EP 1
Episode 4 - Barclays Eagle Labs - David Saunders - Part 1
6 Jun 2026
Ecosystem Manager, Barclays Eagle Labs
David Saunders
Edinburgh, UK · 1 episode
Our guest
David Saunders is the Ecosystem Manager for Barclays Eagle Labs in Edinburgh. With years of experience supporting over a thousand founders, he pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to scale a startup, survive the early stages, and secure venture capital in today's tighter market.
From the conversation
- 00:00Intro: Welcome to Tech City Insights
- 00:40David Saunders on His Role at Barclays Eagle Labs
- 01:50The #1 Pitfall Founders Make When Trying to Scale
- 03:50Why You Shouldn't Be Afraid to Pivot Early On
- 05:10Inside the Funding Readiness Accelerator
- 06:50Why Your Product is Only the 3rd Most Important Thing to a VC
- 08:15How First-Time Founders Can Build an "Experienced" Team for Free
- 10:30How Banks Scout and Acquire Internal Tech Solutions
- 12:45Scaling Your B2B Sales: The Demo Directory Platform Explained
- 15:00Avoiding the AI Hype Trap: What Investors Actually Care About Now
- 18:20Beyond Corporate Metrics: How to Measure True Ecosystem Success
- 21:20Success Story: A Founder's Two-Year Journey From Vision to Traction
Episodes featuring David Saunders 1 episode
Hosted by Arthur Andreev
The Tech City Insights podcast zeros in on founders, public-sector officials and operators across emerging tech hubs. Want to be a guest? Reach out via the show’s LinkedIn company page.