Tech Nation

A national network for UK tech founders

Tech Nation is an organisation that supports ambitious technology entrepreneurs in the United Kingdom. It describes itself as the UK network for tech founders and, on its current site, as a growth platform and industry body for startups and their teams, now backed by Founders Forum Group. Its stated vision is a country where digital businesses are imagined, started and grown better than anywhere else, and its mission is to help founders grow faster through knowledge and connections.

How it began

The story starts in Shoreditch in 2011, when it was launched to support the East London technology cluster then known as London Tech City, or Silicon Roundabout. Activity spread to other parts of the country, and a sister body, Tech North, ran programmes for northern towns and cities. The new Tech Nation name was announced in November 2017, bringing together the work of Tech City UK and Tech North. It then built a national network of Entrepreneur Engagement Managers working from eleven regional clusters.

Programmes by stage of company

• Growth programmes: support matched to each stage of a business, from seed through to later-stage ventures. Its pages mention tracks for founders who are disabled or building around disability, for underrepresented founders, for climate tech and deep tech, for ambitious Series A companies and for late-stage firms heading towards a public listing.
• Pitch competitions: four early-stage contests in which founders compete for investment, for example one for founders eligible for the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme, one for those eligible for the Enterprise Investment Scheme, one open to founders from around the world and one for transatlantic founders under 26.
• Digital Business Academy: online learning in digital entrepreneurship skills for founders and their teams.
• Global Talent Visa: a route to bring exceptional tech talent to work and live in the UK, with an alumni network for visa holders.

Research and campaigning

The organisation also champions the UK's digital sector through data-driven reports, case studies, events and media work. It runs a programme for government and trade bodies and publishes material on topics such as the next wave of UK artificial intelligence companies.

Measuring impact

Tech Nation says it measures its work against performance indicators and answers to government, which part-funds it, and to the companies it serves. It reports that an independent evaluation by a research consultancy found a strong economic benefit and a better connected national digital community. Its stated values are originality, meaningful collaboration and real impact.