Michael Legge

I recently had the privilege of hosting Steve Race at Re-flow's office for a discussion on the critical role of investment in the UK tech sector. Our conversation highlighted several key points that are vital for the future of our industry. At Re-flow Field Management, we've experienced first-hand how strategic investment can fuel exponential growth. It’s enabled us to create 55 high-quality jobs and attract new talent to our team, while pushing the boundaries of what we can offer the sectors we serve.   Steve shared valuable insights into the government's plans for supporting the UK tech ecosystem. These discussions highlight the importance of ongoing dialogue between the tech industry and policymakers. By working together, we can ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of technological innovation.   What are your thoughts on the future of tech investment in the UK? How can we as industry leaders contribute to shaping a robust ecosystem?

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The civil service needs start-up energy—but can Collective Intelligence deliver it? The announcement from the UK government about injecting start-up culture into the civil service, could be a bold and exciting opportunity. Here’s the challenge: start-ups thrive on agility, experimentation, and grassroots problem-solving. Meanwhile, the civil service is built for accountability, regulation, and structure. These values don’t naturally align. But what if we could bridge the gap by turning to Collective Intelligence—a distributed approach to decision-making and problem-solving that reflects the brightest ideas of a network rather than a single centralised authority? Three insights for the UK government: 1️⃣ Stop centralising decision-making. Start-up culture is agile precisely because it empowers a diversity of voices across teams. By adopting an agentic, decentralised approach—where AI agents or citizen crowds contribute insights—the civil service could innovate much faster while still operating within its accountability frameworks. 2️⃣ Tap the wisdom of the crowd. Imagine policy drafts iterated not just by a few senior advisors but refined by experts across sectors, impacted communities, and even generative AI agents trained on relevant data. Collective Intelligence tools can synthesise these inputs, ensuring inclusivity while maintaining high-quality outcomes. 3️⃣ Reward experimentation. Start-ups embrace failure as a learning opportunity—an approach unthinkable in traditional government settings. Collective systems (e.g., cross-departmental sandboxes powered by AI agents) allow iterative testing without risking public trust or resources. As someone who’s worked on digital transformation in highly regulated sectors, here’s the truth: the civil service doesn’t need more bureaucracy cloaked as innovation. It needs systems and cultures that allow problems to be reframed collaboratively, using diverse perspectives and intelligent tools. Can the government unlock this shift? Tell me: What specific Collective Intelligence practices do you think could accelerate this transformation? #CollectiveIntelligence #Whitespace #AI #Agentic #StartUpCulture #CivilServiceInnovation #UKPolicy #GenerativeAI

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Whilst the 1,317 active Academic spinouts represent only 2.53% of the UK's high-growth population, they continue to outperform! Spinouts raised £1.66b in equity funding in 2023, 9.54% of equity funding raised by UK companies across the year 🤯 In collaboration with the Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Hub, we bring you the fourth annual Spotlight on Spinouts. In this report, we analyse all the changes in the UK’s academic spinout landscape in 2023. Full report in the comments! #spinouts #innovation #ukfunding

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"New UK Government must prioritise innovation to boost the economy" https://lnkd.in/dddEj3cn As the UK steps into a new political chapter, it's clear that innovation should be at the forefront of our economic strategy. In this article, I hope to make a case for why the government should focus more on supporting innovators and entrepreneurs, particularly through better connections, reforming outdated systems like patents, and opening up procurement processes. By doing so, we can breathe new life into our manufacturing sector and solidify the UK's position as a leader in technology and design. Thank you to SME Today for publishing. #Innovation #UKEconomy #Entrepreneurship #TechLeadership #GovernmentSupport #ManufacturingRevival #TechInnovation #BusinessGrowth #PatentReform #SMEs #EconomicGrowth #UKBusiness #InnovationStrategy #TechSector #FutureOfWork #CreativeEconomy #IndustryLeadership #Programify #HealthTech

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Peter Kyle has done a great job commissioning Matt Clifford to deliver the UK's AI action plan. No better person to do this & the support from the #DSIT tech board, who's focus on driving the UK as an AI leader, is impressive. Under 14: "Accurately assess the size of the skills gap. Current estimates are imprecise and outdated; the last government-funded AI labour market survey was in 2020 and the Unit for Future Skills’ jobs and skills dashboard, while a step in the right direction, still uses supply data from 2019.[footnote 6] The success of the following recommendations depends on accurately understanding the skills gap, and so government must make efforts to come to a concrete and up-to-date number." This is going to be a critical element of the journey for #ai in the #uk & will need significant mindset change & training investment. Under 19: "Ensure its lifelong skills programme is ready for AI. AI will continue to change the labour market, though exactly how and when is unclear. What is certain is while some jobs will be replaced by AI, many will be augmented - and an unknown number will be created. Government should ensure there are sufficient opportunities for workers to reskill, both into AI and AI-enabled jobs and more widely. The UK should also learn and adopt best practice from other countries who are preparing their skills systems for the long-term impacts of AI. Singapore, for example, developed a national AI skills online platform with multiple training offers. South Korea is integrating AI, data and digital literacy throughout its education pipelines through an AI curriculum and a variety of training and education programmes. Skills England and the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review present an opportunity to consider the merit of such approaches in our system." The time is now for the UK to own this space! https://lnkd.in/efFBg238

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How is #GenAI reshaping qualifications and assessment? Paddy Craven FIEP from City & Guilds shares expert insights on AI's transformative role in awarding organizations and the future of assessment. Key discussion from #FAB2024 on qualification production and implementation. Watch his full interview here: https://lnkd.in/et2HqEMn #EdTech #Assessment #FutureOfEducation

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Unlocking efficiency through AI and open data in the UK civil service Data specialists from the private and public sector explore how AI and open data can transform the UK civil service by driving efficiencies and enhancing decision-making. https://lnkd.in/eXFd6dKY #data #thinkdata #opendata Sian Thomas MBE Department for Business and Trade Varun Khandelwal Snowflake Harneet Singh Amazon Web Services (AWS) Jeni Tennison Connected by Data #ai #artificialintelligence #genai #government

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🚀 Why Wales Needs More Tech Entrepreneurs to Prosper in the Age of AI This post was inspired by the recent Welsh tech event organised by Technology Connected and hosted by Ogi, which highlighted critical issues and brought together venture creators Ben Allwright, Mark Sweeny, Sophie Mason (thediffabledceo), VCs, Daniel Sawko, and others to discuss the future of tech in Wales. I often ponder: why does Wales underperform in most economic indicators in the UK? Where are the jobs of the future going to come from? As a founder of Presto Dental, a pioneering dental software startup, I reflect on these questions while we build our tech company from Cardiff to export worldwide. 📊 Let's look at the facts: 👉 The tech sector in Wales contributes only 6% to the economy, compared to 10% in London. 👉 Only Admiral has IPOed among Welsh companies. Why does Wales struggle to create global tech companies? What needs to change? Here is my take on creating a blueprint for a thriving tech ecosystem in Wales: 1. Embrace Entrepreneurial Spirit: Wales needs to unleash its entrepreneurial spirit. We need more courageous tech entrepreneurs to build future companies. 2. Foster a Risk-Taking Culture: Support those willing to take the plunge into entrepreneurship. 3. Increase Investment: In 2022, only 1.5% of UK venture capital was invested in Wales. We need policies and incentives to attract VCs to early-stage startups. 4. Attract Talent: Position Wales as a top destination for global talent, leveraging our high density of knowledge and skills. 5. Diversify the Economy: Move away from relying heavily on government jobs. A varied economic base will drive innovation and growth. Welsh founders often sell more equity when raising funds compared to their counterparts in England, hindering future growth. There's also a lack of competition among VCs investing in Welsh tech startups. What is stopping us from building a tech hub like Estonia, Israel, or the Silicon Valley model? Here’s what we need more of: 👉 Leverage Our Talent: A high density of talent and knowledge is our advantage. 👉 Encourage Bold Risk-Takers: Support and celebrate risk-taking entrepreneurs. 👉 Attract Venture Capitalists: Incentivize VCs to invest in Welsh tech startups. Remember, Michael Moritz, the chairman Sequoia Capital one of the world’s most successful VCs, is Cardiff-born and has strong ties to Wales. 👉 Foster a Culture of Paying It Forward: Encourage successful businesspeople to invest in the next wave of tech companies. 👉 Government Support: The Welsh government must incentivise tech companies that are founded and HQ in Wales to flourish and compete globally. At Presto Dental, we aim to push boundaries and reverse the trend, proving that Wales can be a hub for groundbreaking tech companies. As founders, what actions do you think we need to take to create a thriving tech ecosystem in Wales? #Wales #TechEntrepreneurs #Innovation #AI #Startups #DentalTech #FutureJobs

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After $3M and 15+ grants, if we fail with everything else, we'll surely pivot to AI for grant writing 😂 (Hopefully this will be our last grant) P.S. If you are a startup founder and you need advice how to apply and get accepted for a grant, please comment below.

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A good selection of webinars are taking place this week for founders on various programmes we (Capital Enterprise) partner on with Foundervine, Turing Innovation Catalyst Manchester and Barclays Eagle Labs. Our 'Ascend' founders yesterday got a deep dive into GTM strategies. The brand new cohort of Eagle Labs Funding Readiness Programme will be getting Startup Investment 101 - 'Introduction to the Investment Landscape' and the TIC Accelerator founders will be treated/subjected (depending on my caffeine intake 🤣 ) to a slightly more intense, AI-focussed version of this in a smaller group setting; All of this ahead of a range of curated investor breakfast, dinners and socials to maximise the chances of getting these businesses appropriately capitalised. We love doing direct-to-startup delivery with our partners - and these sorts of projects are an integral part of our approach to building the capacity of innovation ecosystems up and down the UK to increase their productivity and output as much as possible. We have some exciting developments on the way soon where other types of stakeholders in their respective geographies will be using our tools and methodologies to drive forward a GDP-level change in their local economies.

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Why research is so important... we'll be coming out more on the outcomes of our Innovate UK work - as you can see from the below - there's lot's to talk about. #behaviouralscience #partnerships #InnovateUK #UniversityofWarwick

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Anyone looking for a grant to help start their business? See Below

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Join me today to discuss how organizations can maximise the potential of AI! See you there?

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Embedded networks get a bad rap, but frankly, I love them. They are highly effective at enabling the delivery of renewable energy to people that otherwise would not have any access. Join me tomorrow morning to learn how to implement energy on selling models in Orkestra - both embedded networks and EV charging. The sign up details are in the post below. #embeddednetworks #evcharging

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Check out Alcea's latest blog on how #SMEs can overcome the seven typical challenges faced when looking to adopt #AItools into their businesses. The opportunities are enormous and the challenges are all surmountable! #AI #SMEs

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🔔 Funding Alert for UK SMEs 🔔 The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) launched a £7.4m pilot scheme yesterday to subsidise the costs of AI training for SMEs in the UK. Eligible businesses are able to apply for for funds to cover up to 50% of their AI training costs. To be eligible, you must: - Be registered and operate in the UK - Employ between 1-249 employees in the UK - Have been operating for at least 1 year - Be able to match-fund 50% of the cost of the training You can get between £2,500 and £10,000 in grants, depending on your business size. You'll be responsible for finding your own AI training provider (*massive, dramatic cough and lots of pointing at myself*). Applications are now open, but it's a short pilot window - they'll close on 31 May. To apply, head over here: https://lnkd.in/e6PGNqZg It's a big step in the right direction - very best of luck to all who apply. PS Need some help with the AI skills bit in your application? I've opened up some totally free 1:1 slots for this very purpose: https://lnkd.in/eD2HeUb3

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Thank you Hermann Hauser for joining us at the ScaleUp Institute’s 10 year review and prompting us to imagine how, by working together over the next ten years, we could be celebrating decacorns & centacorns rather than just unicorns. This on the back of discovering that our concerted efforts in the past ten years had moved the dial- from the UK being 13th in the the global league table of scaleups per capita to 3! Decacorns? Centacorns? What? How? If we accelerate the 183% growth we have created in the category of UK Companies with £10M revenue consistently growing by over 20% per annum. —> These statistics provide evidence that we know how to grow companies- we’ve got the interventions that work. We have proven that we can remove the barriers these ambitious & able unicorn companies face. Removing the barriers to decacorns & centacorns (in addition to those slowing down unicorns) will bring us the growth that we all want. If we don’t focus on barriers to centacorns, then these barriers will remain. The decacorns will continue to go elsewhere or remain unicorns rather than flourishing. As always, by continuing to work together, we can explore real opportunities & ambition and remove the barriers to the next stage. I loved hearing how Hermann felt quantum computing, Ai, and synthetic biology were the breeding grounds for our decacorns and centacorns, do you agree? If not, where do you think our greatest opportunities lie?

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Detecting Deepfakes Summit is a very welcome initiative. Lots of understandable concerns that deepfakes could soon destroy #trust online & leave everyone vulnerable to industrial levels of #fraud. But the brighter news is that a lot of productive time, effort & resources have been invested in recent years by Yoti & others to effectively detect #deepfakes attacks.

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Great to see AutogenAI featured on techUK's new report. We are helping teams write more "winning bids, tenders, and proposals" and "dramatically boosting bid win-rates, revenues, and productivity". I’ve added the full report by techUK in the comments below. #TechUK #SMEs #Innovation #UKTech

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