Edinburgh Tech Startup Echo3 Rides the Wave of The City's Booming Digital Economy
How one Edinburgh entrepreneur turned £1,500 and a network of local tech talent
into a £300k online training business
Alex King started with just £1,500 to build a website and a business flexible enough to let him visit his young daughter in the US several times a year. A decade later, Echo3 has become one of the UK's most trusted online health and safety training providers, with over 80,000 courses sold and an annual turnover of £300,000.
Alex made a deliberate decision to tap into Edinburgh's deep pool of digital talent finding a network of freelancers that help him build a business that also supports individual operators.
Today, Echo3 offers nearly 100 accredited courses covering everything from Manual Handling and Food Hygiene to Asbestos Awareness and Data Protection. Last year the business sold around 12,000 courses, 70% of all courses sold were sold to individuals. Larger B2B clients have included NHS Trusts, the Scottish Parliament and Rolls Royce.
Alex said: "Edinburgh has an incredible depth of tech talent and because of the collaborative nature of freelance tech scene in the area, one introduction led to another, helping me to scale the business in a way that means we can offer the courses at a lower price point – suitable for people who are also freelancers or solo operators.
“That’s down to the power and talent of Edinburgh’s tech community. We’re a lean team of trusted specialists without the overheads of full-time staff and office costs. Essentially a business built by freelancers for freelancers.
“Being able to work with people locally who truly understood what I was trying to build made an enormous difference. These are talented people who know each other, trust each other and want to do good work.”
Searching on Upwork, the global freelancing platform, Alex was specifically looking for someone local who could work with him closely over time. He found Jordan Carr, a PHP backend developer, who helped engineer the technical foundations of the Echo3 platform.
Freelancer Jamie McHale who runs the meetup group called Edinburgh JS / Scottish Technology Club connected Alex with Sigurd Watt who worked on the website and has since become an integral part of the Echo3 team. Sigurd had been working with designer Jackie Bain of YeahJackie after meeting at the freelancer meetup ‘Creative Mornings' - an event run by freelancers for freelancers. Jackie was brought into the team with her user experience and visual design shaping the platform that tens of thousands of learners use today.
Alex said: “I didn't ever imagine the business growing to the size it has but the freelancer model has meant Echo3 has grown by building a brand based on affordable, trusted and accredited online health and safety training.”
Growth strategist, Sid Kathirvel of Unlock Growth, also Edinburgh based, helped sharpen Echo3's online presence and business strategy – with growth marketing expertise.
The health and safety subject matter expertise that sits at the core of Echo3's course content, saw input from Neal Cameron of DSE Scotland, another specialist in Edinburgh who has assisted with courses that have gained accreditation from the prestigious Chartered Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors.
Echo3's journey also reflects the infrastructure available to Edinburgh-based tech founders. Techscaler, the Scottish Government-backed programme offers free mentoring and resources to tech startups and is among the initiatives helping companies like Echo3 scale. The company is also part of the RBS Accelerator programme based on Princes Street.
Alex, who holds a degree in mathematics and accountancy, spent years in sales roles, including positions with Gallaher (now JTI) and GSK, before taking the leap into entrepreneurship.
Among Alex's proudest achievements is developing the UK's first online Covid Infection Control course, completed by more than 20,000 people, including teams at the Rosalind Franklin Laboratory during the height of the pandemic.
"Even today, in modern workplaces, there are still far too many accidents," said Alex. "Around 124 deaths and 700,000 injuries occur each year. By creating the most memorable training experiences at the lowest possible cost, we can help employers make their workplaces safer."
With the UK business firmly established, Alex's sights are now set on international expansion. His daughter, now 11, moved to the US when she was young, and the freedom to visit her, he now makes the trip four times a year, was the original spark that led him to build the independent business in the first place.
"In the next three to five years I plan to launch a global version of the site with a North American focus," he said. "The legislation differs slightly, but the positive feedback we get on the UK site makes me confident it would be valued there too.
"And of course, it would mean more trips to visit my daughter."
Notes to Editors
Echo3 Education is an online health and safety training provider. It offers 89 accredited courses, all certified by the CPD Group, covering health and safety, food hygiene, data protection, fire safety and specialist trade qualifications. Courses are available to individuals and organisations, with a flexible credit system for team training. For more information visit www.echo3education.co.uk
Alex King, Echo3 Founder
