A crop of the capital's fastest-growing tech startups led by women are headed off on a trade mission to Silicon Valley next week to explore investment, expansion and export opportunities in the US.
The four-day trade mission led by the mayor's international business programme and Silicon Valley Comes to the UK will give the 15 founders the opportunity to pitch to West Coast venture capital firms, learn from US founders about scaling their firms internationally, and meet high-profile executives as tech behemoths Google and Facebook.
The 15 businesses selected have an average growth rate of over 75 per cent per year, based over the past three years. They include Merilee Karr, founder and chief executive of short-term accommodation association UnderTheDoormat, Pip Jamieson, the founder of professional networking site The Dots, and Jessica Taylor of games studio Preloaded.
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According to investment data from the official promotional firm for the capital, London & Partners, last year was a record 12 months for venture capital funding into UK tech firms from Bay Area investors.
British companies landed over £1.6bn in funding, nearly three times the £538m raised in 2016.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said:
Londons tech ecosystem is one of the most diverse in the world and the women in tech on this trade mission to Silicon Valley offer further proof that you can grow a successful tech business in London regardless of your gender or background.
I am pleased that my international business programme is able to help them maximise their investment and networking opportunities in North America, creating further jobs and growth for London.
As two of the worlds leading tech hubs, there is a great opportunity for London and Silicon Valley to lead the way in promoting greater diversity for the global tech community.
| The 15 business founders joining the programme: |
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Joanne Smith, founder and group chief executive at Recordsure & TCC, one of the firms involved in the trade mission, said: "As well as an exciting opportunity to expand our international network, the trade mission provides a unique platform to share knowledge, ideas and insights with some of the leading minds in the world of tech, and I look forward to discussing the innovative solutions being applied across such a diverse range of industries."
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