Rising Stars 2025
The UK's Most Promising Early-Stage Tech Startups
From cutting-edge AI to pioneering climate tech startups, each UK region is home to flourishing tech ecosystems with their own distinct strengths.
Carolyn Dawson OBE
CEO, Founders Forum Group
We know that funding, infrastructure, and skills can still be a postcode lottery. Government must rise to meet the ambition of entrepreneurs wherever they are in the UK.
Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Business and Trade
With over 1,600 startups and scaleups in Greater Manchester, it’s the strength of the community, willingness to share, and strong peer networks that make this a great place to start and grow a company.
Katie Gallagher
OBE, Manchester Digital
The Midlands is an industrial hub with a very high quality of life, a huge network of universities and a thriving tech scene. We have universities within 10 miles of my office which have advanced degree programmes in additive and advanced manufacturing– that's super rare.
Melissa Snover
Remedy Health
From cutting-edge AI to pioneering climate tech startups, each UK region is home to flourishing tech ecosystems with their own distinct strengths.
Carolyn Dawson OBE
CEO, Founders Forum Group
From cutting-edge AI to pioneering climate tech startups, each UK region is home to flourishing tech ecosystems with their own distinct strengths.
Carolyn Dawson OBE
CEO, Founders Forum Group
We know that funding, infrastructure, and skills can still be a postcode lottery. Government must rise to meet the ambition of entrepreneurs wherever they are in the UK.
Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Business and Trade
With over 1,600 startups and scaleups in Greater Manchester, it’s the strength of the community, willingness to share, and strong peer networks that make this a great place to start and grow a company.
Katie Gallagher
OBE, Manchester Digital
The Midlands is an industrial hub with a very high quality of life, a huge network of universities and a thriving tech scene. We have universities within 10 miles of my office which have advanced degree programmes in additive and advanced manufacturing– that's super rare.
Melissa Snover
Remedy Health
From cutting-edge AI to pioneering climate tech startups, each UK region is home to flourishing tech ecosystems with their own distinct strengths.
Carolyn Dawson OBE
CEO, Founders Forum Group
From cutting-edge AI to pioneering climate tech startups, each UK region is home to flourishing tech ecosystems with their own distinct strengths.
Carolyn Dawson OBE
CEO, Founders Forum Group
We know that funding, infrastructure, and skills can still be a postcode lottery. Government must rise to meet the ambition of entrepreneurs wherever they are in the UK.
Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Business and Trade
With over 1,600 startups and scaleups in Greater Manchester, it’s the strength of the community, willingness to share, and strong peer networks that make this a great place to start and grow a company.
Katie Gallagher
OBE, Manchester Digital
The Midlands is an industrial hub with a very high quality of life, a huge network of universities and a thriving tech scene. We have universities within 10 miles of my office which have advanced degree programmes in additive and advanced manufacturing– that's super rare.
Melissa Snover
Remedy Health
From cutting-edge AI to pioneering climate tech startups, each UK region is home to flourishing tech ecosystems with their own distinct strengths.
Carolyn Dawson OBE
CEO, Founders Forum Group
From cutting-edge AI to pioneering climate tech startups, each UK region is home to flourishing tech ecosystems with their own distinct strengths.
Carolyn Dawson OBE
CEO, Founders Forum Group
We know that funding, infrastructure, and skills can still be a postcode lottery. Government must rise to meet the ambition of entrepreneurs wherever they are in the UK.
Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Business and Trade
With over 1,600 startups and scaleups in Greater Manchester, it’s the strength of the community, willingness to share, and strong peer networks that make this a great place to start and grow a company.
Katie Gallagher
OBE, Manchester Digital
The Midlands is an industrial hub with a very high quality of life, a huge network of universities and a thriving tech scene. We have universities within 10 miles of my office which have advanced degree programmes in additive and advanced manufacturing– that's super rare.
Melissa Snover
Remedy Health
From cutting-edge AI to pioneering climate tech startups, each UK region is home to flourishing tech ecosystems with their own distinct strengths.
Carolyn Dawson OBE
CEO, Founders Forum Group
From cutting-edge AI to pioneering climate tech startups, each UK region is home to flourishing tech ecosystems with their own distinct strengths.
Carolyn Dawson OBE
CEO, Founders Forum Group
We know that funding, infrastructure, and skills can still be a postcode lottery. Government must rise to meet the ambition of entrepreneurs wherever they are in the UK.
Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Business and Trade
With over 1,600 startups and scaleups in Greater Manchester, it’s the strength of the community, willingness to share, and strong peer networks that make this a great place to start and grow a company.
Katie Gallagher
OBE, Manchester Digital
The Midlands is an industrial hub with a very high quality of life, a huge network of universities and a thriving tech scene. We have universities within 10 miles of my office which have advanced degree programmes in additive and advanced manufacturing– that's super rare.
Melissa Snover
Remedy Health
From cutting-edge AI to pioneering climate tech startups, each UK region is home to flourishing tech ecosystems with their own distinct strengths.
Carolyn Dawson OBE
CEO, Founders Forum Group
Discover our Rising Stars of 2025
Discover our Rising Stars of 2025
Click on each UK region to explore our Rising Stars, key statistics, and startup stories from the most promising early-stage tech startups across the UK!
Click on each UK region to explore our Rising Stars, key statistics, and startup stories from the most promising early-stage tech startups across the UK!
Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland and Northern Ireland have established themselves as key innovation hubs with Edinburgh emerging as a major European tech center. With strengths in fintech, healthtech and AI, these regions are seeing accelerated growth and increased international investment.
Scotland
Northern Ireland
Value
$0.0b
$0.0b
Growth in Value
2020-25, CAGR
0.0%
0.0%
VC Investment
2024
$0.0m
$0.0m
Unicorns in region
0
0
Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland and Northern Ireland have established themselves as key innovation hubs with Edinburgh emerging as a major European tech center. With strengths in fintech, healthtech and AI, these regions are seeing accelerated growth and increased international investment.
Scotland
Northern Ireland
Value
$0.0b
$0.0b
Growth in Value
2020-25, CAGR
0.0%
0.0%
VC Investment
2024
$0.0m
$0.0m
Unicorns in region
0
0
Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland and Northern Ireland have established themselves as key innovation hubs with Edinburgh emerging as a major European tech center. With strengths in fintech, healthtech and AI, these regions are seeing accelerated growth and increased international investment.
Scotland
Northern Ireland
Value
$0.0b
$0.0b
Growth in Value
2020-25, CAGR
0.0%
0.0%
VC Investment
2024
$0.0m
$0.0m
Unicorns in region
0
0
Rising Stars in Scotland & Northern Ireland
Rising Stars in Scotland & Northern Ireland
Rising Stars in Scotland & Northern Ireland
Scotland punches above its weight. We’ve got great innovation and it’s a really exciting place to be.
Hugh Craigie Halkett
Stamp Free
Scotland punches above its weight. We’ve got great innovation and it’s a really exciting place to be.
Hugh Craigie Halkett
Stamp Free
Scotland punches above its weight. We’ve got great innovation and it’s a really exciting place to be.
Hugh Craigie Halkett
Stamp Free
Explore the other regions
Explore the other regions
Explore the other regions
Read the full report
Read the full report
Read the full report
Download the full list of the UK's most promising early-stage tech startups, including investment data, founder stories, startup resources, and more!
Download the full list of the UK's most promising early-stage tech startups, including investment data, founder stories, startup resources, and more!
© 2025, Tech Nation. All rights reserved.
© 2025, Tech Nation. All rights reserved.
© 2025, Tech Nation. All rights reserved.