WATCH PARTY - A Conversation with Ben Greenock and Mark Hogarth

Join us for a fireside conversation with Ben Greenock, founder of Go Swag, and Mark Hogarth, Partner at Techstart Ventures.
About this Event

Join Harper Macleod and Royal Bank Accelerator for a fireside conversation with Ben Greenock, founder of Go Swag, and Mark Hogarth, Partner at Techstart Ventures, as they share the founder and investor perspectives behind scaling one of Scotland's fastest-growing technology businesses. This is a WATCH PARTY in the Edinburgh Accelerator Hub. Come join us as we tune into the Glasgow Hub for a great chat!

In conversation with Paula Skinner, Partner at Harper Macleod, the discussion will explore Go Swag's entrepreneurial journey, Ben's experience with the Royal Bank Accelerator programme, the realities of raising investment and the lessons learned while building and backing a high-growth business. Drawing on both the founder and investor perspectives, the conversation will cover scaling internationally, attracting investment, preparing for growth and the challenges facing ambitious businesses. Expect practical insights, honest reflections and advice for founders and business leaders alike.

About Go Swag

Go Swag provides effortless, sustainable, premium swag programmes – built and managed globally for the world's most ambitious brands.

Founded in 2019 by Ben Greenock and Conor McKenna, the Glasgow-headquartered business has grown from a small start-up with two part-time employees into an international company serving more than 1,000 organisations worldwide. Its client base includes global brands such as Meta, Apple, Netflix, Amazon, Spotify and Burberry.

Combining technology, logistics and a managed service model, Go Swag helps businesses deliver branded merchandise, employee onboarding packs and corporate gifting programmes at scale across multiple markets. The company has experienced rapid growth since launch, reporting five consecutive years of triple-digit compound annual growth and recently securing a $5 million investment round to support its next phase of expansion.

Ben's journey offers a candid insight into building and scaling a business from Scotland, winning enterprise customers around the world, raising investment and turning an industry ripe for disruption into a high-growth international success story. Alongside Ben's experience, Mark will share the investor perspective, discussing what makes businesses investment-ready, what investors look for in ambitious founders and the realities of funding and scaling high-growth companies.

Ben's Bio

Ben Greenock is co-founder of Go Swag, one of Scotland's fastest-growing technology businesses. With a background in product design and digital innovation, Ben has spent his career turning ideas into businesses. Since launching Go Swag in 2019, he has helped scale the company from a start-up into a global operation serving more than 1,000 customers worldwide. His entrepreneurial journey offers valuable insights into building a business from scratch, growing internationally and creating a product that challenges an established market.

Mark's Bio

Mark Hogarth is a Partner at Techstart Ventures, where he invests in ambitious early-stage technology companies across Scotland and Northern Ireland. With more than 20 years' experience in venture capital and private equity, Mark has worked alongside founders from the earliest stages of their growth, helping businesses secure investment, scale internationally and build sustainable, high-growth companies.

Having supported hundreds of entrepreneurs throughout his career, Mark brings a valuable investor perspective on what makes businesses investment-ready, how founders can successfully raise capital and the opportunities and challenges that come with scaling innovative companies. His experience complements Ben's entrepreneurial journey, offering attendees practical insights from both sides of the investment table.