August 2023 | Community Newsletter
Hello,
Welcome back to the Houghton Street Ventures Community newsletter, our monthly update on what’s happening within the LSE startup and venture ecosystem. We have some exciting events over the coming month:
GTM 101 - James Allgrove & Houghton Street - learn tips and tricks on GTM strategy from former Head of Revenue & Growth at Stripe - book a ticket here
Today, we have an interview with LSE-alum, Gerard Grech, founder and former CEO of Tech Nation. Tech Nation went on to shape Europe’s most productive digital ecosystem, creating dozens of nationwide programs that helped grow some of Britain’s biggest tech stars, from Monzo to Skyscanner, with over 1300 companies in between.
If you’re interested in learning more about Houghton Street Ventures, we’d love to hear from you. Or if you have ideas about future content or collaborations, just hit reply!
An Interview with Gerard Grech…
You've had a front-row seat in shaping the UK's entrepreneurial ecosystem through Tech Nation over the last decade. What do you consider the defining characteristics of this ecosystem?
For the last three years, the UK is now third in the world for technology investment (after the US and China), which ten years ago people would have scoffed at the idea of. The value of the UK's tech ecosystem has grown sixteen times in value to over $1trn in the last decade, because there was a lot of political will and intention at the start of that journey.
The UK's entrepreneurial ecosystem has shown remarkable dynamism and adaptability, even in the face of challenges like Brexit and COVID-19. It thrives on collaboration among different stakeholders, including regulators, entrepreneurs, investors, and academia. This collaborative approach has given the UK a competitive edge, although too much harmony can be detrimental as it’s essential to strike the right balance between harmony and constructive friction to drive positive change.
Given what we're doing with LSE, we're always looking at the role that universities can play within these ecosystems. Where do you think universities sit?
I’m relatively bullish on universities and their role in entrepreneurship for the simple reason that I think our challenges in society are becoming ever more complex. For that reason, academia and entrepreneurship can no longer be mutually exclusive. Universities have to quickly become places of both academic and entrepreneurial excellence.
Indeed, undergrads and postdoc researchers are increasingly making decisions on where they go to university to conduct their studies or develop their research based on how they can apply their learning in a much more entrepreneurial context.
Community News & Updates
Big Deals
Odore - founded by Armaan Mehta - raised a £3.9m Seed led by Fuel Ventures
Rightfoot - founded by Deirdre Clute - raised a $15m Series A led by Renegade Partners & Blue Lion
Anytype - founded by Zhanna Sharipova - raised a €12.3m Series A led by Balderton Capital
Meatable - founded by Markus Gstottner - raised a €31m Series B led by Agronomics
In the News
Layer featured in Yahoo Finance after they were acquired by SheetGo
Moove featured in the FT after their $76m raise from Mubadala and Blackrock to expand their mobility solutions for Africa
Anytype’s open-source web builder featured in Tech EU following their Series A from Balderton
Meet the Team
The team will be in:
New York: 16th to 24th September - Hannah delivering ESG training and meeting LSE founders & investors
Paris: 2nd to 3rd October - Hannah presenting at the Women in Venture: European summit
Berlin: 9th to 13th October - Hannah delivering ESG training and meeting LSE founders & investors
If our paths cross or if you’re swinging by London, come visit us in the LSE library - we’d love to catch up, let us know!
Best,
Hannah, Adam, and David