Highways.Today’s Post

The UK’s tech startup ecosystem has reached a historic milestone, surpassing China to become the world’s second-highest funded tech landscape in the first half of 2024. UK tech companies collectively secured an impressive $6.7 billion (£5.2 billion) in funding from January to June, trailing only the United States. This achievement underscores the growing strength and global competitiveness of the UK’s technology sector. A New Milestone for UK Tech The UK’s rise to the second spot in global tech funding marks a significant achievement. Despite a 12% decline from the $7.7 billion raised in the first half of the previous year, the UK has shown remarkable resilience and adaptability in a challenging economic environment. This success highlights the continued investor confidence in the UK’s innovative potential and the robust entrepreneurial spirit driving its tech scene. Key Factors Behind the UK’s Success: Strong Investment Ecosystem: The UK’s well-developed investment ecosystem, with a wealth of venture capital firms, angel investors, and public funding initiatives, continues to support tech enterprises. London’s role as a global financial hub is crucial in attracting both domestic and international investors. Government Support: The UK government’s proactive policies, including tax incentives, grants, and regulatory reforms, have created an environment where tech startups can thrive. Diverse Tech Landscape: The UK’s tech ecosystem spans a wide range of sectors, including fintech, healthtech, cleantech, and AI, drawing in diverse investors with varied interests in technological innovation. At UK Tech Corp, we’re proud to be part of this dynamic and evolving ecosystem. As we continue to support and drive forward the UK’s tech industry, we’re committed to fostering innovation and helping startups secure the funding they need to scale. The future of UK tech is brighter than ever, and UK Tech Corp is here to lead the way. #StartupFunding #Innovation #VentureCapital #GlobalTech #UKTechCorp #TechLeadership #UKTech #StartupInvestment #VentureCapital #Fintech #Healthtech #ImpactTech #Innovation #DigitalEconomy #TechGrowth #uktechsuperpower #TechInvestments #proptech #AIInnovation

3 breakthrough opportunities in European technology for 2024 and beyond from EU-Startups. "In 2021, the European tech ecosystem was in rude health, smashing the $100 billion mark in VC funding for the first time. Two years later, however, that number had halved, with the annual State of European Tech report placing annual funding for 2023 at $45 billion. The wider economic context cannot be ignored. 2023 saw another challenging macro environment. However, it’s important not to let a broad, region-wide perspective gloss over the performance and characteristics unique to each market. The UK, for example, had a strong year according to HSBC, with VC funding reaching $22 billion, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, following a funding acceleration in the second half of 2023. While tech ecosystems in other European nations didn’t fare as well in comparison, we shouldn’t get carried away and extrapolate too much from total funding numbers. The UK boasts more scale-up tech companies compared to other European nations. That’s a positive, of course, but it also means we can expect more talent to leave these now mature companies in search of new early-stage adventures. Indeed, looking across the continent, the same State of European Tech report found that Europe is still vastly outpacing the US in terms of the number of tech founders entering the market, despite the higher barrier to entry now in place. This is promising for the months ahead, where we’re observing key trends and opportunities shaping Europe’s tech ecosystem for the better." Explore these in more detail here👉 https://lnkd.in/dyN5w2uw #European #technology #tech #entrepreneur #SME #founder #investor #VC #startup #AI #fintech #climatetech

The article misses the point… Why are entrepreneurs moving away from cities like London? It’s not because Paris is the largest financial center in the EU post brexit The answer is simple 🙌 it’s much more cost effective to “build your dream as an #entrepreneur from a garage” in a place like Portugal... That’s why it was given the capital of #innovation title in 2024 It’s not about how much #venturecapital money was raised, nor about how advanced the #technology landscape is (arguably San Fran is still no. 1 globally) It’s about where founders have most cost-effective access given their limited runway Wanna know which cities will shape the future of investment? Look at where early stage #startups want to be!

🔍 Inside Europe’s tech hubs: Does London have what it takes to remain No. 1? In 2023, British startups raised a staggering $21.3 billion, marking their third-highest total on record, according to a report from Dealroom and HSBC Innovation Banking. With a long-standing startup ecosystem, top-tier universities, and international investors, the U.K. has firmly established itself as a major tech hub. However, this status is not without its challenges. The fallout from Brexit and a significant drop in tech stock market listings pose serious risks to maintaining London’s top position. Read more here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eyz5-KRF 💬 What are your thoughts on the future of London as a tech hub? Can it sustain its leading role amidst these challenges? We’d love to hear your insights in the comments! #TechHubs #London #Startups #Innovation #Brexit #Investment #TechIndustry

“There’s an urgent need for fundamental reform to remove the barriers inhibiting European tech and to create an environment in which startups can thrive.”   Writing for Maddyness, Thomas Rubens sets out a vision for the future of European tech – in which the innovation and potential of Europe’s startups is further unlocked through reforms to remove bureaucratic hurdles, harmonise markets and encourage growth capital.   Check out the full piece 👉 https://lnkd.in/edX5q6vn   #VC #Tech 

We published our Q3 2024 in focus report this week, examining the key trends and data points from across European tech over the past three months. The H1 overachievers, climate tech and fintech, saw growth slow significantly in Q3. Climate startups grabbed €2.9bn in funding — enough for the sector to win the quarter but sharply down on a bumper Q1 (€15.6bn). Q3 was the worst quarter of the year for fintech after a Q2 resurgence, down 72% QoQ. Other key headlines: 💸 Total funding in Q3 summed to €11.5bn from 1,206 rounds, taking the total for the year to €59bn. Funding and deal count fell by 48% and 19% respectively compared to Q2. 📉 Equity financing summed to €10.3bn, 34% lower than Q2 and down on the same period last year. Debt financing raised in Q3 was €1.2bn from 30 deals, plummeting from €12.6bn in Q1 and €6.3bn in Q2. 👼 Pre-seed, seed and Series A deals accounted for 34% (€3.9bn) of total funding. The median pre-seed round size has jumped from €0.7m to €0.8m to €0.87m over the past three quarters — averaging growth of 11.7%. Late-stage investment fell by 70% on Q2 to €2.1bn. 🇬🇧 The UK (€3bn) led Germany (€2.4bn); France finished way back in third with €1.2bn raised. UK and French investment fell by 71% and 75% respectively but Germany’s grew by 12% on Q2. Munich (€1.2bn) received the second most capital by tech hub, only beaten by London (€1.9bn). 💉 Drug discovery (€980m), biotech (€703m) and electric vehicles (€562m) stole the show; while medtech (66), biotech (65) and foodtech (58) topped the deal count ranks. 🏅 Mercia Ventures was Europe’s most active private investor in Q3 with 22 investments, followed by Antler (20) and HTGF | High-Tech Gründerfonds (16). ➡️ Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/eADhB_FS Thanks to all those who contributed! Éanna Kelly Federico Scolari Ruggero Di Spigna Hessa Alabbas Rebecca Lipman Amy Lewin Kai Nicol-Schwarz Sadia Nowshin Daphné Leprince-Ringuet Tom Matsuda Romy Schnelle #europeantech #q3 #startups

Up the Brummies! Exciting times for Birmingham’s tech sector! Yiannis Maos, founder of Birmingham Tech Week, predicts the West Midlands' tech industry could be worth £100 billion by 2030, driven by international investment and supporting local startups to scale. The area already leads the UK in startup creation, but there’s a push to help more of these companies scale, as under-capitalization remains a challenge. Investment in the areas tech sector has grown tenfold over the past five years, with key areas like AI expected to surge by 47% in the next five years. Hopefully a very positive sign that the West Midlands is clearly on its way to becoming a major tech hub over the next few years! https://lnkd.in/evMyaJhm #Techinvestment #Techindustry #Birmingham

It's a great time for UK tech unicorns who are looking to international opportunities to further their growth: "UK startups are gradually responding to the call to explore emerging markets. With the growth of tech scenes in these regions, British companies are shifting investments and hiring talent outside the West. " https://lnkd.in/e53bydtP #uktech #technology #fintech

"Europe is struggling to keep pace with the United States and China in economic growth and tech innovation. Can startups fill the gap?" Padraig Nolan #DigitalAlliance

🌟 UK Tech 2024: A Year of Peaks and Pitfalls 📈 From unicorns to billion-dollar raises, UK startups showed resilience. Wayve $1bn AI round shattered records, and Flo Health Inc. became Europe’s first femtech unicorn. Big players like Balderton Capital and Index Ventures raised billions, fuelling optimism in the VC world. 📉 However the challenges were hard to ignore. Government U-turns on angel investor rules and female founder funding stirred the sector. R&D tax credit repayments and funding cuts added pressure, with some founders eyeing relocation. 🤖 Still, innovation thrived. Legaltech startups like Robin AI and Luminance led the charge, attracting heavyweight investors and redefining the AI landscape. 💭 It would be great to hear from fellow VC’s and founders, as to their thoughts on UK tech within 2025. Can it adapt and thrive, or are policy hurdles too steep?Marc Cohen Xavier Gury Sophie McGregor Natasha Zone Rich Britton Simon Kirby Dominic McGregor Kelly Moir 🌍🫂 Tolani Thomas-Allinson #tech #UK