techUK reports
17 Mar 2025
Ahead of the Government's Industrial Strategy, techUK release our Scale-Up Action Plan.
Download the Plan here
Investing in the tech scale-ups can yield substantial returns. According to recent research, UK scale-ups are reporting huge growth rates, with an average annual revenue increase of 43% over the past three years - more than double the OECD benchmark. According to the ScaleUp Institute, despite representing less than 0.6% of the SME population, scale-ups account for over 55% of UK SME output at £1.45 trillion.
techUK stands behind the Government's mission to grow the economy across all regions of the UK. To support delivery on this, our Scale-Up Action Plan brings together key recommendations to better support scale-ups and SMEs looking to scale toreach the later scale-up stage, expanding to new markets and generating greater economic spillovers.
Our Plan has been developed with our members and ScaleUp Council, alongside input from experts and stakeholders from across the scale-up ecosystem, including the BVCA and ScaleUp Institute.
In this Plan, we set out how backing the UK tech scale-ups will be crucial to support the Government's ambition for growth.
Scaling the next global tech giant will be a long-term ambition, and likely will take many years. So, we call on the Government to seize the moment and take immediate action now.
The Government should us its full growth offer, most importantly the industrial strategy, to simplify operations and reduce costs for tech businesses to invest and scale-up in the UK.
These ideas are backed by practical interventions that consider the fiscal position the Treasury finds itself.
Scale-ups are also tech curious and investment in tech and AI are defining factors in scale-up success. According to recent research, 90% of scale-up business leaders credit technology investment as a critical growth driver, with 23% already fully AI-integrated.
First, the priority for the UK Government should be to create headroom for growth by preventing early-stage scale-up failures. This means targeted support to help scale-ups find the right talent and access to skills, removing regulatory barriers and utilising catalytic investment to create the right finance options.
Second, the UK should commit to the right framework for investment and send a powerful signal to the rest of the world that it is open for business. At the heart of this should be a dedicated tech and science support package including a scale-up concierge service easing access to other, and home, markets. For businesses at the forefront of emerging technologies, where commercialisation of products and services is a particular challenge, the government should play a role to support market readiness.
techUK and our members urge the Government to stay ambitious, keep up with technological advancements, and uphold its commitment to investing in research and innovation to tackle economic challenges. At this critical moment, it is essential to send a strong message that the UK is dedicated to supporting high-growth tech businesses that will shape the global economy in the decade ahead.
Key actions in our Scale-Up Action Plan include:
Access customers in other / home markets:Companies at series B+ stage may face challenges in securing funding from UK investors and look to explore opportunities to expand into new markets. At this stage of growth, companies are also likely to face regulatory scrutiny.
- The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology should launch a dedicated support package for tech scale-ups, including a concierge service.
- Government buyers should give scaling businesses more opportunities when buying tech
- Utilise the Regulatory Innovation Office for tech scale-ups and complement the RIO with regulatory sandboxes and test beds.
Access to the right combination of finance:It is well versed that there is a lack of institutional capital to drive growth. This investment gap impacts on businesses’ ability to expand within the UK and compete on the global stage.
- Review, streamline and join up the different types of government financial support (including arms-length Government bodies UKRI, InnovateUK and British Business Bank) to make it easier for scale-ups to access.
- Bolster world-leading EIS and VCT schemes to better support regional tech start-ups and scale-ups, including increasing the age-limit for firms.
- Continue at pace to advance wider capital market reforms, helping to maximise the impact on government investment vehicles.
- Apply the success from the French Tibi scheme to boost investment in innovative tech businesses.
Access to talent and skills:Scale-ups often struggle to compete for talent with larger tech businesses, i.e., in offering competitive financial benefits, such as signing bonuses. Tech scale-ups are also learning to cope with meeting growing customer demands whilst simultaneously developing their managerial and leadership talent.
- Better promote the Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) as an option for scaling firms to access talent.
- Make the scale-up worker visamore competitive, removing complexities and making it cheaper.
- Bolster the role of national assets, including universities, to continue developing a pipeline and network of entrepreneurial talent.
Develop a pipeline and ecosystem of diverse tech scale-ups:Female and ethnic-minority led businesses remain vastly underfunded, receiving only a small fraction of scale up capital. Demonstrating the scale of the problem, only one in three UK entrepreneurs are women, a gender gap equivalent to 1.1 million missing businesses.
- Create stronger evidence on base diverse tech founders by improving data collection for government and policymakers.
- Work to establish a network of next generation diverse leaders in deep tech and life sciences ecosystem by continuing the Science and Technology Venture Capital Fellowship Programme.
Scale-ups should be thought about as ultra-growth companies - bringing unparalleled dynamism to the economy. If the Industrial Strategy is to deliver on its vision it will be a compelling plan for supporting scale-ups, powered by technology at its core. The report we are publishing today sets out techUK's recommendations for ensuring that the UK remains one of the most attractive locations in the world to locate and build high-growth companies.
Antony Walker, Deputy CEO
techUK
techUK Scale-Up Action Plan
Scaling with ambition to drive the UK's economic growth story.
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techUK, 10 St Bride Street, London, EC4A 4ADSummit
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Meet the team
Antony Walker
Deputy CEO, techUK
Antony Walker
Deputy CEO, techUK
Antony Walker is deputy CEO of techUK, which he played a lead role in launching in November 2013.
Antony is a member of the senior leadership team and has overall responsibility for techUK’s policy work. Prior to his appointment in July 2012 Antony was chief executive of the Broadband Stakeholder Group(BSG), the UK’s independent advisory group on broadband policy. Antony was closely involved in the development of broadband policy development in the UK since the BSG was established in 2001 and authored severalmajor reportsto government. He also led the development of theUK’s world leading Open Internet Code of Practicethat addresses the issue of net neutrality in the UK. Prior to setting up the BSG, Antony spent six years working in Brussels for theAmerican Chamber of Commercefollowing and writing about telecoms issues and as a consultant working on EU social affairs and environmental issues.Antony is a graduate of Aberdeen University and KU Leuven and is also a Policy Fellow Alumni of the Centre for Science and Policy at Cambridge University.
- Email:
- [emailprotected]
- Phone:
- 07780603065
- Twitter:
- @techUKdepCEO
- Website:
- www.techuk.org/
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonywalker/
Alice Campbell
Head of Public Affairs, techUK
Alice Campbell
Head of Public Affairs, techUK
As Head of Public Affairs, Alice supports techUK’s strategic engagement with Westminster, Whitehall and beyond. She regularly works to engage with ministers, members of the UK’s parliaments and senior civil servants on techUK’s work advocating for the role of technology in the UK’s economy as well as wider society.
Alice joined techUK in 2022. She has experience working at both a political monitoring company, leading on the tech, media and telecoms portfolio there, and also as an account manager in a Westminster-based public affairs agency. She has a degree from the University of Sheffield in Politics and Philosophy.
- Email:
- [emailprotected]
Edward Emerson
Head of Digital Economy, techUK
Edward Emerson
Head of Digital Economy, techUK
Edward leads the Digital Economy programme at techUK, which includes our work on online safety, fraud, and regulation for growth initiatives.
He has prior experience working for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and has previously worked for a number of public affairs consultancies specialising in research and strategy, working with leading clients in the technology and financial services sectors.
- Email:
- [emailprotected]
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-emerson-009189183
Samiah Anderson
Head of Digital Regulation, techUK
Samiah Anderson
Head of Digital Regulation, techUK
Samiah Anderson is the Head of Digital Regulation at techUK.
With over six years of Government Affairs expertise, Samiah has built a solid reputation as a tech policy specialist, engaging regularly with UK Government Ministers, senior civil servants and UK Parliamentarians.
Before joining techUK, Samiah led several public affairs functions for international tech firms and coalitions at Burson Global (formerly Hill & Knowlton), delivering CEO-level strategic counsel on political, legislative, and regulatory issues in the UK, EU, US, China, India, and Japan. She is adept at mobilising multinational companies and industry associations, focusing on cross-cutting digital regulatory issues such as competition, artificial intelligence, and more.
She holds a BA (Hons) in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from the University of London, where she founded the New School Economics Society, the Goldsmiths University chapter of Rethinking Economics.
- Email:
- [emailprotected]
- Website:
- www.techuk.org
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/samiahnanderson/
Audre Verseckaite
Senior Policy Manager, Data & AI, techUK
Audre Verseckaite
Senior Policy Manager, Data & AI, techUK
Audre joined techUK in July 2023 as a Policy Manager for Data. Previously, she was a Policy Advisor in the Civil Service, where she worked on the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and at HM Treasury on designing COVID-19 support schemes and delivering the Financial Services and Markets Bill. Before that, Audre worked at a public relations consultancy, advising public and private sector clients on their communications, public relations, and government affairs strategy.
Prior to this, Audre completed an MSc in Public Policy at the Korea Development Institute and a Bachelor's in International Relations and History from SOAS, University of London. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors, learning about new cultures through travel and food, and going on adventures.
- Email:
- [emailprotected]
- Website:
- www.techUK.org,www.techUK.org
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/audre-v-81b2b0a2/,https://www.linkedin.com/in/audre-v-81b2b0a2/
Mia Haffety
Policy Manager - Digital Economy, techUK
Mia Haffety
Policy Manager - Digital Economy, techUK
Mia joined techUK in September 2023.
Mia focuses on shaping a policy environment that fosters the expansion of the UK tech sector while maximising the transformative potential of technology across all industries.
Prior to joining techUK, Mia worked as a Senior Policy Adviser at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) within the Policy Unit.
Mia holds an MSc in International Development from the University of Manchester and a BA(Hons) in Politics and International Relations from the University of Nottingham.
- Email:
- [emailprotected]
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/miahaffety/
Archie Breare
Policy Manager - Skills & Digital Economy, techUK
Archie Breare
Policy Manager - Skills & Digital Economy, techUK
Archie Breare joined techUK in September 2022 as the Telecoms Programme intern, and moved into the Policy and Public Affairs team as the Team Assistant in February 2023 and as Public Affairs Manager in September 2023
Before starting at techUK, Archie was a student at the University of Cambridge, completing an undergraduate degree in History and a master's degree in Modern British History.
In his spare time, he likes to read, discuss current affairs, and to try and persuade himself to cycle more.
- Email:
- [emailprotected]
- LinkedIn:
- linkedin.com/in/archie-breare-512346230
Daniella Bennett Remington
Policy Manager - Digital Regulation, techUK
Daniella Bennett Remington
Policy Manager - Digital Regulation, techUK
Dani joined techUK in February 2025 as a Policy Manager in the Digital Regulation team.
Prior to this, Dani worked in political monitoring where she was a consultant for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. In this role, she developed a strong understanding of parliamentary procedure, closely following all of the major developments in the tech centre and working with several key stakeholders and regulators.
She has an undergraduate degree in History from the University of Bristol and an MPhil in Modern European History from the University of Cambridge.
Outside of tech, Dani has a strong interest in addiction policy, particularly towards drugs, having written her dissertation on the topic as well as several subsequent research projects. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and following all things motoring, whether that be F1, MotoGP or Formula E.
- Email:
- [emailprotected]
- Twitter:
- @danibenrem
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniella-bennett-remington/
Oliver Alderson
Junior Policy Manager, techUK
Oliver Alderson
Junior Policy Manager, techUK
Oliver is the team assistant for the Policy and Public Affairs teams, joining techUK in November of 2023. He assists the teams admistrative support, communication, and event production.
Prior to working at techUK, Oliver studied at Swansea and Bristol universities, attaining a masters in Policy Research. During this time he competed in debating competitions around the country where he discussed and deliberated various policy issues. Between his studies Oliver acted as a student assistant in mental health research for the SMaRteN student network.
- Email:
- [emailprotected]
- Phone:
- 07505 890 596
- LinkedIn:
- https://uk.linkedin.com/in/oliver-alderson-a51312180
Tess Newton
Team Assistant, Policy and Public Affairs, techUK
Tess Newton
Team Assistant, Policy and Public Affairs, techUK
Tess joinedtechUKas an Policy and Public Affairs Team Assistant in November of 2024. In this role, she supports areas such as administration, member communications and media content.
Before joining the Team, she gained experience working as an Intern in both campaign support for MPs and Councilors during the Local and General Election and working for the Casimir Pulaski Foundation.As well as working for multiple charities on issues such as the climate crisis, educational inequality and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).Tess obtained herBachelorsof Arts in Politics and International Relations from University of Nottingham.
- Email:
- [emailprotected]
- Website:
- www.techUK.org
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