Even in the face of disruption, London’s tech scene continues to demonstrate its resilience. London is ranked equal second with New York this year, with Silicon Valley clinching the top spot. However, it’s not just ‘access to capital, investment and global talent’ that positions London so highly. The report shows that London benefits from unparalleled connectivity to other global cities through its tech meetups, accelerators and incubators, research grants and R&D anchors.

First Office Hub, the global workspace broker, which has found many a tech company their home in London, including FullStory and Sendbird (both from the US) and Forecast (from Denmark), shares some of the places that have found favour with tech companies from the established areas of Old Street and Shoreditch, to some of London’s tallest buildings and the heart of London’s West End. First Office Hub’s office search service is free for all companies and, for the rest of 2020, they are helping the business community get back to work by offering up to £100 cashback per desk when signing up for a private office. 

“We help tech companies from all over the world as well as home-grown entrepreneurs, find the perfect place to build their UK business success. Just as the London tech scene has become one of the most vibrant around the world, the variety and diversity of the office space has kept pace to match the taste, requirements and working patterns of all kinds of tech companies from startups to larger, more established names” said Clive Buckley, Founding Partner of First Office Hub. “There really is something to suit every tech business in terms of pricing and personality.”

Explaining FullStory’s choice of London and choice of office location, Andrew Fairbank, VP of Sales, EMEA said: “We chose London as our entry point into Europe as it offers proximity to many of our key customers and partners, as well as the needed talent to support them. Our office is located near the heart of the city (Shoreditch), with modern and open floor plans encouraging cooperation and transparency.”

Old Street and Shoreditch

Corsham Street: Old Street is the UK’s tech epicentre and WeWork’s location on Corsham Street is home to some of the most innovative companies on the scene. As well as offices to accommodate different sized teams, the building contains a wellness room, event space, espresso bar and bike storage. Dogs are also allowed, so it’s a win all round (unless you’re allergic to dogs). 

Central Street: Situated on the border of Clerkenwell and Old Street, this new workspace, FORA, is perfectly placed for tech companies. The building’s state-of-the-art technology includes superfast fibre internet and a FORA app for members, as well as bespoke tech for offices. Companies can also engage with presentations and panel discussions in The Forum - an event space kitted out with the latest audiovisual technology. 

Luke Street: With locations across East London including Luke Street, Techspace is committed to supporting high growth tech businesses. This building comprises 20,000+ sq ft over four floors (that’s room for over 300 members). According to Techspace: “many of our best leaps forward have been steps into the unknown…”

Rise is Barclays’ global FinTech platform/ accelerator. Also located in Luke Street, between Shoreditch and Old Street Station, it’s a place where: “Cutting-edge startups and scaleups can connect, create and scale their businesses, backed by our Barclays’ global network of industry experts, mentors, investors and partners.”

A room with a view

The Shard: When it comes to business, is there a more iconic building in London than The Shard? However, what many people don’t realise is that tech solopreneurs and SMEs can rent an office in The Shard on flexible terms thanks to The Office Group. The Shard’s shared workspace is situated on floor 24/25 and its offices, unsurprisingly, boast incredible views.

One Canada Square: One Canada Square is a skyscraper in Canary Wharf, is the third tallest building in the UK and hosts a handful of dynamic companies, including Level39, a workspace accelerator for scaling tech companies. Members can expect access to world-class facilities, events, customers, freelance talent and infrastructure. 

Worth researching

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park: Plexal is located in Here East, a hub for technology-led businesses, universities and creatives. It’s part of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and is on a mission to tackle some of society’s biggest challenges - including cyber security, mobility and inclusion. Check out their Startup Tracker to find out how COVID-19 is affecting startups.

Camden Market: Tech companies cannot help but be inspired by this impressive building in the heart of Camden Market. LABs is a co-working and office space and members become part of an interconnected community and can work in any of the operator’s nine locations. A calendar of regular events (Including TED Talks) enable tech startups to mingle with investors and advisors. 

In the heart of London’s West End

Henry Wood House: As a former BBC building, Henry Wood House is an architectural institution. It’s situated around the corner from Oxford Street (on Riding House Street) and The Office Group (TOG) offers flexible coworking and private office memberships. Tech companies can network with like-minded firms or professionals from other sectors in the space’s meeting rooms, library, bar and roof garden.  

Soho: Runway East was built by self-proclaimed ‘tech nerds’ in 2014 for startups looking to scale. As well as desks, this coworking operator matches its members with valuable connections through investment workshops and social events. Other RE locations can be found in London Bridge, Moorgate, Bristol and Temple Meads.