All Posts
London Tech Week launches new partnership with Founders Forum.
Now in its 15th year, Founders Forum continues to convene the world’s most inspiring entrepreneurs, investors, politicians, global leaders and academics at its events. Through its flagship Forums, accelerateHER events (promoting gender equality in tech) and Founders of the Future initiatives (supporting emerging entrepreneurial talent), attendees debate, share ideas and accelerate the positive impact of technology on society.
London Tech Week (8th-12th June 2020) brings together the best of the global tech community to explore how technology can be used to help tackle some of the world’s toughest business, social and environmental challenges. Since its inception in 2012, the festival has grown rapidly year-on-year, shining a light on London and the UK as Europe’s biggest tech hub.
The partnership will continue to celebrate the strength and diversity of tech in the UK, and London as the epicentre of tech in Europe, by combining Informa Tech’s world class events infrastructure and heritage of running London Tech Week with the convening power of Founders Forum.
2019 was the biggest and most inclusive London Tech Week yet, with 58,000 attendees from more than 95 countries visiting over 300 events, making it one of the most impactful celebrations in the tech calendar. London Tech Week 2020 will be even more ambitious, bringing together unrivalled speakers and global partners to facilitate discussions and drive strategies for change.
Through this new partnership, accelerateHER and Founders of the Future will become integral parts of London Tech Week, and will benefit from Informa Tech’s additional operational and logistical support as they expand globally. The partnership will also be looking to develop new sector specific Founders Forum events during London Tech Week and beyond.
Carolyn Dawson, Managing Director of Informa Tech, said: “2019 saw our most successful festival to date and next year promises to be even stronger.
“The partnership with Founders Forum brings an exciting new dynamic to London Tech Week in the form of their impressive network containing some of the best, brightest and most inspirational digital entrepreneurs, corporate CEOs and senior investors.”
“We will bring together the best of the global tech community providing opportunities for the talent of today and tomorrow to connect and collaborate.”
Brent Hoberman, Chairman and co-founder of Founders Forum, commented: “London is Europe’s biggest tech hub, and we believe this partnership will strengthen its position through bringing in the best speakers, building great events and helping us reinforce relationships across Europe and the world. Together with Informa, we will help to make London tech stronger and more vibrant in years to come.”
London Tech Week will grow in strength to remain the flagship festival of European tech, opening up the capital’s historic venues whilst showcasing the UK’s drive to fashion the future.
During London Tech Week 2020, there will be a strong focus on Cleantech, showcasing and debating how technology is being used to deliver sustainable solutions in the growing environmental crisis. Cleantech is a growing sector, worth £50bn annually in the UK (3% of GDP), and is anticipated to reach $3 trillion globally by 2025.[1]
The Government’s Clean Growth Strategy outlines a £2.5bn investment between 2015 and 2021 to support low carbon innovation and businesses committed to Cleantech.[2]
Once again, the festival will also drive the agenda for change in inclusivity and diversity and in providing opportunities for talent to develop and thrive.
According to recent ONS figures, women make up just 22% of the STEM workforce in the UK[3] and diversity remains a key challenge for the sector – with only 15% of the tech workforce coming from BAME backgrounds[4].
Carolyn Dawson added: “The conversation around diversity and inclusivity in tech will once again be a central theme as we welcome the world’s leading businesses, innovators and thinkers to our wonderful city.”
“London and the UK continue to innovate as a cutting-edge tech hub and to drive the agenda that will see technology tackling some of the world’s most pressing business, environmental and social challenges.”
International business delegations from across the globe will be coming to London Tech Week 2020 to play a key part in these conversations while networking and sharing their thinking, understanding and innovation. London is one of the best places in the world to connect and scale an international business, with 40% of European companies choosing to base their HQs in the capital.[5] And many of these companies will be in attendance at this year’s event showcasing their work.
London is the global leader for fintech investment and 2019 has seen record levels of investment in the UK – a record total of over $2bn was invested in London-based businesses in the first eight months of the year.[6] Be part of the future. Be part of the conversation. And don’t miss your chance to be at London Tech Week 2020.
London Tech Week
London Tech Week, owned by Informa Tech Founders and London & Partners, and co-founded with Tech London Advocates, is a festival of live events showcasing and celebrating the best of tech, attracting a global audience with networking, social, learning and business opportunities.
Exploring how tech is transforming both business and society, London Tech Week drives the conversations around transformation, diversity and innovation and gives the tech ecosystem a platform to come together with decision makers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs and influencers to drive change.
About Informa Tech
Informa Tech is a market leading provider of integrated research, media, training and events to the global Technology community.
We’re an international business of more than 600 colleagues, operating in more than 20 markets. Our aim is to inspire the Technology community to design, build and run a better digital world through research, media, training and event brands that inform, educate and connect. Over 7,000 professionals subscribe to our research, with 225,000 delegates attending our events and over 18,000 students participating in our training programmes each year, and nearly 4 million people visiting our digital communities each month.
About Founders Forum
Founders Forum is a global network of the world’s most inspirational founders, corporate leaders, global leaders and senior investors brought together to accelerate the positive impact of technology.
Founders Forum has also built a family companies including Founders Intelligence, an entrepreneur-powered strategy consultancy that works with FTSE50 & Fortune 500 corporates to develop digital strategy, innovation functions and investment vehicles, Founders Keepers, a global executive search firm with a focus on C-Suite, VP-level, Chairman and NXD Roles in technology & innovation, and more.
About accelerateHER
accelerateHER is addressing the under-representation of women in the technology industry. It works with a network of technology leaders to accelerate change through best practice, strategy and innovation. Its vision is a world in which women have equal opportunities to succeed, lead and flourish in technology careers.
accelerateHER global events shine a light on the most exciting women founders and leaders in technology, providing the crucial visibility they need to raise capital, access new networks or partner with innovative companies.
accelerateHER provides partners with guidance, landscaping and advice on best practice for realising gender parity successfully. accelerateHER is part of the EQUALS Global Partnership.
About Founders of the Future
Launched by Founders Forum at 10 Downing Street in March 2016, Founders of the Future’s mission is to build a world-class pool of diverse and exceptional entrepreneurial talent who will build tomorrow’s high impact sustainable startups. It does that by building a suite of programmes, events and tools to support aspiring entrepreneurs in every step of their journey to become tech founders.
It has an invite-only community of future founders under 30 (The Fellowship), organises a yearly startup competition for young entrepreneurs under 25 (The F Factor), organises social mixers, runs innovations workshops and hackathons with corporates and is working on more initiatives to fulfil our mission.
