Startups drive UK investment growth in 2017 -study

Private investments in Britain rose to a record 4 billion pounds ($5.5 billion) in 2017, up 15 percent from a year earlier as record-low interest rates boosted capital inflow into technology startups and elsewhere, a report of finnCap and Explain the Market showed on Wednesday.

“Brexit is causing more of a nuanced impact than the predicted sledgehammer effect. It is not that entrepreneurs aren’t worried – just that they are more worried about other things. Things like growth funding, cybercrime and hiring the best people,” Guy Shone, CEO of Explain the Market, told CoFounder.

The report combines market data on 18,000 companies and 7,000 investors with in-depth interviews with 150 business leaders.

Technology represents 64 percent of all private investments, the data showed.

“London leads the way in terms of mega deals and overall levels of investment. However, right across the country, private investment continues to flow into new funds, factories and startups. The East of England and East Midlands are enjoying increased levels of private investment,” the report said.