When I founded Scalable Capital in London back in 2014, the city felt electric. There was a powerful sense of inevitability.
If you had bold ambitions and grit, London was the place to build. Investors believed it. Policymakers believed it. Founders believed it.
2014 was the year of the first London Tech Week, the likes of Monzo and Starling Bank were being born and investment capital was flowing. Suddenly, London was the tech capital of the world.
Fast-forward to 2025, and that electricity has been replaced by something else entirely: doubt.
We’ve gone from being the undisputed fintech capital to questioning whether we can even compete in AI. Conversations revolve around slumping investment, slow exits, and perceived government indifference. Meanwhile, Paris celebrates Mistral, Stockholm champions Lovable, and we’re left wondering where our AI rocketships are….
