By Craig Somerville, Founder of WITR – Who’s In The Room?
WITR helps event attendees instantly see who’s in the room, what they’re working on, and what they need-making in-person networking more intentional and impactful.
In May, I stepped into the intensity of Silicon Valley – part of the Techscaler programme designed to take Scottish tech founders out of their comfort zones and straight into the rooms (and skyscrapers) that shape global innovation.
Let’s face it, with skyscrapers like those, a few risks and punts have been taken – the perfect context for thinking big, and then bigger again, the sky is the limit.
I went to SF with a simple tool – ‘WITR – Who’s In The Room?’ our in-person networking layer, and I left with 28 nods of approval.
Some were over coffee, some happened at the two WITR IMPACT events I hosted in the heart of San Francisco’s Financial District, some were the result of quick hellos that turned into real follow-ups.
Every single ‘Yes’ was a moment where someone said: “I see what you’re building. I wish I’d had that at…” referring to either the last 20 years , or last week’s networking event.
WITR Comes to Silicon Valley
Before I made the trip, the advice I was given, by an American it has to be said, was “play on your Scottish accent” (rolled eyes), and “…most of the people in San Francisco are introverts forced to be extroverts – so WITR will work.”
I hosted two WITR IMPACT events at Mindspace on Market Street, a beautiful venue nestled inside the buzz of the Financial District. Mindspace is a coworking space – a beachhead for WITR, seeking to host more networking events.
The first event accidentally turned into the ‘Craig Somerville WITR Show’ – not quite what I planned, but maybe exactly what was needed. This was WITR’s U.S. debut, and I wanted to drive home what we’re about, how the tool works, and why it matters. It was also a chance to gather content to market future WITR events – because this won’t be the last…
And then, as soon as I’d said that – The second WITR IMPACT event was set for a week later and co-hosted with Techscaler, the very organisation behind the trip. It was brilliant to see the other founders in our cohort step into their own moments – pitching their progress and showing how far they’d come since we first boarded the flight from Scotland just 2-3 weeks prior. This place (SF) changes you. \
From 0 to 28 in Two Weeks
With WITR, you don’t need to introduce yourself ten times over; You could walk into a room, share your “ask” or “offer,” to the WITR list, and get straight to the part that matters: Can we help each other? Yes.
That clarity helped turn 28 conversations into a “Yes” across Silicon Valley.
Yes to meetings.
Yes to warm introductions.
Yes to future collaborations and investment discussions.
“In the noise, WITR gives you signal” said one of my favourite, now user of WITR.
What Is Techscaler?
For those outside the Scottish ecosystem:
Techscaler is Scotland’s startup support platform, delivered by CodeBase and backed by the Scottish Government. Its mission? Help founders scale global companies, by giving them community, mentorship, and access to opportunity.
This Silicon Valley trip is one of their boldest moves yet: three weeks of structured immersion in the world’s most competitive startup scene. It gave us a team in the cohort, coworking hubs, opportunities, and a front-row seat at SaaStr Annual – the world’s biggest SaaS event.
The Common Denominator in SF/SV: People
I met brilliant minds from YouTube, LinkedIn, event giants, VC firms, and ambitious startups – and no matter their background, one thing came through:
The best conversations didn’t revolve around pitch decks or metrics. They were human, curious, open. They asked: Who are you, really? and Why does this solution you’ve built matter to you?
Their responses were positive, proactive and immediate – culturally refreshing. And if WITR wasn’t for them, they’d say so, but then say – “You should meet this guy…” and proceed to introduce you to someone awesome.
My intention was to use Silicon Valley to prove to myself that WITR is not a gimmick. The truth, people understand it as a shortcut to real professional connection, job done.
Scotland’s Strength in Community
The whole way through, I was proud to say I came from Scotland – and even prouder of the other Techscaler founders who made the journey with me. Each journey different, but on the same ride. Scotland’s tech scene may not have the scale of Silicon Valley, but it has depth, intent, togetherness, and we have the upper hand as we’re loved in the States – so I learned to use that, and Techscaler is helping amplify it.
This trip showed what’s possible when a community backs its founders and gives them the platform to be bold, globally.
Networking That Works
The right nod of approval can change everything – but you’ve got to be in the room, ready to make it happen. That’s what WITR is there to help you achieve.
What’s Next for WITR?
We’re coming out of beta! This may not sound very exciting, but it is to us, and it will be to our current users… stay tuned!
→ Want to host a WITR event? witr.info