UK scale-ups are gearing up for a sharp rise in artificial intelligence investment, with new research showing UK businesses plan to increase AI spending by an average of 40% over the next two years.
What was once enterprise-only technology, is becoming a central part of how scaling companies operate, compete and plan for the future.
A study from SAP and Oxford Economics found that, on average, UK businesses are investing £15.94 million in AI in 2025 and already achieving returns of around 17% – worth approximately £2.7 million. Those returns are forecast to reach 32% by 2027 as AI becomes more embedded across operations, products and decision-making.
SAP’s wider findings point to a clear shift in mindset; most British businesses now see AI as a long-term growth driver rather than a narrow efficiency tool. While larger enterprises led the initial wave of adoption, scale-ups and mid-market firms are rapidly catching up, and are using AI to improve productivity, enhance customer experience and unlock new revenue, often moving faster than bigger rivals.
But the research also shows that many organisations are still not ready to capture the full value of their investment. Few have a company-wide AI approach, and most continue to depend on individual projects that sit apart from broader business goals. That leaves companies unsure about the impact of their current projects, revealing a gap between what they hope to achieve and what is happening in practice.
For high-growth firms, this gap can be especially challenging during periods of rapid expansion. Scale-ups often gather data from multiple products, systems and customer touchpoints, which can become difficult to manage without a cohesive foundation. Fragmented data limits model accuracy, increases complexity and slows deployment.
The right foundations
For the UK’s scale-ups, developing these capabilities is becoming essential. AI maturity is emerging as an organisational requirement in the same way finance, product or go-to-market strategies once were. Establishing strong foundations early can help high-growth firms operate more efficiently, strengthen investor confidence and compete more effectively at scale.
SAP partners with organisations as they build the data, skills and governance needed for mature AI adoption – with SAP embedding AI across its cloud portfolio to empower organisations to achieve better business outcomes, and help turn AI into a sustained growth driver rather than a series of disconnected initiatives.
The broader implication for the UK’s innovation economy is that smaller firms do not need enterprise-level budgets to achieve meaningful returns. By prioritising data quality, workforce readiness and strategic clarity, scale-ups can unlock many of the same advantages as larger organisations.
As AI investment increases and businesses integrate the technology into products and services, the opportunity is expanding. But the research also shows that technology alone will not deliver results. Firms that put the right foundations in place and tie AI to their wider aims are most likely to see lasting value.
AI is moving from trial phase to becoming a central engine for UK scaleups, reshaping how they plan, run and expand. SAP’s ecosystem and technology can support that shift, so that businesses are better equipped to turn startup energy into scaleup strength.
