This month marks the 10 year anniversary of Tech Nation being appointed to administer endorsements for the Global Talent Visa (formerly the Exceptional Talent Visa).
A lot has changed in those 10 years – not least, in visa terms, the small matter of Brexit, and Tech Nation’s rebirth under the ownership of Founders Forum Group after it lost its core, £12m Digital Growth Contract funding in 2022.
Tech Nation lives on, however, and in the 10 years since it took on the role of Global Talent Visa administrator it has endorsed more than 5,000 highly skilled global professionals – one-in-four of them founders – to join a UK tech ecosystem via the Global Talent Visa with a combined 2023 market value of more than $1tn.
To mark the anniversary, Tech Nation has been taking a look back over the last 10 years in the Tech Nation Global Talent Visa Report: 10 Years of Global Talent in UK Tech. Some of the key findings include:
- The top locations for UK global talent are: Europe, Africa, India, North America, China, and Australia.
- They mostly work in: Apps and software development, AI and machine learning, and fintech.
- 1 in 3 have software engineering skills.
- 95% are educated at bachelor’s degree level or higher.
- Quality of life, job opportunities, people, and diversity are the top reasons they choose to pursue careers in the UK.
- Together, they’ve contributed to the growth of the UK tech ecosystem, now worth more than $1 trillion.
Investment in UK Tech:
- The UK tech sector is the third most valuable in the world after the US and China, and the number one tech ecosystem in Europe.
- Over the past decade, UK tech startups have raised $171.9b in venture capital investment.
- In 2023, at $21.3b, UK tech startups raised more than double that raised by startups in France ($9.3b), Germany ($8.2b), Sweden ($5.2b), and other major European markets.
- Up to 64% of investment in UK tech startups comes from overseas.
Carolyn Dawson, CEO of Founders Forum Group, said: “The Global Talent Visa brings exceptional talent to the UK and helps to fuel the growth of one of the most valuable tech ecosystems in the world. Tech Nation has worked with the Home Office to endorse over 5,000 applications from exceptional global talent, helping them apply to bring their skills, ideas and promising careers to the UK.
“The Global Talent Visa provides an effective means of bringing these future leaders to the UK and Tech Nation’s endorsement of the visa, as well as the community we create for visa holders once in the UK, plays an important role in creating the next generation of unicorns. A quarter of those given the opportunity to join the UK tech ecosystem via the Global Talent Visa are founders and it’s incredibly gratifying to witness the journeys that help the UK maintain its position as a global leader in technology innovation.”
