Concrete changes can allow Britain’s digital firms to fly

28 Jan

Dr Mike Lynch OBE FREng FRS writes for City A.M. on why the UK is in danger of falling behind in the global race to create and hold onto the most ambitious technology businesses. With only a single tech-first company in the FTSE 100–40-year-old Sage — Mike discusses how Britain can address its dearth of technology and science companies by building on the success of a tax incentive created by a previous Conservative administration, introducing a delisting fee when a company exits and by creating a junior market for science and technology, amongst other recommendations.

Mike Lynch: “If we are really going to create more billion-pound businesses, we must also think hard about the obstacles that stop late-stage companies raising money. They demand greater sums to grow but due to regulatory anachronisms, institutions like banks and insurance companies often face regulatory barriers to how much they can invest in these types of companies.”

Read the article here.