Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to open 10th anniversary London Tech Week

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan will open the 10th anniversary edition of London Tech Week from 12th-16th June 2023. With over 30,000 delegates from 148 countries descending on the capital for the most influential tech event in the UK, London Tech Week serves as a reminder of the UK’s appeal to tech entrepreneurs and investors globally and why it continues to be the gateway to Europe. 

“The UK sits alongside the US and China as a global tech superpower, with a tech sector valued at $1 trillion in 2022. We offer phenomenal infrastructure to tech entrepreneurs including a continuous flow of talent from some of the world’s top universities, plus high levels of skilled immigration, which attracts inward talent, as well as support from traditional corporates and strong access to capital,” said Founders Forum Group CEO Carolyn Dawson OBE.

“We are proud that over the last ten years, London Tech Week has become an open platform to support the growth of a thriving and resilient UK tech ecosystem. The largest festival in its history, this year we will welcome more global delegates than ever, including the best of UK tech. We are evermore excited to connect innovators, entrepreneurs and investors to drive positive change through technology. Watch this space for further announcements this week on our 2024 growth plans.”

UK Prime Minister at London Tech Week 

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will set out why he thinks the tenth London Tech Week represents a moment of huge opportunity.  

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, said: “As the tectonic plates of technology are shifting, it’s more important than ever that we build on our existing strengths and make the UK the best country in the world to start, grow, and invest in tech businesses.

“As a passionate believer that technology and innovation are the most powerful forces for making our world a better place, I’m delighted to be opening the tenth London Tech Week – already home to incredible start-ups, game-changing businesses and leading AI Labs. 

“It’s my goal to create the right conditions for tech companies to thrive here – this island of innovation – which will help grow the economy, create jobs and ultimately, improve lives.”

The Prime Minister will also take part in a fireside chat with Demis Hassabis, CEO of London-based Google DeepMind. Google is currently investing in new headquarters in London’s King’s Cross. 

The Mayor of London at London Tech Week 

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan will talk about the success of London’s tech sector over the last 10 years: “Over the past decade, our tech sector has grown to become an international success story, creating jobs and economic growth for all Londoners. This is highlighted by these new figures showing London remains a top destination for the very best international tech businesses. The tenth anniversary of London Tech Week is a great opportunity to celebrate our recent successes and I look forward to another decade of growth for our city’s tech sector, resulting in a better, more prosperous London for all.”

Data from London & Partners shows London has: 

  • Attracted more new international tech companies than any global city in the past decade: 1,700+ tech foreign direct investment projects (ahead of San Francisco and New York)    
  • Attracted 175 new tech companies in 2022, more than Singapore (129), Paris (101) and Berlin (101) – and second only to Dubai (222).    

Data compiled by London & Partners from Dealroom shows: 

  • The value of London’s tech ecosystem has grown exponentially in the past 10 years from $70bn in 2014 to $621.5bn in 2023.
  • VC investment into London has increased by over 800% in the past decade, with total funding reaching $22.4bn, compared to $2.4bn in 2014.
  • London is the highest-valued ecosystem in Europe currently valued at $621.5bn, ahead of Paris ($247.6 bn) and Berlin ($153.6 bn).
  • London has created 101 unicorn companies to date (only 15 were present in 2014), more than any other city in Europe, including Paris (32) and Berlin (34). 
  • AI company Quantexa (recently raised $129m Series E funding), EdTech company Multiverse and fintech company Paddle are the newest London-based unicorns.

Further data from Dealroom for the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology shows that, as of 7th June 2023, 134 UK tech startups have reached unicorn status over last 10 years.

Academy Award winning film director Oliver Stone is also among the event’s 350+ speakers. Oliver Stone will take the stage on Tuesday 13th June at ClimateTech Summit to discuss his new film Nuclear Now.

Some of the world-class tech speakers lined up for London Tech Week include:

  • Demis Hassabis, CEO, Google DeepMind
  • Caterina Fake, Co-Founder, Flickr
  • Daphne Koller, Founder, Insitro
  • Guy Podjarny, Founder, Snyk
  • Stephen Fitzpatrick, Founder, Ovo Energy
  • Gordon Sanghera, Founder, Oxford Nanopore
  • Hanno Renner, Founder, Personio
  • Juan Uridales, Founder, JobandTalent 
  • Lisa Jacobs, CEO, Funding Circle
  • Matt Sigelman, President, Burning Glass Inst. 
  • Abakar Saidov, CEO, Beamery
  • Euan Blair, Founder, Multiverse

The key themes for the week include:

  • Inspiring a sustainable future  
  • Growing a thriving and resilient UK tech ecosystem 
  • True digital transformation and next tech frontiers