Investor opportunities
The UK is one of the most innovative economies in the world. We’re growing our economy by cementing our status as a science and technology superpower.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is focusing on positioning the UK at the forefront of global scientific and technological advancement. It will build on our strong foundations of world-class research, a thriving technology scene and global networks of collaboration. This will create a new gold standard for outstanding science, encouraging innovations that change lives and fuel sustainable economic growth.
The government is backing our world-leading innovators with a record £20bn of investment, so we can continue to lead the conversation globally. We will ensure we take the opportunity to make us the global powerhouse of science & technology. Discover more about why you should invest in science and technology here in the UK.
The best place in Europe to raise capital
$21.3bn was invested in UK technology in 2023.
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Our decacorns, unicorns and ‘soon-icorns’ already contribute 2.6% to GVA
Supporting 2.3% of our jobs, despite only accounting for a tiny fraction of our employers.
More than just London
Nine cities including Bristol, Cardiff, Manchester and Nottingham, are home to at least two unicorns.
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Four of the world’s top ten universities
Innovation in the UK
Engage with an interactive map of innovation clusters across the UK.
The UK is bursting with innovation and home to some of the world’s most exciting and cutting-edge clusters. This interactive map showcases established and emerging concentrations of science and technology activity across the country, helping investors to better understand, engage with and invest in the UK’s ecosystem.
View the Innovation Clusters Map
Enterprise Investment Schemes
There are three government-provided, tax-advantaged venture capital schemes available: the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs).
This provides a wide range of tax reliefs for investing in small and growing companies. That helps businesses feel confident enough to invest in higher-risk, early-stage companies facing the biggest challenges in accessing growth capital.
The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS)
The Enterprise Investment Scheme brings added incentive and support for individuals considering investing in, early-stage, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to help them grow and develop.
The maximum amount a company can raise under the scheme is £5 million in a 12-month rolling period and £12 million over its lifetime. For scientific, knowledge-intensive companies, these limits are raised to £10 million and £20 million respectively. The availability of these limits is subject to the amounts already raised under other venture capital schemes.
Find out more about the Enterprise Investment Scheme
The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS)
For very early-stage SMEs, the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme is an excellent way of incentivising new equity investments, helping them grow and develop.
We recently expanded the generosity and availability of the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme to help even more UK startups raise higher levels of finance. The changes include increasing the:
- Amount of lifetime SEIS funding that companies can raise from £150,000 to £250,000
- Company gross asset limit from £200,000 to £350,000
- Company age limit from two to three years
- Annual investor limit from £100,000 to £200,000
Investment Opportunities
There’s never been a better time to invest in the science and technology sector. Discover how to find investment opportunities today.
Innovate UK Investor Partnership
This programme brings together Innovate UK’s use of grant funding, and investor partners’ aligned private investment and expertise.
Its aim is to stimulate research and development in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, while accelerating equity investment into those companies so that they can grow more rapidly through innovation.
If you’re an investor looking to partner with Innovate UK’s grant funding, find out more here
The Science and Technology Venture Capital Fellowship
The Science and Technology Venture Capital Fellowship is expected to launch in Autumn 2024 with an application process opening in June. Expressions of interest to keep updated about the scheme are now open.
The fellowship will offer advanced training and exposure to the UK’s Deep tech and life sciences ecosystem to experienced investment professionals looking to invest more in UK science and technology.
Submit your expression of interest today
The UK Investment Atlas showcases all sectors and opportunities across the UK.
