Why this year’s London Tech Week looks set to be the biggest ever
Many UK companies are gearing up for London Tech Week 2024, which is almost doubling in size this summer as demand has boomed for the capital’s hottest tech event.
Set to take place at Kensington’s Olympia venue in June, London Tech Week’s capacity has significantly expanded from last year following a record-breaking $13bn (£10bn) of venture capital funding for London start ups in 2023.
Last year, there were 15,000 attendees across the three days, while this summer at least 25,000 are expected to visit. Over the whole week, when fringe events will also take place, the event could attract as many as 45,000.
It may come as little surprise then that Carolyn Dawson, chief executive of the Founders Forum Group, said there has been “tremendous interest” in the event’s eleventh year.
“Last year’s event saw the most participation and highest Government buy-in to date,” she said, “so we’re excited to build on that momentum and take London Tech Week to new heights to serve the broader UK tech ecosystem.
“Since then, we have invested in growing the event to meet the overwhelming demand we see for convening the global tech community and sharing exciting insights as tech evolves more rapidly than ever,” Dawson explained, adding that a number of international delegations will fly over to attend.
Founders Forum Group is jointly organising the event along with publishing group Informa and London & Partners.
Festival director David Monaghan said a major driving factor for the higher interest in London Tech Week this year is from UK-based companies “who might not be considered tech companies but who want to showcase how they are using tech to achieve competitive advantage, demonstrating that the UK doesn’t just lead in inventing new tech, but in putting it to use at scale as well.”
During the three-day celebration of tech talent, speakers from the government and across industry will focus on the topics du jour, including artificial intelligence (AI) innovation, the quest for artificial general intelligence (AGI) and intellectual property protection.
“London Tech Week’s aim to accelerate tech innovation through unique insights and interactions is more relevant than ever, and I’m excited to see the event unfold,” Monaghan added.
The Olympia venue is currently undergoing a £1bn regeneration to transform it into a hub of art, culture, education, entertainment and work.
What are attendees expecting?
A line up of big-name speakers includes executives from Google Deepmind, Monzo and IBM. Also headlining is the chief executive of Microsoft UK, Clare Barclay, who has described London Tech Week as a “powerful moment” for the nation.
“I’m always excited by fresh thinking, new ideas and inspiration from across the tech sector,” she said. “I look forward to seeing continued commitment from businesses, political leaders and regulators at London Tech Week to advance the UK’s AI ambitions, so that we remain internationally competitive.”
Last year, attendees of London Tech Week heard from top political figures such as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Labour leader Keir Starmer.
But smaller companies are looking forward to having their voice heard too.
Vishal Marria, the founder and chief executive of home-grown British unicorn Quantexa, said London Tech Week is “widely considered the crown event of the UK startup scene.”
He said: “The energy and opportunity for productive and interesting networking, makes it unparalleled. Giving a keynote will be a highlight of my year and I’m grateful to the organisers for the opportunity.
“Having grown up and founded Quantexa in London, since its inception in 2014, I have looked to London Tech Week as the place where the greatest minds and entrepreneurs, here and from abroad, gather to discuss the latest innovations.
“This year I am excited to meet fascinating and talented people that are helping to turn the UK into an AI powerhouse,” Marria added.
American HR tech company Deel counts London as one of its largest employee hubs despite being a fully-remote company. “It’s easy to understand why,” said co-founder Shuo Wang. “London is bursting with talent, is a global center of innovation and has a diverse tech community.”
This year she is “expecting to see more proactive topics and action-focused legislation discussed at the event,” as well as discussing AI at work and how the private sector can drive innovation while working with the government to build responsibly.