I’ve been attending London Tech Week for five years now — the first three as an editor and journalist, and the last two as founder/editor/journalist of TFN. And if there’s one thing I’ve noticed, it’s how much this event has evolved from its somewhat formal, very British roots into a bustling, increasingly global gathering of tech, talent, and ambition.
This year, hosted at Olympia London, that evolution was palpable. The vibe was dynamic: fast-moving queues (a marked improvement), bright branding — heavy on bold blues and pinks, save for the “Green Innovation Stage” — and an energy that felt more like a European innovation festival than a staid industry conference.
Growing pains and a lesson in inclusivity
But with growth comes growing pains. Much of the conversation this year, at least in private corners, kept returning to the incident on Day 1, when entrepreneur Davina Schonle was turned away from the venue for attempting to enter with her 8-month-old child.
In an event focussing on inclusivity and the future of UK tech, it struck a dissonant chord. Schonle later described the experience as “humiliating”. One hopes that next year, the policies will catch up with the progressive values the event promotes.
A bold statement from UK leadership on AI
Still, the momentum was undeniable. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s surprise appearance on opening day alongside Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, set the tone: this wasn’t just about showing up — it was about taking the lead. Starmer spoke about the UK’s AI ambitions, and Huang announced a deepening partnership with Britain’s research ecosystem, reinforcing the urgent need to bolster compute infrastructure to support the country’s innovation agenda.
With 30,000 attendees from 125 countries, London last week felt like the beating heart of European tech. Heavyweights like Microsoft UK CEO Darren Hardman and Atomico’s Niklas Zennström added to the sense that London isn’t simply keeping pace with the AI revolution — it’s positioning itself as a key player in shaping it.
Innovation in the face of conflict
TFN was on the ground for all three days, exploring the corners of the event where the next big stories often start. One highlight: we attended the UK–Ukraine TechBridge Investment Accelerator Demo Day on the Startups Stage. Ten of Ukraine’s brightest startups presented their solutions after completing an intensive accelerator programme designed to help them expand globally. Twenty startups in total, spanning Late Pre-Seed to Series A and seeking between $500K and $5M in funding, were part of the programme. The initiative is backed by 1991 Ventures, the UK government, and Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation, in partnership with the Ukrainian Startup Fund was a clear reminder that innovation doesn’t pause for conflict.
Startups shining bright
Another standout at this year’s event was its truly international footprint. Over the three days, I met founders and startup teams from Singapore, Turkey, Pakistan, India, and Malta, each bringing fresh ideas, cultural perspectives, and innovative energy to the Olympia halls. London Tech Week is becoming not just a UK platform, but a gateway and a stepping stone for global tech convergence.
Of course, homegrown startups were buzzing too. Some of them which caught our eye were:
- Strolll, an AR-powered neurorehabilitation platform
- CipherX Tech, an AI-driven painless tattoo technology
- And perhaps the most photographed startup of the event: Ameca, the humanoid robot drawing curious crowds.
Another notable presence was the University of Edinburgh Learning Lab – a subtle but powerful reminder of the UK’s deep AI roots. Often described as the birthplace of Artificial Intelligence in Europe, the university’s AI legacy spans more than six decades. Its influence was evident at the event, where the Learning Lab showcased how Edinburgh continues to shape cutting-edge AI research and applications today — and is helping to drive the future of AI in both academia and industry.
Beyond the flash, many UK startups this year had a refreshing focus on helping SMEs scale, particularly in AI, cybersecurity, fintech and HRtech.
Matthew de la Hey, co-founder and CEO of Inploi, an HRtech platform tackling inefficiencies in traditional Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). With features like AI CV scoring and natural language search, Inploi is making hiring faster and more intuitive — reducing time-to-hire by eight days and cost-per-hire by 30%.
As Matthew told us: “We’re bringing Netflix to the game. Companies are expecting Netflix, and they’re getting Blockbuster.”
It’s a great metaphor for the staleness of many HR tools today. What struck me was Inploi’s philosophy around candidate experience: rather than rejecting applicants outright, the platform nudges them with transparent feedback, a subtle but humane touch in an industry often reduced to numbers.
TFN on stage: Debating the infrastructure of innovation
As a founder myself, I was also honoured to be part of the Founders Stage panel titled “The Infrastructure of Innovation: How Startups Can Build for Scale From Day One.” Moderated by Akansha Dimri (yes, me!), with fantastic insights from:
- Damian Routley, COO, Founders Factory
- Ifeoluwa Ogunbufunmi, Founder & Chief Strategist, SWIF
- Adia Sowho, Growth Leader and Scale-Up Advisor, Sankore Investments
Our debate ranged from why the UK hasn’t yet produced more global tech brands, to what structural changes are needed to truly support British startups on a global stage. One takeaway? The UK’s startup infrastructure is improving but gaps remain around growth-stage support and talent scaling.
The power of side events: Does real networking happen here?
Of course, London Tech Week wouldn’t be complete without its side events, where they say, the real networking happens.
One highlight was VC Padel, as touted by them — back by popular demand. Hosted by Love Ventures with support from HSBC Innovation Banking, it was less about smashing winners on court and more about building relationships between VCs that ultimately support founders from pre-seed to Series A.
As Adrian Love, General Partner, Love Ventures put it: “We want the dynamic here to be as open and relaxed as possible… Side events are where it’s at — where you can have more relaxed conversations.”
That same philosophy echoed at the Mountside Ventures Unofficial After Party, held amid the lush greenery of the Barbican Conservatory. There, 600+ VCs mingled over cocktails — a true snapshot of Europe’s venture ecosystem in motion. I spoke with Jon Steinberg, Founding Partner, Mountside Ventures, who reflected on: London’s diverse founder landscape, the challenge of LP risk appetite for early-stage tech, the UK’s AI talent gap and need for deeper compute infrastructure and the importance of diverse boards and leadership teams in outperforming industry norms.
A notable comment from Steinberg: “The UK is definitely playing catch-up on AI. Making big announcements is great, but the real challenge is implementing it at scale.”
Another standout company we caught was Applied Computing, a British AI firm that landed a £9 million seed round from Stride VC recently. The company is building foundation models to optimise energy efficiency in heavy industries like refining and petrochemicals — aiming to reduce energy waste by 55%. As CEO, Callum Adamson told us: “We can reduce carbon intensity of these operations by about 20%. If there is going to be a transition, it has to involve the hydrocarbon industry. You can’t do it with pure renewables alone.”
His insight on startup success also resonated deeply: “Zero to one — distribution wins. Good technology alone doesn’t win.”
Further, there were some interesting media dinners including one hosted by Native Teams, focused on “Shaping the future of the gig economy.” It sparked some thoughtful discussions about how technology can better serve the evolving needs of the global gig workforce, especially as trends in remote work, cross-border employment, and compliance automation accelerate post-pandemic.
Sadly, with the packed agenda, we couldn’t make it to everything, including the intriguing FoundersX Reverse Investor Pitching Event, hosted by Accountancy Cloud and HSBC Innovation Banking. There, investors took to the stage to pitch themselves to founders — flipping the traditional model, and a great example of how London’s ecosystem is embracing new formats for relationship-driven funding.
But as someone who’s witnessed the journey of London Tech Week up close, I can say this: the city is no longer just hosting tech events — it’s shaping tech conversations. The mood this year was bold, outward-looking, and ambitious. And while there’s still work to be done on making this space more inclusive and accessible for all, the future of UK tech looks both bright — and determined.
This article is part of our London Tech Week coverage, with TFN serving as an official media partner.
