Startups in London: the Silicon ring ' Tech City
Hello, we are an English company, founded by two Russian guys. We called just Leto and the startups we create for our clients. Sometimes it's the ordinary people who want to run your own business (website, mobile APPU, etc.), and sometimes quite a large company, launching a new product or service. We started more than two years ago, and in this post I would like to tell how London has changed and what happened in London start-UPS during this time.
Now we are surrounded by all sorts of incubators, co-working offices, investors, startups (big and small), in front of the Windows of our office — the notorious Google Campus, and nearby Last.fm, Songkick, Moo.com, AirBnB and TweetDeck and Amazon, and... phew... the list goes on, Yes, although what I look at this.
Although let us all in order. Two years ago when we came here things were a little different...
Achtung: photo, traffic.
This area of East London is now called Tech City or Silicon ring (Silicon Roundabout) — such as silicon valley in California, and its historical name is Shoreditch.
looks like Silicon Roundabout
A few years ago it was not a very popular place. It was not the most safe or pleasant in London. But cheap offices and proximity to downtown (and the city of London) attracted many designers, startups, software, agencies (by the way, Kaspersky Labs was also here, although only the sales Department, main office outside of London). Over the past 5 years, the rental rate of offices has doubled, and the density of IT companies per square kilometer comparable with San Francisco or Palo Alto.
A major role in the development of Tech City was played by the local start-up community. When we started, it was very unorganized, informal, but very free, fresh and extremely active. London then and now there are many different “get-togethers” startups. Most are held in the “free beer, nice people, startups and ideas.” So, every Friday for over three years, people gather in one of the nearby bars for occasionally under the name Silicon Drinkabout (word, rough translation “silicon booze”). No admission fee, presentations or programs, just come for a beer and chat with people. We were lucky enough to be familiar personally with the organizers of Silicon Drinkabout, and I think it is thanks to them (and like them), London grew during this time as the city of startups. By the way, last time when I went to their historical homeland in Omsk, I left the sticker Silicon Drinkabout at one of the traffic lights, what these guys were awful happy :)
One night Silicon Drinkabout
this is how it looks
the Organizers
Similar “get-togethers” in London many (Minibar, Hacker News and other), but people everywhere are about the same. All the community is about a few thousand people, so most startups, incubators, investors, know each other personally, and meet frequently in an informal setting. Overall, doing a startup in London and to avoid frequent drinking, is quite difficult, if not impossible. The British loves to drink.
Hacker News Meetup
the
Google Campus
the
Almost immediately after the opening of Google Campus, appeared on the scene Wayra — a new incubator from Telefonica (the mobile operator of Europe under the O2 brand headquartered in Spain). Wayra came very quickly and unexpectedly — almost all the “party” was held under the auspices of Wayra, they sponsorowane beer, food, and anything. The terms were simple — apply for €50,000 investment and a place in their new incubator. Applications were over 1000, but won only 16 teams.
Wayra Academy London
the
Special mention deserves the participation of the state in the development of startups. In may last year, the same guys from Silicon Drinkabout made a party in the campus with participation of officials of the TCIO (Tech City Investment Organisation). Your obedient servant, a computer programmer from Siberia, trapped by fate in this event, without any formality and subordination could be free to chat over a beer with the guys from TCIO, including assistants to the Prime Minister of the country. Then they, by the way, promised to come to grips with problems with the visa regime, and in some way, even kept his promise, but more on that later.
In addition to this event, various conferences and the usual “drinking” with the participation of the state are held almost every week. Anyone can come there, as a rule, no entrance fees and no inspections. One of the guys at the Silicon Drinkabout was offered the position of Deputy Director of the TCIO, which we also were extremely pleased, but surprised as he (imagine that some simple IT-blogger in Russia becomes the head of SKOLKOVO).
Today, London is as active as ever. Many people compare the spirit that now soars in London with experience in San Francisco and in Silicon Valley. You can go to any cafe or bar in the heart of Tech City, and most likely, you will see there company startups, new ideas, investors and other people involved with startups. The creation of new businesses, innovation, IT companies — all British government calls prioritetnym, hoping thus to restore in a crisis economy.
Typical bars and cafés of Shoreditch
Unfortunately with visas for non-European citizens in England so far so good, though it has become much better lately. Ideal for startups, today is entrepreneur visa (Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa). To get it you need to either find an accredited investor in England (suitable incubator, such as the Seedcamp), who will agree to invest at least £50,000 in your startup, or to find £200,000 to invest in your business here. In addition, we know that several London universities actively lobbying for the program of transition of foreign students into entrepreneurs, but to our knowledge it has not yet been considered by Parliament. From another front, the start up community all forces promoting the easing of visas for those who are already doing business (after all, in addition to Russian, there are many Americans, Canadians, Australians, who, oddly enough, faced with the same visa barriers). While this struggle has not brought results, but we are monitoring the situation, and as soon as I hear — be sure to tell Habru.
In conclusion, I would like to say that we love London and really nice here to run your startup. Unfortunately, we will need not one or even two posts to tell what's going on here, so we'd love to hear any questions and comments, and if necessary to tell more.
Greetings Gabru from Albion!
Team Summer
Article based on information from habrahabr.ru
Now we are surrounded by all sorts of incubators, co-working offices, investors, startups (big and small), in front of the Windows of our office — the notorious Google Campus, and nearby Last.fm, Songkick, Moo.com, AirBnB and TweetDeck and Amazon, and... phew... the list goes on, Yes, although what I look at this.
Although let us all in order. Two years ago when we came here things were a little different...
Achtung: photo, traffic.
This area of East London is now called Tech City or Silicon ring (Silicon Roundabout) — such as silicon valley in California, and its historical name is Shoreditch.
looks like Silicon Roundabout
A few years ago it was not a very popular place. It was not the most safe or pleasant in London. But cheap offices and proximity to downtown (and the city of London) attracted many designers, startups, software, agencies (by the way, Kaspersky Labs was also here, although only the sales Department, main office outside of London). Over the past 5 years, the rental rate of offices has doubled, and the density of IT companies per square kilometer comparable with San Francisco or Palo Alto.
A major role in the development of Tech City was played by the local start-up community. When we started, it was very unorganized, informal, but very free, fresh and extremely active. London then and now there are many different “get-togethers” startups. Most are held in the “free beer, nice people, startups and ideas.” So, every Friday for over three years, people gather in one of the nearby bars for occasionally under the name Silicon Drinkabout (word, rough translation “silicon booze”). No admission fee, presentations or programs, just come for a beer and chat with people. We were lucky enough to be familiar personally with the organizers of Silicon Drinkabout, and I think it is thanks to them (and like them), London grew during this time as the city of startups. By the way, last time when I went to their historical homeland in Omsk, I left the sticker Silicon Drinkabout at one of the traffic lights, what these guys were awful happy :)
One night Silicon Drinkabout
this is how it looks
the Organizers
Similar “get-togethers” in London many (Minibar, Hacker News and other), but people everywhere are about the same. All the community is about a few thousand people, so most startups, incubators, investors, know each other personally, and meet frequently in an informal setting. Overall, doing a startup in London and to avoid frequent drinking, is quite difficult, if not impossible. The British loves to drink.
Hacker News Meetup
the
Google Campus and friends
Google Campus
the
Wayra and colleagues
Almost immediately after the opening of Google Campus, appeared on the scene Wayra — a new incubator from Telefonica (the mobile operator of Europe under the O2 brand headquartered in Spain). Wayra came very quickly and unexpectedly — almost all the “party” was held under the auspices of Wayra, they sponsorowane beer, food, and anything. The terms were simple — apply for €50,000 investment and a place in their new incubator. Applications were over 1000, but won only 16 teams.
Wayra Academy London
the
Tech City Investment Organisation
Special mention deserves the participation of the state in the development of startups. In may last year, the same guys from Silicon Drinkabout made a party in the campus with participation of officials of the TCIO (Tech City Investment Organisation). Your obedient servant, a computer programmer from Siberia, trapped by fate in this event, without any formality and subordination could be free to chat over a beer with the guys from TCIO, including assistants to the Prime Minister of the country. Then they, by the way, promised to come to grips with problems with the visa regime, and in some way, even kept his promise, but more on that later.
In addition to this event, various conferences and the usual “drinking” with the participation of the state are held almost every week. Anyone can come there, as a rule, no entrance fees and no inspections. One of the guys at the Silicon Drinkabout was offered the position of Deputy Director of the TCIO, which we also were extremely pleased, but surprised as he (imagine that some simple IT-blogger in Russia becomes the head of SKOLKOVO).
Today, London is as active as ever. Many people compare the spirit that now soars in London with experience in San Francisco and in Silicon Valley. You can go to any cafe or bar in the heart of Tech City, and most likely, you will see there company startups, new ideas, investors and other people involved with startups. The creation of new businesses, innovation, IT companies — all British government calls prioritetnym, hoping thus to restore in a crisis economy.
Typical bars and cafés of Shoreditch
Unfortunately with visas for non-European citizens in England so far so good, though it has become much better lately. Ideal for startups, today is entrepreneur visa (Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa). To get it you need to either find an accredited investor in England (suitable incubator, such as the Seedcamp), who will agree to invest at least £50,000 in your startup, or to find £200,000 to invest in your business here. In addition, we know that several London universities actively lobbying for the program of transition of foreign students into entrepreneurs, but to our knowledge it has not yet been considered by Parliament. From another front, the start up community all forces promoting the easing of visas for those who are already doing business (after all, in addition to Russian, there are many Americans, Canadians, Australians, who, oddly enough, faced with the same visa barriers). While this struggle has not brought results, but we are monitoring the situation, and as soon as I hear — be sure to tell Habru.
In conclusion, I would like to say that we love London and really nice here to run your startup. Unfortunately, we will need not one or even two posts to tell what's going on here, so we'd love to hear any questions and comments, and if necessary to tell more.
Greetings Gabru from Albion!
Team Summer
