If you’re a tech entrepreneur, be it aspiring, scaling or late stage, we have a programme for you. See here...
Supporting climate tech founders
Empowering underrepresented tech founders
Growing late-stage ventures, to IPO and beyond
Powering the UK's most ambitious Series A startups
Championing disabled founders and entrepreneurs innovating around disability
Taking DeepTech founders from breakthrough to business
Our previous Rising Stars competition has evolved into four distinct UK early-stage competitions, designed to spotlight the best emerging startups.
Where 10 ambitious EIS-eligible founders pitch to win an opportunity for investment that defines their next chapter
Where SEIS-eligible founders from across the UK compete for their share of £2M investment opportunity at a Grand Final in Manchester
Where transatlantic founders aged under 26 compete for up to £500k in investment
Where exceptional founders from around the world pitch to win the backing, spotlight, and momentum that shapes what comes next
Your entry to Europe’s innovation powerhouse
Discover the steps to apply and begin your journey
Premium account management for companies launching in the UK
Commission a high-impact experience for your cohort of early-stage startups
Connecting the world’s brightest minds to UK AI opportunities
Connecting the world’s brightest minds to UK Quantum opportunities
Powering the UK’s most ambitious Series A startups
The invitation-only network for post-Series A founders ready to scale or raise their B.
Fully funded and open to the UK’s most promising scaleups, Upscale connects you and your C-suite with the peers, expertise and capital relationships that matter most at this stage.
Expert-led sessions, tailored investor matchmaking, and a nationally recognised cohort, plus lifetime access to a network of founders, VCs and policymakers.
1:1 Investor Matchmaking
Get matched with top growth-stage investors based on your sector and strategic fit, designed to kickstart your growth stage fundraising for Series B and beyond.
Support as You Scale
From managing your board to building a leadership team or planning your exit, we connect you with those who’ve scaled successfully – so you can learn, lead, and grow with confidence.
C-Suite Involvement
Tailored sessions for the entire C-suite – from CFOs to CMOs – offering strategic insights and peer learning beyond just the founder’s journey.
Lifetime Community & Network
Once a Tech Nation alum, always part of the TN community. Access the Founders Forum global network of leading entrepreneurs, investors, corporates, media, and policymakers – long after the programme ends.
The Upscale Programme is for the fastest growing companies in the UK, typically at Series A.
We typically look for companies that fall into the following criteria:
We encourage you to apply if you meet either the fundraising or the ARR criteria. On average, Upscale companies have raised £7m+ in a Series A and are generating £3m+ in ARR
2nd July
23rd August
September 2026
December 2026
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Co-Founder and former CEO at identity unicorn Onfido. Now Founder and CEO at new startup Quench.ai – using internal recordings to empower smarter work by delivering relevant learning in the flow of work. WEF Tech Pioneer; Forbes Contributor and “30 Under 30”; BA in Economics and Management from Keble College, Oxford.
Applications will close mid-August, and the programme will begin mid-September. The programme will then take place across 3-months, to finish up mid-December.
Not at all. While Upscale is designed to help Series A startups prepare for their next stage of growth, you don’t need to be actively raising your Series B to take part. If you’ve just closed your Series A, you’ll still benefit from the programme — around half of the sessions focus on broader scaling themes like international expansion, leadership, and operations, which are valuable regardless of your fundraising timeline.
Upscale will feature a mix of in-person and online workshops. The in-person sessions will be held in London, usually in the afternoon to accommodate for those travelling from outside of London. In addition to workshops, there will be a series of accompanying events such as the launch event, founder dinners and investor drinks, all held in London.
Upscale prepares your team to scale and raise your Series B (and beyond).
You’ll dive into themes across People, Operations, Funding, and Finance through events with special guests and experts. From board management to building a world-class leadership team, expect actionable insights designed for both founders and senior execs.
Plus, you’ll get:
You have to be a UK-based tech startup
If you are a VC-funded business, you will have raised £5m+ in Series A funding.
OR
If you have previously received angel or VC funding and are now focused on revenue growth, you must be generating at least £1 million in revenue.
Upscale does not provide support for consultancies. All eligible companies will (a) provide a digital technical service/product (including hardware and platforms) or (b) provide a product/service that is reliant on digital technology, as their primary revenue source.
Yes! Upscale is a sector agnostic programme. That means we support digital companies from every and any sector (in the past sectors have included; fintech, e-commerce, proptech, spacetech, agtech, edtech, health & biotech, saas and more…). We support B2B, B2C and B2B2C companies.
Your company is ineligible if it has merged, been acquired or been through an IPO.
Yes. All companies must be headquartered in the United Kingdom. We encourage businesses from across the whole of the UK to apply. If more than 40% of your workforce are based outside of the UK, we would not recommend making an application, as attendance in-person from founders and your senior leaders is extremely important.
Yes – if you were previously unsuccessful and meet the criteria, you are welcome to reapply!
All Tech Nation programmes are free to join, and we don’t take an equity stake in your business either.
Join us in championing this gamechanging programme…
– Engage with the cohort through our many platforms including events, dinners and more.
– Showcase your commitment to fuelling the UK’s top scaleups by your brand with Upscale.
– Gain visibility among forward thinking leaders in tech creating cutting edge businesses and life changing solutions.
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