Focus industries
London is home to world-leading networks and industry clusters. Companies from around the world decide to grow their business in London because it gives them unrivalled access to a range of skills, knowledge and expertise.
From London’s position as the world’s creative capital to its strength in tech and financial services, businesses can find everything they need in the one place.
Find out what London can offer your sector and where to start.
Information Technology
Tech
London is a unique market for the tech sector. As a large and growing city, London provides a strong consumer base, particularly for urban tech and smart cities technology. Furthermore, London is a world leader for research and development, where businesses can benefit from access to more universities in the Global Top 50 than any other city. These universities are driving innovation across the city.
East London’s Tech City is home to companies such as Transferwise, Funding Circle and SkyScanner, along with ambitious startups and SMEs. Other London quarters proving attractive to tech companies are King’s Cross, Canary Wharf and Soho. Meanwhile, Apple is moving its London offices to Battersea Power Station, Google’s £1bn HQ on the doorstep of St Pancras International and Cisco has set up in Heathrow.
Fintech
London’s diverse fintech scene encompasses everything from mobile payments and digital currencies to other sub-sectors of financial services. These include retail and investment banking, money remittances, investor relations and virtual currencies.
Position yourself at the heart of a leading global financial centre and booming tech industry to form innovative partnerships across sectors. Develop new ideas with the capital’s 40,000 financial services companies, cutting-edge tech start-ups and some of the world’s biggest banks.
More than half of all fintech investment in Europe is channeled into London. In 2014, the capital’s fintech startups have attracted £343 million of investment, three times as much as in 2013. Major new tech funds setting up in London from around the world include Santander (£60m), Index Ventures (£328), Google Ventures (£76m).
Travel Tech
London provides the perfect foundations for travel tech companies to grow their business. As Europe’s most visited city, it provides travel and technology suppliers a platform to meet and promote their products to a targeted audience of key travel tech buyers and decision makers.
London offers unrivalled access to a community of Travel Technology Innovators, Travel Tech Startups, Investors, VC's, and other organisations that support innovation in Travel Technology, all located in the same city.
With tourist numbers in London expected to increase by 30% by 2025, now is a perfect time to take advantage of the travel tech opportunities that exist in the city
Cyber Tech
London is challenging tech giants to reassess their compliance procedures and raise the cyber security bar in protecting EU citizens’ data.
London a saturated and accessible market
The world no longer seems safe with the leap of cyber-attacks, and this is expected to grow as cyber breaches continue to be persistent in becoming a global problem. Growth in London tech continues to expand, with government pledging to invest £980m in national cyber security to protect its cities.
The UK’s cyber security market is forecast to be worth over £3.4 billion and has the 5th largest defence spend in the world. As new sectors are needing to adapt their security for survival instincts and invest in IT and security capabilities, London’s investment in cyber tech is promising to be a lucrative market.
Ad Tech
London’s digital scene is fast emerging and is now providing insights across all sectors, with its digital industries now growing 32% faster than the wider economy.
London is financial invested in expanding Ad Tech
future tech savvy professionals; with London being voted the best city in Europe for digital entrepreneurs and 16,000 students studying computer sciences at London universities. The country’s reliance on the internet and a $1.9 billion venture capital investment into British tech companies means London scope in expanding access to more advanced digital tools is endless.
Ed Tech
Ed Tech companies are attracted to London because of its unique tech, talent and academic ecosystem.
As a leading city for developers, education institutions and technology, London offers a powerful mix of workforce, innovative start-ups and established global players. With top talent on the doorstep, a population that embraces technology, and backed by UK Government, London is the perfect base for Ed Tech businesses to setup and grow internationally.
Education and learning technology companies can access all the partners they need in one city, forging relationships with government departments, the Greater London Authority, Ed Tech UK and London & Partner steams, universities, colleges, academies and free schools, university technical colleges, studio schools, technology, finance and legal experts.
Life Sciences
London is becoming a world-leader in life sciences. Being apart of the golden triangle, London's domination in development, research, engagement and business connectivity is uncontested.
The opportunities that are offered in London stretches to not only innovative centre space, funding and investment, and proximity to regulators but also unmatchable access to academic institutions, healthcare providers and government support. Since 2015, the new investment into life sciences institutions include: The Francis Crick Institute, Imperial West, UCLEast, Queen Mary University of London Life Sciences Institute and Cell Therapy Catapult manufacturing centre.
Creative, Marketing & Media
London is the most culturally diverse and stimulating city on earth; and home to many creative industries and talent.
Creative industry investment powerhouse
London's creative industries has attracted more investment in the creative industries since 2003 than any other European city. The city is among the world’s top three media centres and is the second biggest exporter of TV content. With its world-leading creative universities, supporting more than 2.3m students, the capital is a magnet for international creative skills.
At the heart of London's creative scene, Soho has established itself as a thriving international powerhouse. And with Shoreditch, Hammersmith and King’s Cross all firmly on the map, it’s no surprise London is home too many creative industries
Gaming
No city meets the needs of ambitious gaming companies better than London. London dominates Europe’s video games and console market, and is now breaking new ground in global multi-player games, eSport, virtual reality and simulations.
Everything an international games company needs to grow and expand is here: talent, venture capital, co-working space, government support, seed funding and events. Some of the world’s best-known gaming studios and companies are present/based in London, including Nintendo, Sony, Mind Candy and Capcom.
Financial & Insurance Services
London is where capital, new ideas and expertise collide, creating the best possible conditions for international financial services companies. A London office also gives you essential access to the world’s leading financial institutions, accountants and management consultants.
World’s biggest markets
Come to London to be at the heart of the world’s largest foreign exchange market and in the top location for OTC interest rate derivatives. The London Stock Exchange is the world’s leading international exchange with more than 600 international listings, while 70% of global Eurobond turnover is traded in the city.
Globalising business models
Your pioneering ideas have the greatest chance of success in London. The City of London, the globe’s financial hub, is extremely receptive to breakthroughs and globalising industries such as carbon trading, Islamic finance and RMB trading.
Industry hotspots and workforces
143,000 people are employed in the banking sector in London. East London’s Canary Wharf is home to both Europe’s largest banking cluster and the continent’s biggest accelerator space for fintech companies, Level39.
Resilience and stability
London has remained steadfast at the top of the Global Financial Centres Index since 1997 – enduring Eurozone instability and the banking crisis. Enjoy the benefits of a resilient financial sector in London.
Retail
With more global retailers than any other city, London is one of the world’s most exciting, innovative and profitable cities for retail.
Test your product in the world’s most popular shopping destinations
Every year £92bn is spent on retail in London, with 16.8 million international visitors spending £11.3bn in the capital every year. Set up in well-known shopping districts including Oxford Street, Regent Street and Covent Garden, or go digital and tap into the £91bn sold online.
London is a hub for recruiting top talent
Voted the global fashion capital for two years running, and with three of the world's top five fashion schools, London can be used as a stepping-stone to global expansion. Become part of a growing community of innovative retailers generating UK sales of £2.1bn in the past year.
Business services
Expand to London to grow your business. The international law firms here are leading advisers in international capital market deals, shipping and international insurance. Opening a law firm in London will help you find international opportunities at UK professional institutions, headquartered in London, boasting nearly 120,000 overseas members.
