Tech City Investment Organisation

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Last Updated: 4, June 2024

What We Do

  1. Looking to set up in Tech City?

    Looking to set up in Tech City?

    If you’re an entrepreneur or company from outside the UK, we can take you on a tour of Tech City, and help with the information, contacts and partners you need to make the move.

    • Seedcamp Sowing the Seeds of Success
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      Seedcamp

      Sowing the Seeds of Success

      Looking to set up in Tech City?

      Early-stage mentoring and investment fund, Seedcamp, has recently moved from the West End to Tech City, bringing it closer to its target market of technology entrepreneurs and start-ups.

      It can be hard for entrepreneurs to develop the right connections, gain validation in the business world, build teams of suitable talent and raise seed capital. Enter Seedcamp, an early-stage micro seed investment fund and mentoring programme, dedicated to jumpstarting the entrepreneurial community in Europe, by connecting developers and entrepreneurs.

      “We offer entrepreneurs the support, investment, tools, and contacts they need to successfully turn a great idea into an awesome company,” says Reshma Sohoni, partner of Seedcamp. “Once an entrepreneur has had their light bulb moment, we look for them to demonstrate the potential for the idea, through a prototype, video or screenshot. Some teams even apply to Seedcamp having already achieved market traction and early revenue. We then invite applicants to attend our Mini Seedcamp events that take place globally throughout the year, and from there we select the winning companies that we want to invest in.

      Since moving to Tech City, Seedcamp has worked closely with TCIO. In a joint initiative, TCIO recently shared footage from last year’s Seedcamp event on its site which generated a hugely positive response. TCIO and Seedcamp are also working together on bringing top seed investors from around the world to Tech City in August, to share dealflow, trends and encourage co-investment.

      “Tech City really is the perfect location for us, offering good value for money and giving us access to the start-up ecosystem,” says Reshma. “It’s like a magnet, attracting visitors from around the world, including angel investors (high net worth individuals), Venture Capitalists, and corporates. These are people that we want to meet. Our presence there also gives the companies we invest in an avenue through which to tap into a network of like-minded people, share ideas and experiences. And the attention that Tech City gets raises the visibility of those based there, generating PR exposure that can be invaluable to a start-up.”

      “Having our video content made available on the TCIO website gets our material out beyond our own networks, and we have had an excellent response from Tech City entrepreneurs,” says Reshma. “Collaborations like this and the event this summer promote the objectives that we share with TCIO, namely to support entrepreneurs. It’s important to continue the momentum already seen in Tech City, and we look forward to being a part of its on-going growth and success.”

    • Pandorga From Brazil to Tech City
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      Pandorga

      From Brazil to Tech City

      Looking to set up in Tech City?

      Set up in 2005, Brazilian company Pandorga Technologies provides innovative software development solutions that help others gain an edge over their competitors.

      As part of its global expansion, Pandorga decided to set up a UK office as the first step to launching in Europe and Asia. The UKTI team in Brazil put Pandorga in touch with the TCIO team.

      When Diego Eick Moreira, Managing Director of Pandorga Technologies in London, made his first trip to the city, TCIO took him on a tour around Tech City and introduced him to London & Partners. With their help, Pandorga set up in Liverpool Street, close to both the start-up community and potential clients from the finance sector.

      Diego explains: “Within a day of landing in London, I knew where I wanted to base our new office, and within a month our company was already set up. And that’s because of the support I got from TCIO and London & Partners. I often attend networking events organised by TCIO in Tech City, which I find really useful for meeting potential partners, and keeping in touch with new technologies, trends and ideas.”

      Pandorga is helping TCIO to organise a visit to Tech City by the Governor of South Brazil and a delegation of Brazilian entrepreneurs. The aim is to encourage Brazilian companies to set up in the UK and increase the exchange of business and services between the two countries.

      “We initially turned to UKTI in Brazil for help expanding our operations to the UK, and now we’re happy to be working with TCIO to promote collaboration between Brazilian and UK companies,” says Diego. “The support of organisations like TCIO makes this so much simpler. They guide you through every step of the process, providing the information you need, introducing you to relevant contacts, and advising on sales and marketing. We have been really pleased with our entry into the UK market so far, and, as we grow, we will continue to take advantage of the support that TCIO offers.”

  2. Looking for an investment opportunity?

    Looking for an investment opportunity?

    If you’re a VC, limited partner or angel investor, we can help introduce you to deal-flow and the great companies that are here.

  3. Looking to grow your Tech City business internationally?

    Looking to grow your Tech City business internationally?

    If you’re a company located in Tech City, we help you find export opportunities and turn them into real business growth.

    • ustwo From Shoreditch to New York
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      ustwo

      From Shoreditch to New York

      Looking to grow your Tech City business internationally?

      Digital design studio, ustwo, has watched Tech City grow up around its base in Shoreditch, and taken advantage of the many opportunities that the initiative has created to grow its own business.

      Based in Shoreditch since 2004, ustwo’s client work focuses on digital product and service design. Through its user-centred design process, it creates engaging user interfaces and experiences for emerging platforms, including mobile, tablet and in-flight.

      As ustwo grew, it remained in the area, taking larger premises in The Tea Building. Over the years, the company has built up a team of 110 talented co-workers, and is today a multi-national company with a second office in Malmö, Sweden and a third due to open shortly in New York.

      “It’s always been our philosophy to mix work and play,” says Jules Ehrhardt, partner at ustwo. “We want our team to go to bed on Sunday evening excited to wake up and come in to the studio the next morning.”

      The company has worked closely with TCIO over the last year. The studio’s profile has been raised by the international media coverage and TCIO events have provided access to new contacts and potential clients. ustwo opens its 9,000 square foot studio to meetings with companies that are interested in the area and international investors. One such meeting recently involved a UKTI delegation of 20 companies from Taiwan, who came to meet with the entrepreneurs, universities and investors based in Tech City.

      “When you’re based in Tech City, you’re part of a lively community, where you can’t help but bump into people who are happy to collaborate and share their ideas and expertise,” says Jules. “Right on the doorstep are all the components you need to get a new business off the ground, from the basics like workspace, talent and technology, through to potential clients, partners and investors – the necessary conditions for future success. There are always events going on where we can meet like-minded people and find talent. And TCIO has brought out international corporates that we simply wouldn’t have met any other way, several resulting in multi-million pound opportunities for our studio.”

      ustwo has also made use of the broader UKTI network to further its business overseas. The company has participated in several Trade Missions to explore opportunities for its business in the US. Thanks to the in-depth research and preparation that UKTI has facilitated, ustwo is due to open its third once, in New York, in May.

      “UKTI is an invaluable resource that many more should take advantage of,” says Jules. “I simply can’t shout loudly enough about the kind of assistance they offer. We’ve established excellent relationships with UKTI’s trade teams across the US. Taking part in UKTI Trade Missions is a fantastic experience that has given us comprehensive insight into the US market. This has helped fully inform our market entry and launch plans for our new studio in New York.”

  4. Looking for help in scaling your business?

    Looking for help in scaling your business?

    If you’re a company located in Tech City, we provide mentoring opportunities to support you whether you’re an entrepreneur or a more established business.

    • SAE Institute Developing the Future Talent of Tech City
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      SAE Institute

      Developing the Future Talent of Tech City

      Looking for help in scaling your business?

      SAE Institute is the world’s largest provider of higher education courses for creative media technologies. Established in Australia in 1976, the company provides practical, relevant courses in professional audio engineering, film production and interactive media. SAE now has 54 campuses in 26 countries.

      Working with UKTI, SAE opened its first overseas college in London in 1985 and has now set up two campuses in East London, working with TCIO. SAE has attended TCIO events and has benefitted from several introductions, for example to London & Partners for help finding premises, and to multinational video game software developer, Sega, to explore areas of collaboration.

      “We have had enormous support and encouragement from UKTI and TCIO,” says Professor Zbys Klich, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of SAE UK. “They were keen to see us grow our presence in the UK, and we were too. The UK is known for its world-class higher education, and this move strategically places us closer to the action of the growing digital industries in Europe, the Middle East and North America. Being based in London allows us to create on-going links with local organisations, such as Digital Shoreditch and Hackney Community College, both of which we have begun to work with. It also gives us the opportunity to get involved in outreach activities at local events, such as sponsoring the East End Film Festival, or hosting the Global Game Jam, and our students and staff contribute to the growing creative communities around Tech City.”

      In 2008, SAE moved to new premises in Shoreditch, an 18,000 square foot building spread over seven floors, equipped with lecture halls, classrooms, a library, and specialist facilities such as computer labs, a green screen room and editing suites. In late 2011, SAE added a 9,000 square feet space, dedicated solely to world-class audio engineering studios and support for its students. Being at the heart of the Tech City cluster offers even more opportunities to students.

      “I have been very impressed with the thought and commitment that has gone into Tech City,” says Zbys. “Initiatives like this can only work when they are supported by national, regional and local government, and that is certainly happening here with vision. Tech City is also a prime example of business and higher education working together to achieve success, and look at what happened in Silicon Valley. We are already increasing our collaboration with start-ups in Tech City, and will continue to work to develop links and networks with industry and business.”

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