an office in Glasgow’s Charing Cross in 2014 with Quinn and a laptop. Private investment changed everything, bringing a bigger office. From there SilverCloud really began to gather pace, building a reputation as a trusted technology partner that takes the complexity out of IT for Scottish SMEs.
As the business built, it became clear to Quinn that there was a need for a cyber security service and he launched Acumen in 2024 to defend clients from cyber threats.
Like SilverCloud, Acumen has grown quickly and now has a staff of 40 at a 24/7 facility in Glasgow.
Between the two businesses Quinn expects to have a turnover of £17 million this year.
“Both businesses have grown organically and basically every penny we’ve made, we’ve reinvested back into the business to get that scale,” he said.
For Acumen alone, £2.5 million of SilverCloud’s working capital was invested to get it off the ground and into the position it is in now.
Quinn is proud to have created almost 100 jobs in the tech sector in Scotland.
“We’re creating real opportunities for young people who might never have had a route into tech, developing them into senior technical professionals working with major organisations like Edinburgh Airport,” he said.
He is grateful for the support he has had from the Scottish business community over the years.
“My brother lives in America and he just can’t believe how integrated the Scottish business community is,” Quinn said.
“Everybody wants to help each other. Whenever you’ve got a problem or a challenge, you feel like you’ve got an army behind you - a peer group of individuals who are quite willing to offer their time and support.”
Quinn has been involved with ScaleUp Scotland, Scottish Edge, Scottish Enterprise and latterly, Entrepreneurial Scotland.
“They are all forums of individuals who are like-minded and trying to make Scotland a better place and drive the economy,” he said. “I find that unity across the Scottish entrepreneurial ecosystem is really strong.”
He is an active member of Entrepreneurial Scotland, having been introduced to the organisation through ScaleUp Scotland.
“I think the work they do is invaluable,’’ said Quinn. “They’re a really nice bunch of people, they’re super proactive and always keen to figure out how they can do more.”
While he has never been afraid to ask for support from more experienced business leaders, Quinn recognises that others may not be so confident and praises Entrepreneurial Scotland for bringing people together so they can learn from each other.
“They can match someone who’s just coming up with an idea with someone who’s been in business for 10 or 15 years and that kind of access is fantastic,” he said. “Peer-to-peer shared learning and access to other entrepreneurs and business owners is invaluable for helping people on their journeys.”
He added: “The other thing that Entrepreneurial Scotland does well is act as a sort of feeder organisation for all the other great things that are going on, whether that’s Scottish Enterprise who are offering funding or other investment and training opportunities.”
One of the challenges that businesses in Scotland will need support in facing is the Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution.
Quinn does not see it as a negative however.
“I’m stepping into it,” he said. “There’s an opportunity. It’s got pros and it’s got cons but the reality is that it’s coming, whether we like it or not.
“My view is that we embrace it and I see it as our job as a technology business that we should know it as well as we possibly can so we can educate and motivate other people to do something about it, because the reality is that it’s not going away.”
AI has already been embedded in both SilverCloud and Acumen to improve employee and customer experience.
“We’re not planning to stop recruiting or let people go,” said Quinn. “We’re using AI to do some of the boring, time consuming tasks so we can spend more time engaging with customers, finding out what their problems are and letting the technology do some of the work behind the scenes.
“AI is here to stay, and we’re going to make the most of it.”
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