A gathering of the cream of Leeds’ tech scene saw the launch of the Leeds Tech Map on Tuesday evening.
Around 25 firms featuring on the visual snapshot of the city’s tech ecosystem celebrated the launch at Banyan on City Square and took home a physical copy of the map.
Work on a refreshed and expanded version – almost five years after the original design became a fixture across offices and meeting rooms throughout the region – began late last year.
Leeds tech ecosystem builder Stuart Clarke MBE – chair of Leeds Digital, founder of UK Tech Week and a BusinessCloud Northern Leader – is behind the Leeds Tech Map, which is this year sponsored by law firm ALT Legal and chartered accountants BHP.
“The original map was planned during lockdown and launched in 2021. We worked with lots of Leeds tech firms to raise the profile of the sector, which had so much talent and innovation going on,” Clarke tells BusinessCloud.
“We wanted to create more noise about what we were doing both around the country and internationally. Rather than just putting a database of firms out, we wanted to create something visually appealing.
“It went down really well. Lots of people shared it, and it was in receptions and boardrooms around the city. The city council and the Combined Authority have used it to show international visitors what we have within the sector.
“Five years on, many new companies have started up, while more international firms have moved into the city. And, of course, one or two startups that were on the previous map are sadly no longer with us.”
The graphic, which resembles an underground train map, features ‘lines’ which correspond to sectors and other classifications. Businesses were invited to put themselves forward as part of a ‘Techs Factor’ competition, while Clarke also consulted with his wider network.
“We have some incredible companies here, in MedTech and HealthTech; AI and data; consulting; and so much more,” says Clarke.
All businesses featured have a software development element at the core of their work and the majority of their tech team based in Leeds.
Data-rich
The support of official data partner The Data City, which features on the map itself, was crucial in ensuring it reflects the true breadth of the regional ecosystem.
Mitali Mookerjee (below) is UK managing director for The Data City. “The power of our technology is that you can create very niche criteria. So when Stuart came to us and said: ‘Look, these are the [Tube] lines that I want on the tech, we were able to create a training set of data to help identify companies which could potentially feature.
“When he created the last map, it was painstaking. But this time, in a matter of minutes, we were able to identify innovative tech businesses for him.”
Talent
Among those attending the event was Adam Hildreth, founder of brand reputation tech firm Crisp – acquired by Kroll in 2022 – and an active investor and non-exec director.
“With Crisp, everyone always asked us: why Leeds? And the answer we gave back in 2005 remains just as relevant today: there is access to a huge raft of talent here, and if you’re going to scale a tech business, talent is critical. Once Baird invested in us on a private equity basis, they saw that; then when Kroll acquired us, they saw it too.
“As we build new tech businesses out in AI, mathematics and machine applied learning, we’ve got some great universities that have expertise in that particular area – and that’s only going to grow as we take AI into more verticalised sectors.”
Hildreth (below) adds: “What’s brilliant about today is seeing old friends and new friends: that same community still exists that we’ve tried to build for quite a period of time now. Every so often, when you start to see it up in lights, it brings it to life.
“We’re bringing new people in and we’ve got some more experience there now as well – and that’s how you grow a tech ecosystem.”
Privilege
Dave Tucker is founder and CEO at Genio – formerly known as Glean – which works with universities and colleges globally to help them better support their students, while also making apps to help students to study.
Despite serving technology to more than 900 universities in the USA, Genio is fully staffed in the UK.
“We have about 135 people, and two-thirds of those are in the greater Leeds area. We do a lot of business in America, but we have no staff there. We’ve done everything from here in the UK.
“I’ve been doing this for 16 years and Leeds has changed a lot over that time: we’ve grown as the tech scene and Leeds has grown, and it’s been quite a privilege to be part of that journey.
“We care about the success of Leeds a lot. Growth comes at an individual level; at a company level; but also at the ecosystem of a city level. And we all have a role to play in that.
“At the end of the day, the stronger we make that ecosystem, the more everyone benefits.”
Jonny Sharp, co-founder of corporate finance boutique Cerelo Advisory, reflects: “We were delighted when we found out we were on the map – there were lots of cheers around the office!
“It’s a fantastic set of software businesses, media companies, consultancies and advisors. And it’s just a great, great privilege to be part of it.”
Support
Andrew Mason, a cybersecurity expert and serial entrepreneur who recently exited Pentest People, has three businesses on the map: DarkInvader, RapidSpike and AwarenessAI.
A big Leeds United fan, he clearly adores his city. “I’ve raised VC money and had two exits as well as a sub-exit. So I’ve got a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge about the legals, about corporate finance, about how to build and how to grow a business organically.
“It’s nice to be able to help people [by passing on that knowledge].”
Andy Roberts is co-founder and CMO of Zygens, which is focused on delivering agentic AI into sectors including financial and professional services.
“It’s an incredibly supportive scene: there’s a strong community of business owners and people who are deeply involved here,” he says.
“This evening’s been absolutely fantastic: there’s been a really good atmosphere in the room, which is a testament to Stuart, and there are some great businesses on the map.”
Special
Achille Traore (above), founder of MarTech firm White Label Loyalty, says there is “something special” about the community in Leeds.
“Many of our staff members are based internationally or down in London, Manchester, Prague, but our head office will always be in Leeds. We love this city.
“It’s less competitive here. We try to support each other, and we know each other quite well. It’s quite a tight-knit community. We’re also very welcoming to new startups and new businesses moving to the area. It’s a very collaborative approach.”
‘Pinch me’ moment
Linda Nguyenova (below), founder of startup equine care management platform KONEKTT, is a board member of The Whole Point (rebranded from The Lifted Project) and a former investor at BGF.
“It’s actually quite a big ‘pinch me’ moment because I did almost a decade in private equity investing in businesses similar to those that feature on the map,” she says. “I also put the application in for BGF whilst I was working part time for them – so it was very good to see both BGF and my own business make it onto the map! It’s a huge achievement.”
Fun… & real
Martin Brennan is founder of Onside Accounting, which is a fully remote accounting and tax advisor to VC-backed tech startups. He has recently relocated to Leeds.
“The founders here are a bit more fun compared to the London ones!” he jokes. “I’ve also noticed there’s a slight more emphasis on real businesses rather than pre-revenue, DeepTech-type businesses that I’m used to dealing with in London.
“Nearly all of the businesses that I’ve come across in Leeds and York have significant revenues really early on in their journey.”
Alex Craven, CEO at The Data City, adds: “The map helps Leeds to become famous for being a tech city – and that attracts inward investment; creates jobs; gives graduates reasons to stay; and gives you belief in where you’re from and to remain here yourself.”