While London is the traditional hub for venture capital fundraising in the UK, there are also opportunities for startups and entrepreneurs to secure funding outside of the capital.
Here are a few examples of cities and regions in the UK where venture capital fundraising is active:
Manchester: Manchester has a thriving startup scene and a growing number of venture capital firms, including Praetura Ventures, Maven Capital Partners, and Mercia Asset Management. The city also hosts several startup accelerators and incubators.
Edinburgh: Edinburgh has a vibrant tech community and a number of successful startups, such as Skyscanner and FanDuel. The city is home to venture capital firms such as Pentech Ventures, Par Equity, and Scottish Equity Partners.
Bristol: Bristol is another city with a strong startup ecosystem and a growing number of venture capital firms, such as Deepbridge Capital and Seneca Partners. The city also has a number of incubators and accelerators, including SETsquared Bristol and Bristol Robotics Laboratory.
Northern Ireland: While not a city, Northern Ireland has been making strides in the venture capital scene with the launch of the £30m TechStart NI fund in 2018. The fund aims to support early-stage tech startups across the region.
Cambridge: Cambridge is home to one of the most famous universities in the world, and as a result, has a thriving tech community. Venture capital firms such as Cambridge Innovation Capital and IQ Capital Partners are active in the city.
Overall, while London may be the center of the UK's venture capital scene, there are plenty of opportunities for startups and entrepreneurs to secure funding outside of the capital in various regions and cities.
You don’t need to be from London to raise VC cash in the UK. In 2022, tech companies from outside the country’s capital picked up $8.9bn, according to Dealroom. There were big money rounds for Manchester-based climate tech Be.EV, which raised £110m, as well as Oxford-based drug discovery spinout OMass Therapeutics, which bagged £75.5m.
https://sifted.eu/articles/uk-startups-not-from-london-2023/