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Connecting the world’s brightest minds to UK AI opportunities
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Our latest Founders Pulse reveals strong optimism about AI’s potential, but some frustration with the pace of Government action.
AI is probably the biggest economic opportunity the UK has seen in a generation. But are we moving fast enough to grab it? In our latest Founders Pulse, we asked that question to nearly 400 UK entrepreneurs, spanning early stage through to growth and unicorn companies.
The optimism is real. Across all stages, founders ranked AI as the top driver of UK productivity growth — ahead of infrastructure, talent, and access to capital. Sentiment towards the Chancellor’s direction on AI policy is cautiously positive too.
However, 55% of founders say Government talks about AI but doesn’t treat it as a genuine priority. Words without follow-through aren’t enough when the US and China are moving at pace.
The clearest policy asks are consistent and specific:
The signal gets stronger the further along the journey founders are. Growth and late-stage founders, those at Series A and beyond, are sending a more urgent message. They want:
These are the companies closest to breakout scale. If the environment isn’t right, they’re also the most likely to look elsewhere.
UK competitiveness ranked as a significant concern, especially among later-stage founders. Whilst the UK has genuine strengths, world-class research, a deep talent pool, and a track record of producing global tech companies, potential doesn’t convert itself into outcomes . There needs to be policy change.
Founders are ready to build, but they want a Government that matches their ambition with action – on capital, on R&D, and on creating the conditions for AI companies to scale in the UK.
Read the full results here.
If you haven’t already, join Founders Pulse and be part of the conversation. The more founders who contribute, the stronger our case will be.
