UK tech start-ups out-raise France, Germany, and Sweden combined in the first half of 2026
UK tech start ups raised $17 billion in the first half of 2026 – which is more than France, Germany and Sweden combined, new HSBC and government data shows.
The announcement comes as the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade plans to offer additional support to these start-ups to scale up and stay in the UK. This will mean that more talented innovators can build their businesses at home and benefit people all over the country, it said.
The department noted that many promising businesses stall as they try to grow, in part because they lack the advice, capital or connections to reach the next level.
A new pilot scheme, Scale UK Connect, will tackle this head-on with 200 scale-ups across the UK getting expert account management and tailored advice on how to expand. It will also include new ways to network with fellow founders, investors and major funds, opening up new trade opportunities at home and abroad.
The pilot, which will offer a 12-month programme of sustained support, aims to develop a pipeline of high growth companies to follow in the footsteps of UK success stories like Quantexa and Synthesia, bringing benefits to Brits and boosting economic growth.
“Britain is brimming with entrepreneurial talent that can benefit us all. But those who put their neck on the line to start the businesses behind jobs and growth need to know we’ve got their backs to take their ambitions further,” said UK Science Minister Chris McDonald.
“Scale UK Connect will do exactly that. We’re giving 200 companies, from all over the country, the expert advice, investor connections and global opportunities they need to grow here, stay here, and create good jobs and growth in every postcode.”
The Scale UK Connect pilot will be led by growth agency London & Partners, in partnership with organisations in Manchester, the West Midlands, Yorkshire, the South West and Scotland.
This means businesses from all over the UK will benefit, with an emphasis on building connections between scale-ups, investors and corporates at home and around the world, the department said.
