London Tech Week in numbers
Days
Attendees
Startups
Investors
London Tech Week brings together more than 45,000 people from more than 150 countries, including the very best entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and business leaders, to show why London is the best city to set up and grow a tech business.
The event that puts London in the global tech industry spotlight was co-founded by London & Partners more than 10 years ago.
The 2024 main event took place from 10 to 12 June at Olympia Events, with fringe events at other locations across the week from 10 to 14 June.
The Grow London team had an amazing time meeting so many people in the tech space from all corners of the world on our stand. Whether you spoke to our team and would like a follow-up chat or couldn’t make the event at all, you can still get in touch and learn more about our range of business support services.
1. A fully charged ecosystem
London leads in eight out of 10 categories in fDi Intelligence’s Major European Cities of the Future 2024 ranking, including economic potential, connectivity, human capital and lifestyle.[1]
2. Feel connected
Six international airports connect to 384 cities[2] and direct high-speed trains to Europe.
3. An abundance of talent
London is home to more software developers than any other European city, providing access to a highly skilled tech talent pool[3].
4. An extensive customer base
Third highest ecommerce spend per capita in Europe. Online retail sales reached £106bn in 2022 in the UK[4].
5. Advanced research and development
Tax incentives for innovations. SMEs get enhanced deduction of 186% of qualifying R&D expenditure[5].
6. Fast track your success
London is the launch pad for the next generation of tech, from green finance to impact technology.
7. An AI hotspot
London’s AI-related companies raised $2.1bn in investment in 2023[6].
8. A powered up investment pool
London startups collectively raised more than $12.9bn in venture capital investment in 2023. This marked a return to pre-pandemic levels after a global pullback in venture capital following a spike during the pandemic in 2021 and 2022[7].
9. Immense growth opportunity
Key sectors have shown resilience and have large growth potential, including cybersecurity, software as a service and healthtech.
10. Quality of life
London has 3,500-plus pubs, 857 art galleries, 215 museums, eight Royal Parks and four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, offering endless experiences in the capital.
Why is London a world-leading city for tech?
London doesn't stand still on tech and as the number one tech hub in Europe and second globally, the city is resilient and ambitious. Over the years, the capital has evolved from being a startup hub to a stronghold of growing scaleups. With strengths in fintech, AI, and climate tech, London is at the forefront of tech innovation.
London is currently home to 104 unicorns and had five new unicorns in 2023. [8]
London & Partners has been invaluable throughout all stages of establishing our London Studio. From providing local insight that guided our ideas on location, to specialist advice in taxation, immigration and PR support for our much-anticipated launch event.Sue Lyster
Executive in charge, London Studio, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)
Explore London's tech sectors and how to start a business in the capital
Sources:
5. Gov.UK, 2023