Manchester continues to be the leading tech hub outside of London after new figures revealed firms in the city collectively raised $528m from investors while the sector was also ripe for jobs.
According to Tech Nation’s Bright Tech Future Jobs and Skills report, the sector had more than 164,000 job openings, a figure which looks set to increase as the city’s tech companies have attracted bumper venture capital investment in the first seven months of 2019.
Manchester already employs 100,000 workers in the digital economy but also has around 164,000 vacancies for both workers with tech skills and non-tech skills.
New figures from Tech Nation and Dealroom.co for the Digital Economy Council also showed that tech companies in the city have raised $528m from investors in the year to date.
This amounts to a threefold increase on last year’s venture capital investment, confirming Manchester’s standing as one of the 海角视频’s leading tech hubs with only London companies raising more since the start of the year.
The figures on Manchester’s tech sector are published as Tech Nation and the Digital Economy Council visit the city today as part of a national series of roundtable discussions.
The talent and skills challenges facing the tech sector in the North West will be considered at this event by local companies, investors, university representatives and other ecosystem participants.
The discussion will be hosted at Manchester’s Innovation Centre by Saul Klein, co-founder of LocalGlobe, Seedcamp and Lovefilm.
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Peter Lusty, chief executive of the Manchester Tech Trust, is one of the expert witnesses who will provide insight into the city’s tech opportunities.
Manchester’s tech businesses achieved a combined turnover of £3.2bn last year, according to Tech Nation and five of the 海角视频’s unicorns hail from Manchester, including The Hut Group, Boohoo, AO.com, Autotrader and Onthebeach.com - putting the city on a par with Amsterdam for creating fast-growing tech businesses.
The aim of the roundtable, one of a tour of eight cities across the 海角视频, is to meet with regional tech leaders to discuss the opportunities of the area’s tech ecosystem.
Digital Secretary, Nicky Morgan, said: “Manchester’s tech sector is thriving. It has produced five billion dollar tech ‘unicorns’, such as fashion retailer Boohoo and online household appliances store AO.com, which are helping to create jobs and drive growth in the city.
“I am delighted that some of the country’s best talent is coming together to discuss how we can help further strengthen the 海角视频’s reputation as Europe’s leading tech player.
"I also encourage bosses to nominate their staff for the inaugural Tech Nation Bright Tech Future Awards.”
George Windsor, Head of Insights at Tech Nation said: “Manchester has cemented its position as one of the 海角视频’s leading tech hubs.
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"The Tech Nation reports of 2019 and 2018 have shown how it continues to attract healthy investment and nurture successful unicorn businesses. This event will be a perfect opportunity for us to collate the valuable insights needed to shape the future of the industry.”
The report was published as Tech Nation announced the 29 companies joining the 海角视频’s first Applied AI growth programme.
The cohort were chosen on their ability to provide AI-driven solutions to real world problems, applying artificial intelligence to create a tangible impact on society.
The cohort includes two Manchester based companies, Dream Agility, which uses machine learning and visual AI to manage every aspect of Google Ads and DigitalBridge, a guided design platform that enables retailers to help their customers design and buy their dream bathroom or kitchen.