Andrew Gerrard

💫 Check out techUK's webinar on #Web3 and #AI with our Principal Technologist Dr Aki Järvinen - learn more below ⬇

5

🚀 New on our Substack: Insights for Policymakers and the Tech Industry Our white paper, What Scale-Ups and Funders Expect from Policymakers dives deep into the critical challenges facing the UK's tech ecosystem. Drawing on conversations with tech founders and venture capitalists, we've outlined actionable recommendations for policymakers to foster innovation and growth. 🔗 Read the first chapter on funding support here: https://lnkd.in/eJKFZ4t9 We’d love to hear your thoughts—what do you think are the most pressing policy needs for the tech sector? 💡 We'll be posting a different chapter from our white paper each week, covering everything from global collaboration to skills, so stay tuned! #TechPolicy #ScaleUps #VentureCapital

2

Our new VCs Backing Sustainable UK Scale-Ups report is available to download 🎉 Get the full lowdown on the top investors backing ESG-driven startups and scale-ups – from industry mainstays like Balderton Capital and Octopus Ventures to relative newcomers like 2150 👇 #VentureCapital #Investment #Sustainable

17

Tech report: Scotland 💡  Discover the full report ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eKzK79J2 🔗      Sponsored by KPMG UK.   #report #Scotland #techhubs #investors #startups #innovation #subsectors #fintech #techinnovation #funding #softwaredevelopment #UKtech

12

Are you looking to get into the world of angel investing? Here's your chance to join our fully-funded intensive training course brought to you by the UK Business Angels Association and Innovation SuperNetwork’s investor community. Learn directly from leading investors and build a strong foundation to make your mark in the investment world! Join our angel investing program to make smarter investment decisions while supporting exciting new businesses. You’ll learn how to: ✨Unlock the secrets to impactful angel investments. ✨Craft a personalised investment thesis aligned with your interests. ✨Embrace diversity to enhance your portfolio and outcomes. ✨Find promising deals with confidence. ✨Understand tax benefits. ✨Navigate the legal processes of angel investing. Upon completion, you’ll join our Investor Connect Programme to start investing in qualified high-growth potential companies. Don’t miss this chance to boost your investing skills and support innovative startups! Find out more and apply for the programme here 👉 https://lnkd.in/ezCwXY9R Tees Valley Combined Authority

9

1 Comment

Are you looking to get into the world of angel investing? Here's your chance to join our fully-funded intensive training course brought to you by the UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA)and Innovation SuperNetwork’s investor community. Learn directly from leading investors and build a strong foundation to make your mark in the investment world! Join our angel investing program to make smarter investment decisions while supporting exciting new businesses. You’ll learn how to: ✨Unlock the secrets to impactful angel investments. ✨Craft a personalised investment thesis aligned with your interests. ✨Embrace diversity to enhance your portfolio and outcomes. ✨Find promising deals with confidence. ✨Understand tax benefits. ✨Navigate the legal processes of angel investing. Upon completion, you’ll join our Investor Connect Programme to start investing in qualified high-growth potential companies. Don’t miss this chance to boost your investing skills and support innovative startups! Find out more and apply for the programme here 👉 https://lnkd.in/ezCwXY9R

4

Are you looking to get into the world of angel investing? Here's your chance to join our fully-funded intensive training course brought to you by the UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA)and Innovation SuperNetwork’s investor community. Learn directly from leading investors and build a strong foundation to make your mark in the investment world! Join our angel investing program to make smarter investment decisions while supporting exciting new businesses. You’ll learn how to: ✨Unlock the secrets to impactful angel investments. ✨Craft a personalised investment thesis aligned with your interests. ✨Embrace diversity to enhance your portfolio and outcomes. ✨Find promising deals with confidence. ✨Understand tax benefits. ✨Navigate the legal processes of angel investing. Upon completion, you’ll join our Investor Connect Programme to start investing in qualified high-growth potential companies. Don’t miss this chance to boost your investing skills and support innovative startups! Find out more and apply for the programme here 👉 https://lnkd.in/ezCwXY9R

12

There's only a few days left to apply to the GCID Venture Studio 'Creative AI for Industry' programme. The programme offers up to £10k grant funding for businesses in Glasgow using AI to create new products or services. Deadline Friday 10 January. Find out more https://brnw.ch/21wPOoq

29

How did the UK innovation economy perform in Q3? Our latest innovation update, produced in partnership with Dealroom.co will answer some of your burning questions on VC investment volumes and sectors to watch. What you need to know in Q3: - Healthtech is the UK’s fastest growing sector for VC funding in Q3, with UK femtech, Flo, raising the largest investment round of the quarter - UK startups raised $2.9 billion in fresh funding in Q3 2024, with the largest share raised across Series B and C rounds - UK-based VC investors are on track to raise record levels of dry powder – $12.2 billion by the end of 2024. Find the full report, with commentary from some of our partners across the innovation economy here: https://grp.hsbc/6044qzZzn Thank you to Amelia Armour (Amadeus Capital Partners), Julian Schoemig (Diesta), Barney Hussey-Yeo (Cleo), Lilly B. (Oxford Science Enterprises), Remus Brett (LocalGlobe & Latitude) for your contributions to the report. #Innovation #UKTech #Fintech #Healthtech

48

1 Comment

We really want your opinion. The more responses we get, the better, so we can take the temperature of the market and share our results with you. Thanks for taking the time…. TechMarketView #TechConfidenceIndex

5

1 Comment

How do you build and maintain a strong, longstanding Founder-VC relationship? Hear from leading investors and founders who have created a strong Founder-VC collaboration and understand that a founder-friendly culture goes beyond financial backing. The Withers’ UK Founders Group will be hosting a panel discussion on VCs and the importance of protecting the health and wellbeing of their portfolio company founders. Click here to join the conversation: https://lnkd.in/e7GVJ6pm Phil Robinson Ceri Vokes James Shaw James Hockin #Founders #Technology #Investors

20

TechDay United Kingdom shared some stats from our AI Research Report - get full report here: https://lnkd.in/eE4kn7gX. TechDay United Kingdom Highlighted a growing acceptance of advanced technologies in the finance sector, with a preference for AI or human handling of administrative duties. Specific functions such as payroll show 35% of directors favouring automated solutions, 42% preferring human interaction, and 23% expressing no strong opinion. Similarly, in tax functions, 37% opt for automation, 41% for human assistance, and 22% remain neutral. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/en_SpHnR

5

Great News for UK Startups and Investors! 🚀 The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Venture Capital Trust (VCT) scheme have been extended until 5 April 2035! This extension means even more support for innovative businesses and attractive tax relief opportunities for investors. Let’s keep building the future of UK entrepreneurship! 💡 #Startups #Investment #EIS #VCT #UKBusiness #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #AngelInvesting #AngelsDen

7

🇬🇧 UK to go 'all-in' on AI The Prime Minister Keir Starmer has unveiled his Government's AI Opportunity Action Plan today - pledging 20-fold increase in compute power, new AI Growth Zones, and a pivot from safety-first to growth-oriented strategy. This marks a recognition that we're living through the fastest period of technological transformation in human history. The focus on improving efficiency in the public sector is particularly promising. As Alexander Iosad, director of government innovation at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, notes, AI could "help take care of drudgery in the public sector", helping retain more staff who are currently "overwhelmed and overworked". At Untrite, we've seen this firsthand. Building AI solutions for Emergency Services, our team has spent countless hours in police control rooms, witnessing both the challenges and the immense potential for transformation. Our work with Humberside Police has shown that when forward-thinking public sector leaders embrace innovation, the results are transformative - 29% faster response times, better decision-making, and ultimately, better public services. For too long, public servants have navigated multiple outdated systems while making split-second decisions that affect people's lives. As our CTO Kuba Misiorny often says, "Technology is easy" - the real challenge lies in changing how people work with it. Historically, complex bureaucracy and procurement made it impossible for new players with fresh ideas to stand a chance. This is where the government's plan shows real promise, recognising that transformation requires more than just computing power. It's about fundamentally reimagining how our public services can better serve citizens, attract and retain talent (wherever it may be from), and allow for innovation through trial and error. We're at a crossroads where the opportunities for meaningful change have never been greater, and the risks of falling behind never more severe. The UK has chosen to be a change-maker rather than a change-taker. Untrite is incredibly proud to be supporting the UK Home Office and its allies in the application of this transformative technology. Now it's up to us - the builders, the innovators, and our public sector partners - to turn this vision into reality. Onwards. #PublicSector #UKTech #PublicSafety #EmergencyServices #Innovation #FutureofWork #AI

10

1 Comment

⌽ Oxford Innovation Finance presents its latest selection of innovative science & technology companies at the upcoming OION Showcase event on 24th April 2024. 💡 The online event will see 8 next generation start-up & early-stage companies pitch their innovative solutions to an audience of specialist Angel Investors from across the UK. Oxford Innovation Finance is the home of OION, one of the oldest and largest angel investment networks in the UK 🇬🇧 💰 If you’re a company seeking investment and interested in pitching at the next OION Showcase event, register here: https://lnkd.in/eYnYVepW 👼 If you’re an investor interested in accessing the innovation ecosystem of Oxford Innovation Finance through its angel network, register here: https://lnkd.in/ep8s6kk2 If you are interested in investing in the Oxford Innovation EIS Growth Fund which provides access to a diverse selection of high-quality and high-growth early-stage companies from across the UK, and has its first close on 30th April 2024, visit our website where you’ll find all the relevant information: https://lnkd.in/eJxEvSRs CAPITAL AT RISK - Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. #oxfordinnovationfinance #oion #innovation #nextgeneration #scienceandtechnology #angelinvesting

34

Today, alongside business representatives and trade bodies, we have published an open letter, calling on the Government to boost growth through better SME digitisation support.    Ahead of the upcoming Budget and Global Investment Summit, the UK has a chance to turbocharge its digitisation offer needed to drive investment.   AI is projected to boost UK GDP by up to 10.3% by 2030 and bring huge benefits for UK businesses with better productivity and efficiency gains. However, it will first be deployed through updates to business software already in use, meaning that if UK businesses are behind on basic digital adoption, they will soon be behind on AI adoption. Better support for SME digitisation is something the Government can get started on right away with practical interventions. We propose: • First, appoint a single Minister with responsibility for driving digitisation across the economy. • Second, deliver a comprehensive digital adoption plan with clearly defined targets by 2030. • Third, as previously advocated by techUK, the CBI and FSB, expand the Made Smarter Adoption programme to all sectors of the economy. Industry is already leading the way in supporting SMEs to digitise and stand ready to support the Government in their mission to grow the economy, whilst placing digital technology at the heart of delivery on this.  Click below to read the letter ⬇ Thank you to our signatories: Julian David, CEO, techUK Naomi Weir, Director of Innovation, CBI (Confederation of British Industry) Clare Elsby, Policy Champion for Innovation and Technology, FSB Westminster (Federation of Small Businesses) Emma Jones, Founder, Enterprise Nation Ciarán Quilty, Senior Vice President, International, Intuit Steve Hare, CEO, Sage Alexander von Schirmeister, Managing Director, UK and Emerging Markets, Xero Neil Ross | Samiah Anderson | Mia Haffety

145

4 Comments

Better digitisation support for small businesses will help them take advantage of things like e-invoicing which in turn should help them get paid faster and enjoy the benefits of a healthy cashflow. techUK FSB Westminster (Federation of Small Businesses) #paydontdelay #waitwatchers #latepayment #payments #smes #smallbusiness #cashflow #einvoicing

2