The UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT) founded the free virtual trade mission to London Tech Week (LTW) in partnership with Global Victoria, working with the different state governments in Australia, and New Zealand. This is the largest Australian and Kiwi delegation attending to date, with 130 tech founders and industry representatives starting their curated programme today.
LTW is Europe’s largest technology festival. In 2019 it attracted over 58,000 attendees from 95 countries, hosting 300 events with a social media reach of 300 million people. The conference has transitioned to a virtual format for 2020.
This year’s delegation, the 2 largest registration cohorts were fintech and digital health, with increased applications in the emerging sectors, cleantech, agritech, and edtech. The delegation also includes those from the traditional tech areas of AI and big data, regtech, and creative tech, mirroring the demands of the current UK market.
Among the online events the delegates will hear from Aussie and Kiwi entrepreneurs who have successfully expanded to the UK on:
- how to develop your brand in the UK
- lead generation strategies
- tips for resilience
- accessing talent and visas
There will also be virtual regional visits to Manchester for digital health, Scotland for fintech and regtech, Birmingham for Smart Cities, and Northern Ireland for AI and big data.
British Consul General and Deputy Trade Commissioner Asia Pacific (Australia and New Zealand), UK’s Department for International Trade, Michael Ward said:
The UK’s Department for International Trade is thrilled to be leading a virtual mission to London Tech Week this year. This innovative programme demonstrates that business is still very achievable under the current physical restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic – particularly in the technology sector.
The quantity and quality of New Zealand and Australian applications indicates there continues to be a strong appetite for international expansion into the UK market. The UK is a world leader in tech and digital, attracting more than £10.1 billion worth of investment in 2019, ranking third only behind the US and China.
Victoria’s Agent General-designate to the UK, and Commissioner to Europe and Israel, Tim Dillon, said:
We’re proud to partner with the UK’s Department for International Trade on this virtual mission.
Global Victoria has run a trade mission to London Tech Week for the last three years. Each year we have seen Victorian tech companies take advantage of the opportunities in the market, with many successfully establishing themselves in the UK.
This year will be no different – we have 37 innovative Victorian tech companies that are going global.
New Zealand Virtual Mission Delegate, Founder, and CEO of Hursley Limited, Steve Dickinson said:
Hursley is honoured to be invited along to this year’s London Tech Week to gain valuable insights into how to establish and market our data visualisation platform, HubScope, in the UK. HubScope uses data-driven visualisation to tackle ICT complexity and is now proven across several NZ central government agencies.
I was in the UK in March this year working with our first UK client, the Nationwide Building Society, who are using HubScope to help understand and untangle their legacy IT landscape when I had to quickly return to NZ due to COVID-19. This abruptly placed my plans to open a UK office on hold.
Returning virtually to attend London Tech Week is a fantastic opportunity for us as it provides a stepping stone in 2020 to continue to grow our partner connections and client opportunities while at the same time helping to fulfill my plan to return to the UK to open an office as soon as possible in 2021.
Australian Virtual Mission Delegate, co-founder and CEO of Presagen, Dr. Michelle Perugini said:
Presagen is setting up in the UK to springboard our Life Whisperer product for AI-assisted embryo selection in IVF, into the UK and European markets after receiving our CE Mark.
London Tech Week is a great opportunity for us to build connections and gain exposure to the strong UK tech sector for investment and international expansion.
Background
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The UK is a world leader in tech and digital, attracting more than £10 billion worth of investment in 2019, ranking third only behind the US and China
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81.2% of UK tech investment was made into high-growth, high-productivity potential scaleup firms – those with at least 10 employees and growing by at least 20% year on year
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London leads Europe for tech investment, with higher VC investment in 2019 than Berlin, Munich, and Paris combined
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The UK has demonstrated its strength in creating successful tech businesses in recent years, with 79 tech unicorns developed in the UK – more than Germany, France, and Israel combined
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The UK also ranks #1 in Europe for potential future unicorns, with over 100 companies valued at USD $250 million to $800 million
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The UK is home to a world-renowned research base, top universities, and a talented workforce, attracting start-ups and global multinationals alike
About the UK’s Department for International Trade:
The UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT):
- helps businesses export
- drives inward and outward investment
- negotiates market access and trade deals
- champions free trade
Find out more about DIT.
Bailee Dean
Public Relations and Communications Manager
UK’s Department for International Trade
British Consulate General Sydney
