AROUND 68 per cent of start-ups grew during the pandemic, with only 11% saying they contracted, according to a new survey.

The Scottish Start-up Survey 2021, run by the Engage Invest Exploit (EIE) team at the University of Edinburgh’s Bayes Centre, shows 72% of start-ups expect their company to come out of the pandemic in a stronger position

Just over one in three completed an investment round during the pandemic, while 35% said government was doing enough to support start-ups.

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It also found 63% of start-ups are planning to return to the office this year, with 93% saying they would continue to operate a remote working model.

An EIE21 spokesperson said: "What also came through in the survey, was how the vast majority of start-ups are targeting investors outside Scotland - an area that remains crucial to the success of Scotland's technology ecosystem."

Callum Murray, chief executive and founder Amiqus, said: "After taking the decision early on not to furlough any of our team, we were one of the companies in the survey that showed significant growth in the last year, but it's our people first and the digitisation and behavioural changes brought about by the pandemic second that have led to that success."