Developments

The city’s cultural quarter is being transformed into a hub for creative and digital tech startups. At the centre of this activity is Leicester Tech Startups, which rallies the community and aims to close the gap between universities and startups.

• The much-anticipated Leicester Coworking Space is due to open this year. The office space will be low-cost and flexible, attracting freelancers, startups and community groups while acting as a catalyst for the local tech community.

• Last year, the University of Leicester invested £5.1 million in a new innovation centre. Part funded by the European Regional Development Fund, the Leicester Innovation Hub fosters and accelerates creative innovation. Leicester SMEs, and graduates interested in starting tech businesses, will also benefit from a range of free or heavily subsidised innovation support that is offered by the University.
  

• Leicester Tech Startups have launched a new founders-only roundtable, which has been a great success. It’s an opportunity for startup founders to share their problems and to learn from each other.

Community perceptions survey findings

The Tech Nation 2018 Survey was conducted between January 2018 and February 2018, in partnership with Streetbees. This year’s survey received the largest response yet from members of the UK tech community. In a total of 3,428 submissions, people told us about the opportunities and challenges their local ecosystems face, and the digital tech leaders they admire. The majority of respondents (33%) were founders and CEOs.

Who Leicester startups say is influential