How Can the North of England Inspire Tech Investment?

For the last couple of decades, London has undoubtedly been the tech hub of the UK, with not a huge amount of competition to stake their own claim.

But that might be about to change. Over 2022 and 2023, tech companies in the north of England have been growing, with a number of exciting start-ups and record growth being seen across the established landscape.

With companies like The 55 Group, Airtime Rewards, and NIQS making waves in Hull and Manchester, and Leeds respectively  – there has never been a better time to invest in the northern tech landscape and push things to the next level.

So what exactly can the north of England do to inspire that investment? Attaining substantial backing is not simply a case of running a strong company – investors need to believe in the scalability and financial potential of the landscape as a whole, and there are several ways to demonstrate that in 2023.

Being Part Of An Online Industry

First off, while these tech companies might exist in the north of England, they need to be part of a bigger picture. Just last year, the iGaming market was valued at $90 billion. This is an online industry that caters to a worldwide audience, and it’s a good example of the scalability that investors would be looking for.

In order to inspire investment, organisations across the north need consumer products and services that merge into the online space, and acquire online-based consumers that are directed to the heart of the north.

Growing In The Same Direction

In the same way, the north of England needs to follow the same road as the rest of the world. This means focusing on new technologies that are generating buzz and inspiring enthusiasm. For example, there was nearly $100 billion invested into AI last year.

In London, there are around 967 artificial intelligence companies, making it one of the premier locations for AI startups. The more AI companies start emerging in the north of England, the more likely it is that investors will pay attention and encourage growth.

Transparency Is Key

On an individual level, it is crucial that companies across the north of England are transparent. As mentioned before, investors need to know the intricacies of an organisation, as well as their realistic projections for the near future before they invest.

This doesn’t mean explaining all the complexities of a business, but ensuring that transparency is part of company policy, knowing all there is about tech and business, providing access to all the relevant information, and giving investors a “why”. For startups, especially, they need to demonstrate not only how they can grow, but why they want to. What is the potential? How can the company reach that potential? And why does it want to achieve it?

A Drive To Northern Tech Investment

The north of England is steadily building its tech scene, with several exciting tech companies emerging over the last few years. To drive investment, however, it needs to push to become a unique technological hub – a sector that has potential on the world stage, rather than just the UK.

This can be achieved with the methods described above – if the north of England follows global trends, takes advantage of the online industry, and remains open about its goals, then investors will be drawn there.

Cities like Manchester and Leeds are already focused on achieving this, with several startups and established companies already generating excitement, so it’s very likely that this will happen sooner than people think. While London remains the definitive tech hub of the UK in 2023, the future is in the north.