The companies setting up their Global HQ in the UK: these are 10 companies whose global HQ I have help establish in the UK in the past 12 months, in my role as Dealmaker for the Department for International Trade. It’s not what you might expect during Brexit, but the Government audits the quality of these companies to ensure they are indeed outstanding technologies.
Creditenable – allowing lenders better assess business borrowers risk levels, so increase the flow of corporate lending.
Lemontree – from India, working in Fintech born out of media technology
Finboot – from Spain, making it easier for businesses to use blockchain for record-keeping, cost cutting, efficiency, transparency, cutting fraud
Sankey – from India, a very fast growting Indian IT firm winning major contracts in the UK now
Aspire – from Poland, using blockchain for recruitment, to make it more honest
Medicheck – from Sweden – medical devices company
ZestIOT – from India, Internet of Things player, growing fast with venture capital funding
Voxta - from India, using AI for voice technology to make customer service better
Automata.live – from France, asset management in crypto currency
IcebergInsights From Singapore – using behavioural insights to help businesses improve their sales – sort of Cambridge Analytica, but legal.
Need money for an invention? Or for your business growth?
But have you thought about crowdfunding? One outstanding company from India I helped bring to the UK is Advatech who are using this route. They help reduce NHS costs by freeing up ambulances, by training and equipping local cabs to carry medical need patients.
For Crowdfunding, Advatech are using Crowdcube – a leading platform.
So many British Indians are in business. But here is the exciting thing, you may be a professional, a doctor, or management consultant. And you may need funding for an invention. Well these platforms are good for that too.
Because they force you to think commercially about presenting the invention, and the figures behind it, you are being forced to think if it is viable to begin with and if the market wants it.
But guess what – that also market tests it. If you can’t get the funding, then clearly the market is not interested. Imagine if Steve Jobs put the iPod on a crowdfunding site. Obviously every investor would have thought that it is great, he would have got the money.
The key reasons for failure will be your idea is not good enough commercially to produce a return. Isn’t it great you get a load of experienced investors to vet it at no cost.
Of course a few delusional arrogant business people will think they know best, and go ahead anyway, like Donald Trump, and end up bankrupt like Donald Trump too.
These platforms prevent your ego throwing good money away, because if the idea is good money goes to it.
Of course you could turn investor and invest via these sites in the next big thing. But of course not everything on the sites is going to be big. Maybe only 10% will make a return. So be careful.
Alpesh Patel
