Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

London's 'Tech City' may never be the same again after the coronavirus

London's 'Tech City' may never be the same again after the coronavirus

London’s reputation as one of the world’s major tech hubs is in jeopardy as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. “The downside for London might be the dwindling of ’serendipity,” said Harry Briggs, a venture capitalist with Omers Ventures. The lack of tech workers in and around East London’s Shoreditch neighborhood isn’t going unnoticed.
London’s reputation as one of the world’s major tech hubs is in jeopardy as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

At the start of the last decade, a cluster of start-ups began to form around East London’s Old Street roundabout (technically a gyratory system), leading the area to be nicknamed “Silicon Roundabout.”

Then-British Prime Minister David Cameron latched onto their success and branded the area in and around the hipster Shoreditch neighbourhood “Tech City.”

Since then, London’s tech ecosystem has expanded to other corners of the capital including King’s Cross and the West End. Today, tech companies and their employees span the entire city.

Homegrown start-ups like DeepMind, Shazam, Revolut, and TransferWise have become well-known names in their respective industries, while U.S. tech giants including Amazon, Facebook, Google and Apple have also set up huge new offices for thousands of staff.

But the coronavirus pandemic is threatening to change the landscape.

Given the very nature of their work, tech firms can often embrace remote working far more easily than companies in other industries.

“The downside for London might be the dwindling of serendipity,” said Harry Briggs, a venture capitalist with Omers Ventures.

“Whilst Shoreditch never had it to Silicon Valley levels, the square mile between Shoreditch, Clerkenwell and Kings Cross has become Europe’s most serendipitous place for founders,” Briggs said. “You can’t go into Ozone (coffee shop), Granger & Co (restaurant) or Google Campus without bumping into several VCs or fellow founders.”

Meanwhile, events held by the likes of tech network Founders Forum, VC firm Seedcamp and start-up factory EF (Entrepreneur First) have all gone virtual.

“Now, the meetings and events are happening on Zoom, many founders have temporarily migrated to places like Lisbon, and the VCs are working from their country ‘cottages,’” Briggs said.

Many of the city’s start-ups have been based in flexible coworking spaces, but future of these hubs also hang in the balance.

This month, TechHub, an office space provider that has housed hundreds of start-ups over the last decade, filed for administration. Founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Varley and TechCrunch Editor-at-Large Mike Butcher, TechHub said it lost three-quarters of its revenues as a result of the lockdown.

“Elements of Tech City are being hit hard, like co-working spaces,” said Eze Vidra, managing partner at Remagine Ventures and a former tech investor at Google Ventures. “But from a start-up and VC perspective, I am being regularly reminded that some of the best companies were created in times of crisis. I am seeing great companies, effectively raising rounds and gaining traction.”

The lack of tech workers in and around Shoreditch isn’t going unnoticed. Entrepreneur Rich Pleeth told CNBC that The Griffin pub in Shoreditch was practically empty when he visited last Thursday. “That used to be the beating heart,” he said.

“We’ve seen Covid make more decisions than a CEO ever could on working remotely,” Pleeth said, adding, “Why go back to the office if you have to sit on your own with no colleagues anywhere near you?”

These problems are in no way confined to London’s tech ecosystem. On the other side of the Atlantic, San Francisco is experiencing a similar thing, while there are now over 13,000 empty apartments in Manhattan. Major cities are turning into ghost towns as people opt to work remotely from less densely populated parts of the world.

“London will survive -it always does -and people will find new ways to connect -we always do. But Tech City’s role as a hub of serendipity may have had its peak,” said Briggs.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×