Entrepreneur network Tech Nation has opened applications for three of its growth programmes: Future Fifty, Upscale and Rising Stars. These initiatives have proved to be successful in the past with alumni including the likes of Monzo, Starling Bank, Funding Circle, Darktrace, Deliveroo and Skyscanner.
The three programmes are on offer to all UK companies for every stage of growth: Rising Stars for early-stage, Upscale for mid-stage and Future Fifty for late-stage, with an aim of providing these organisations with access to investors and skilled talent in order to expand internationally.
Future Fifty company and Upscale alumnus Monzo has seen a 2301% increase in funding and 2122% increase in staff. Further to this, despite Brexit uncertainty, 80% of all UK tech investment was delivered to scaleup deals in 2018 which is equivalent to £5 billion of just over £6 billion showing that the industry continues to be ripe for funding.
Entering its 8th year, the 25 companies in the Future Fifty programme will receive access to a network of over 100 alumni through C-suite roundtables, workshops led by ASOS and Dropbox and a Tech Nation Visa team for hiring international talent.
Upscale will support 30 organisations accelerate their growth by providing 60 hours of support with seven founder-focused sessions, six senior leader focused sessions as well as access to an alumni network of 130 companies who have collectively raised over $1.4 billion. The 2018 Upscale cohort had an average of £1.5 million revenue.
Rising Stars brings seed to pre-series A startups together at a national startup competition which culminates in a grand final where the top 20 companies pitch to a panel of judges, in the hopes to be named as one of Tech Nation’s 10 Rising Stars 2.0.
Programme judges include, Domin Jaquesson, VP talent, Index Ventures; Suranga Chadratillake, general partner, Balderton Capital; Megumi Ikdea, GM and Managing Director, Hearst Ventures Europe; Jacqueline de Rojas, President, techUK and Denise Xifara, co-founder, GMG Ventures.
Mike Jackson, entrepreneur success director, comments: “Tech Nation’s 2019 annual report revealed that scaleup investment in the UK has hit a record high, increasing by an astonishing 61% year-on-year. Nevertheless, challenges remain.
“For the UK to maintain its position as a scaleup nation and continue its global growth, we need to do more to curate learning opportunities and create fertile ground for even greater success in the future. These three growth programmes offer the support the tech companies of the future need, so UK tech can continue to compete on the global stage.”
Parveen Dhanda, head of growth programmes, adds: “The UK tech ecosystem has evolved substantially in recent years. Since it launched eight years ago, Future Fifty companies have raised £8 billion, 9 IPOs and 30 M&As. The success of the programme’s alumni attests to the effectiveness of the UK in championing leading tech companies. Future Fifty does just that, connecting entrepreneurs with global experts and cultivating vital peer-to-peer networks, so more and more UK companies can achieve their global ambitions”
“For the UK to maintain its status as a scaleup nation, it needs to continue to cultivate the next generation of tech leaders. Upscale supports companies at what is a critical inflection point for their growth. Through workshops, meetups, and access to leading scale coaches, the programme addresses the core challenges facing scaleups in the UK.”