The cyber security sector underpins the performance of London's entire ecosystem, giving confidence to investors, businesses and consumers alike.
When it comes to cyber security, London is leading the charge both in the UK and in Europe.
Here are five reasons why the UK capital excels in cyber:
1. Customers
As one of the world's most digitised societies, the capital's market is ready and waiting with a diverse base of customers – the UK’s ecommerce penetration rate is almost at 85%, compared with the European average of just under 50%[1].
London is also at the centre of the UK’s growing and dynamic cybersecurity ecosystem, being home to one in three of the UK’s cybersecurity firms[2].
2. Talent
London and the UK attract top experts and the numbers prove it. The UK has one of the largest cyber security workforces in Europe at 367,300[3].
There were more than 30,000 students studying computing-related degrees across 22 universities in London in 2022-23[4].
3. Research
Few global cities can match the vibrancy of London's research environment. Academia, business and government are energised by collaboration, with backing from four London universities recognised as Academic Centres of Excellence in Cyber Security Research[5].
4. Government support
The UK Government is investing £2.6bn in cyber and legacy IT between 2022 and 2025, as part of the National Cyber Strategy 2022[6].
5. Investment
Since 2019, London-based cyber firms have raised more than $1.5bn, more than Paris and Berlin combined[7].
See London's cyber facts
London is quite simply the best place for TradingHub to be located as our staffing needs require finance experience, coding expertise and graduates with strong results from great universities.TradingHub
How we can help
London & Partners offers free advice to potential and existing overseas investors, from startups to established companies.
We can help you:
- Stay informed and access the latest developments, initiatives and incentives.
- Connect with the wider ecosystem, including support networks and trade associations.
- Future-proof the setup of your London business.
Case study
Cloudflare
How did London & Partners help you to set up and grow your business in London?
London’s ecosystem has been incredible by allowing us to hire a diverse and highly talented employee base that we would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in the world.
What does Cloudflare do?
Cloudflare is a service that protects websites from attacks, while optimising performance. The company also understands and meets fintech requests by empowering clients to make their employees, applications and networks faster and more secure, while reducing complexity and cost.
How did London’s ecosystem contribute to the growth and success of Cloudflare operations?
London was the first international office Cloudflare opened. To this day, it is one of our five major hubs globally and continues to play an important role for the company. As a cosmopolitan, global and tech centre, London’s ecosystem has been incredibly advantageous for us, allowing us to hire a diverse and highly talented employee base that we would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in the world.
Has London & Partners approach to supporting fintech businesses influenced your decision and success in the market?
London & Partners has been a partner for many years and has helped open doors as we continue to grow and attract talent. Our role today — as a publicly listed technology company — is more in giving back to the London fintech ecosystem and London & Partners, and helping attract the next batch of great international companies to come and build in the UK.
What are Cloudfare’s plans for growth in London, and how do you see the city contributing to your long-term success?
Our London office continues to be one of our five major global hubs. We continue to grow our team across go-to-market, research and development and the general and administrative employee segments. We are committed to London and we are investing in growing our team.