-
Bloomberg Associates to help develop new Smart London
Plan
-
Tech companies to attract
investment at high-profile showcases
The Mayor of London, , today launched two major new
tech initiatives to boost the sector and help harness the
capital’s tech talent to make life better for Londoners.
Speaking at WIRED Live at Tobacco Dock in east London, the Mayor
announced that City Hall will fund 20 investment days over the
next four years, to give innovative tech firms the opportunity to
attract crucial funding to enable them to grow.
Each event – run by the UK Business Angels Association –
will focus on a specific area of tech and will offer coaching to
the leaders of these burgeoning companies, as well as directly
linking them with experienced investors. The GLA will provide
£280,000 in funding, which will be matched in kind by the UKBAA.
The programme will be structured so it will be entirely
self-funding by the end of the four years.
Sadiq also announced that Bloomberg Associates – Michael
Bloomberg's philanthropic municipal consultancy – will help shape
the new Smart London Plan, in partnership with the Smart London
Board.
The document will lay out in detail how the Mayor plans to
achieve his ambition of harnessing the new technologies being
pioneered in the capital to transform London into one of the
world’s leading smart cities.
The Mayor of London, , said “London’s tech sector is
already the envy of cities the across the globe and I’m
determined to ensure we become the world’s leading tech hub.
“Since I became Mayor, the capital has attracted significant
investment from the biggest players in this sector – Google,
Facebook and Apple, to name just three.
“This is a clear sign London is open for business – but beyond
these huge names, London remains a fantastic breeding ground for
innovative young tech firms looking to break new ground across a
range of industries.
“With the two initiatives I’m announcing today, we will enable
these start-ups to grow and develop, as well as harness the
expertise and innovative across our tech sector to help make life
better for all Londoners.”
CEO of the UK Business Angels Association, Jenny Tooth OBE, said:
“London is a global centre of tech innovation and we are
delighted to be supporting this initiative by showcasing some of
the most exciting innovators from across the capital to leading
players in the investment community.
“This will enable these businesses to access the finance they
need to successfully build and scale.”
Sadiq made a commitment in his manifesto to take tech in the
capital to the next level by removing barriers to growth and
ensuring London becomes a global tech hub.
He has launched a series of measures to support this increasingly
important part of London’s economy: most recently, in August he
appointed London’s first-ever Chief Digital Officer, Theo
Blackwell, who will lead on ensuring the city’s tech expertise
and talent feeds into providing better public services for
Londoners.
He also announced a £7 million Digital Talent programme which
will tackle the growing shortage in digitally-skilled workers –
focussing on Londoners aged 16-24, particularly women and those
from a BAME background.
Bloomberg recently launched its new European headquarters in the
heart of the City of London, which will soon be home to all 4,000
of the company’s UK-based staff.
ENDS
Notes
- The UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA) is the national
trade association for angel and early-stage investment,
representing over 160 member organisations and around 18,000
investors. For more information, visit: www.ukbaa.org.uk.
