Notable Universities
Notable Companies
Notable Investors
Notable Workspaces
Notable Start-ups
Notable Meetups
What's there
Long the centre of the UK’s automotive industry, today’s Birmingham has a skilled workforce, to support the emergence of new technologies such as drones and intelligent buildings.
The arrival of big banks, professional services firms and the planned HS2 rail link, have all accelerated this transformation.
The cluster is bolstered by 18 universities, all within an hour’s drive of the city. Increasingly, graduates are also staying to put down roots, attracted by the affordable quality of life, opportunities and a thriving digital tech ecosystem.
Local networks, such as Silicon Canal and Innovation Birmingham, are instrumental to the cluster’s strength. Support from Finance Birmingham, who provide loan funding and equity finance of between £250,000 and £2 million, continues to drive growth.
What's new
Last year, 6,016 people moved to Birmingham from London, more than to any other UK city. Part of the city’s attraction is an increasing supply of jobs: Advanced Computer Software Group, for example, announced the creation of 400 more last year.
New workspaces for digital and creative businesses are opening. Such as, Assay Studios which opened in 2016 and is home to Deliveroo, and John Lewis’s new Tech Hub for Innovation.
What's up next
Alpha Works, a collaborative space aimed at startups, will open its doors later this year.
Meanwhile, HM Revenue & Customs plans to open a regional hub in the city, creating 3,000 more jobs in 2019. Another 1,200 jobs are predicted to come from the return of HSBC’s head office to Birmingham.
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Richard Westman
Managing Director, Kaido
What we do
Kaido Group Ltd is a pioneering digital tech, health business. We combine artificial intelligence with the actual intelligence of health professionals to turn health data into actionable insights that are useful at both the clinician and patient level.
Why Birmingham?
Birmingham’s diverse population, newly established QE Hospital, and world leading health research capabilities make it an attractive life sciences region.
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John Shermer
Managing Director, LightwaveRF
What we do
LightwaveRF is one of the UK’s fastest growing smart home technology manufacturers, pioneering affordable retrofit lighting, power, energy monitoring and heating solutions. Each of our devices is quick and easy to fit, uses standard connections, and can be controlled via smartphone from anywhere.
Why Birmingham?
We benefit from good national and international transport links (we have have a lot of international staff) and being centrally located really helps as we frequently have business in London and installations across the UK. Proximity to the NEC is useful as we attend lots of exhibitions. We have also had close ties with Warwick University in the past.