KPMG is searching for Scotland’s top tech pioneers
Scotland’s start-up community is flourishing. Amid a climate of political and economic uncertainty, it’s sometimes a challenge to find glimmers of light and optimism, but our country’s tech-focused entrepreneurs are exactly that.
Last year, research from KPMG revealed that more than £100m of Venture Capital (VC) had been injected into start-ups. As we head towards December, we’re on-course to smash that figure. As of Q3, the figure was over £95m. For some time now, the world’s investors have been paying attention to Scotland’s tech hub cities, and there’s no sign of that enthusiasm draining anytime soon.
But, despite the outstanding achievements of the innovations and disruptors, speak to many start-up founders and they’ll tell you getting in front of the right people at the right time can be their biggest obstacle to growth.
That’s part of the motivation behind KPMG’s Best British Tech Pioneer competition. Now in its sixth year, it was set up to spot talent and facilitate those golden opportunities. This year, our search is even bigger. Throughout January, we’ll be inviting entrepreneurs to pitch to a panel of experts at informal events in Glasgow and Edinburgh. The lucky ones will then be invited to our semi-final pitches in London in February where they’ll have the chance to pitch for a place at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona later that month.
Previous competition finalists have included Babylon Health, What3Words Echo and SafeToNet, and more than £100 million has been raised to date.
The application process is open now and companies can apply via our website. To qualify, you’ll need to own a registered UK company that’s been operating for less than five years, with revenue generated of between £1m and £10m, or you should have raised at least £500k in equity.
Does that sound like you? If so, apply now. The deadline is December 1st. Our Best British Tech Pioneer competition is about finding talent and providing the opportunity to immediately access a global audience. Get involved and let us help you unlock your international growth potential.
