Michael Atkins

Paul - Thanks for sharing. As you know, I'm an American living and working in London. I've been here for 20+ years. I did undergrad studies at the University of Washington in Seattle, the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland and UM in Munich, Germany. Most of my two decades of work in London were dedicated to launching and running my own ventures - I started my first company in 2008 when I was 40 years old. I'll be 56 in September. Here's my high-level take: Things here feel small. - Budgets - Mindsets - Ambitions - Investments - Risk appetites - The list goes on I know. That's harsh and unfair to the many very ambitious entrepreneurs who have taken outsized risks, raised millions of £/$/€ and have built phenomenal businesses. And it's a little unfair to the investor community. But, the numbers speak for themselves. There are too few entrepreneurs and there is too little capital to fund their ideas (hopefully really big ones). Two specific things come to mind that might help move this narrative forward and, in some small way, help to address the problems noted by Tom. 1. Secondary Schools I've heard from my kids, both in the same secondary state school in Hackney, say that their teachers are harping on about the relationship between school attendance and test scores and successful university applications and netting jobs as lawyers, accountants, bankers and related post-graduation. Someone started the companies that employ these people, right? Perhaps our secondary education system needs to emphasise and encourage our children to see entrepreneurial pursuits as real and exciting paths to take as well, with a big focus on software, cloud computing, cybersecurity, data and AI, which should be strategic national priorities. 2. Investment The current government-backed SEIS and EIS tax relief programmes may need to be revamped/replaced to prevent the entrenchment of market-distorting, risk-averse and tax relief-centric class of investors. I know, this is heresy. And, I'll admit, my current company and a handful of UK investors have benefited from these programmes, but I'm worried that these programmes may be hurting more than helping the mid/longer term health and prosperity of the the UK startup ecosystem. In my case, I've decided that my venture's next financing - pursuing it now - will no longer participate in UK tax relief programmes. UK investors will need to be all in, just like non-UK investors, who currently make up 67% of £1.2 million raised to date. Risk appetites need to change. High net worth business leaders and individuals, corporates, VCs, universities, other institutions and, yes, government bodies, too, can all play a role in converting today's sluggish, safe, risk-averse startup ecosystem into something far more vibrant and productive. Yes, it will mean more failures and pain and disappointment (shit happens), but it will also produce more [global] successes. I think it's worth it. James

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With all the doom & gloom surrounding capital gains tax, here’s why I am now more bullish on the future of the UK 🇬🇧 tech scene (especially in AI): 1. 20VC's Fundraise:    This fundraise is bringing more eyeballs and the people towards the UK. It’s about time someone starts challenges the traditional approach to entrepreneurship here, and I’m confident that 20VC will become the gold standard for tech investing. 2. Growing AI Ecosystem:   There is already a substantial base brewing locally, with over 1,300 AI companies in London—more than New York and Berlin combined. The network effect is only set to grow, with amazing companies like Synthesia, Metaview, and Robin AI. 3. 10-Year AI National Strategy:  The UK has a 10-year AI national strategy aimed at making the country a world leader in AI. This government support could become a real driver for economic growth and job creation. The UK has all the foundations to become an amazing place to build a business.

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🚀 Why Wales Needs More Tech Entrepreneurs to Prosper in the Age of AI This post was inspired by the recent Welsh tech event organised by Technology Connected and hosted by Ogi, which highlighted critical issues and brought together venture creators Ben Allwright, Mark Sweeny, Sophie Mason (thediffabledceo), VCs, Daniel Sawko, and others to discuss the future of tech in Wales. I often ponder: why does Wales underperform in most economic indicators in the UK? Where are the jobs of the future going to come from? As a founder of Presto Dental, a pioneering dental software startup, I reflect on these questions while we build our tech company from Cardiff to export worldwide. 📊 Let's look at the facts: 👉 The tech sector in Wales contributes only 6% to the economy, compared to 10% in London. 👉 Only Admiral has IPOed among Welsh companies. Why does Wales struggle to create global tech companies? What needs to change? Here is my take on creating a blueprint for a thriving tech ecosystem in Wales: 1. Embrace Entrepreneurial Spirit: Wales needs to unleash its entrepreneurial spirit. We need more courageous tech entrepreneurs to build future companies. 2. Foster a Risk-Taking Culture: Support those willing to take the plunge into entrepreneurship. 3. Increase Investment: In 2022, only 1.5% of UK venture capital was invested in Wales. We need policies and incentives to attract VCs to early-stage startups. 4. Attract Talent: Position Wales as a top destination for global talent, leveraging our high density of knowledge and skills. 5. Diversify the Economy: Move away from relying heavily on government jobs. A varied economic base will drive innovation and growth. Welsh founders often sell more equity when raising funds compared to their counterparts in England, hindering future growth. There's also a lack of competition among VCs investing in Welsh tech startups. What is stopping us from building a tech hub like Estonia, Israel, or the Silicon Valley model? Here’s what we need more of: 👉 Leverage Our Talent: A high density of talent and knowledge is our advantage. 👉 Encourage Bold Risk-Takers: Support and celebrate risk-taking entrepreneurs. 👉 Attract Venture Capitalists: Incentivize VCs to invest in Welsh tech startups. Remember, Michael Moritz, the chairman Sequoia Capital one of the world’s most successful VCs, is Cardiff-born and has strong ties to Wales. 👉 Foster a Culture of Paying It Forward: Encourage successful businesspeople to invest in the next wave of tech companies. 👉 Government Support: The Welsh government must incentivise tech companies that are founded and HQ in Wales to flourish and compete globally. At Presto Dental, we aim to push boundaries and reverse the trend, proving that Wales can be a hub for groundbreaking tech companies. As founders, what actions do you think we need to take to create a thriving tech ecosystem in Wales? #Wales #TechEntrepreneurs #Innovation #AI #Startups #DentalTech #FutureJobs

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LLMs are a *totally* sustainable and economically viable technology. All we need to do is strip the rights and incomes away from writers to make it work. Totally fine. /sarcasm. For context, the creative industries in the UK contribute about 5% of total GDP.

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Who is heading to UKREiiF next week? Go find Tom Neall and andrew smith to grill them about all things real estate data ;) They will be there to offer all attendees live access to the latest research data and tools for site assessments, investment due diligence, property risk reports, valuation analysis and (literally) millions more. #propertydata #materialinformation #landassessment #propertyinvestment

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Innovate UK and me 😀 I lost touch with Innovate UK leadership many years ago. Would be good to reconnect. Congrats Stella Peace for taking the helm. Just as a quick intro - I’m an independent assessor but over 11 years ago, used to run collaborative tech founder centric events in Manchester and the North West through Techcelerate. I think those days you were called Technology Strategy Board, if I recall. Love to explore future collaborations if Innovate UK is open. Couple of things I like to suggest: - InnovateUK has made a significant difference to British companies, especially early stage tech startups. Most of these companies seek funding for cloud infrastructure. I see hefty asks in grant applications. Wouldn't it make sense to strike deals with Amazon Web Services (AWS) Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure ? Of course, local cloud infrastructure companies will protest against this (and we should support them), but the savings can be used to support more grant applicants. These three companies provide cloud credits (there are many dangers with cloud credits - but that's a conversation for another day) and many applicants seem to be unaware of them. - A new industry has evolved in grant writing. This means, first time applicants who are not savvy in grant writing but with great innovations may not get through as they lack the skills in art of writing. More and more AI is creeping in. I'm sure Innovate UK must have discussed this issues internally. I know one day the assessor role will be undertaken by AI. I am not sure where this would lead to as AI assessing an AI written application. But it's worth a discussion. - From a grant assessor point of view, it would be helpful if we know which of the grants one assessed that got through. Whilst there is guidance on scoring, this vital feedback loop is missing. I believe this feature can easily be added on the Dashboard with a record of grants assessed. If you are a tech startup reading this post, please continue to apply for InnovateUK grant applications. They have helped many tech companies. Couple of tech founders who benefited from grant funding from Techcelerate include Andrew Threlfall and Taz Aldawoud. #InnovateUK #grantfunding #grants #ukgrants

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I met the UK Gov Secretary of State for DSIT aka the 'Tech Minister'. And he’s got an AI Strategy brewing. It's top of the agenda, which is refreshing to see, considering the super-charged levels of expectation on this new government. Decisions and plans around it will shape the lives of millions across the UK for years to come. Will the UK government capitalise on the opportunity AI brings? How fast can they act. How inclusive can they be with their approach. I was thankful to attend a Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) ministerial event last night and meet the Tech Minister Peter Kyle to hear more about those plans. They’re gearing up for a so called “bold and inclusive approach”, but that’s going to require a mindset shift, delicate balance of regulation and skills development, and airtight comms plan. It’ll no doubt start with AI adoption in the public sector but ensuring the UK is bringing industry and government to train the next generation of AI talent, whilst spreading skills across existing workforces, is key! Whether it’s navigating the services you use to coordinate free childcare or upskilling yourself on how you grow your business, we’ll see AI powering this moving forward. Ace to catch up with some friendly faces, Dorothy Chou, Deborah Okenla, Jemma Waters, Phil Smith CBE, Katie Gallagher OBE, and Faye Van Flute. Looking forward to seeing what's on the horizon. #DSIT #AIStrategy #UpSkilling

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Brilliantly articulated! The profound impact of data science is predominantly seen in its ability to automate processes and support to make decisions. I'm particularly captivated by the phrase ‘A calculation is made if a revocable allocation of resource takes place’’ So decision-makers can simulate, predict, and plan for diverse scenarios and pick an option based on the priority. ‘’A decision is made if an irrevocable allocation of resource takes place’’. the decision-maker needs to bear the consequences and move forward. that’s the value of data science and the essence of today's data-driven landscape. Let's discuss how we can further leverage this potential to drive innovation and efficiency in our respective domains.

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𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿 – 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗹/𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝗨𝗽 𝘁𝗼 £𝟭𝟬𝟬𝗸 ▪ Revenue-generating AI start-up. ▪ Unique product with AI at its core. ▪ Recently raised multi-million ££ funding to support the next growth phase. Bristol is crying out for more AI companies so I’m buzzing to be supporting the latest player in this space. I’ve got two roles, one of which is more research based so I’m looking to speak with Machine Learning Engineers and Researchers with a solid understanding of diffusion models. The ML Engineer needs to have strong production experience and come from an image-based background. Diffusion model experience is the icing on the cake, but the client is aware there’s a limited number of people who will have experience taking these into production. Essentially, if the researcher has the required diffusion model expertise, then it’s less important for the engineer. There is a world whereby we can hire 2 x ML Engineers in place of a researcher, so long as the diffusion model experience is covered. 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: ▪ 0-1 experience is preferred – failing that, experience within an AI startup and the ability to wear many hats. ▪ Strong computer vision background, ideally diffusion models or transformers at the very least. ▪ ML production, pipeline and infrastructure (design and build). ▪ Understanding of MLOps principles. The engineer position needs to be at the senior level, but the researcher is more flexible. As an ML Engineer, you’ll essentially be the subject matter expert, so you’ll need experience in designing and building ML systems and infrastructure from scratch. This could in time turn into a leadership position depending on your career aspirations but it’s not a deal breaker if you want to remain an IC. The preference is to build the team in Bristol but there is scope for those in London to apply as long as you’re happy with monthly travel to Bristol. If you’re based in Bristol, then it will be 3 x days a week in the office. Unfortunately, sponsorship is not available for either position. #AI #artificalintelligence #diffusionmodel #diffusionmodels #machinelearning #ML #mlengineer #aiengineer

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Last week to apply for the #ShottScaleup accelerator for any engineering and tech business leaders out there! £10k personal development grant, plus coaching, mentoring and training. If you're interested or have any questions drop me a message. #SME #Engineering #Tech #Leadership #Enterprise #EnterpriseHub

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Here is how MIGSO-PCUBED transformed portfolio delivery for HM Government! 🏛 🎯Challenges: - Hierarchical structures - Limited Agile understanding - Poor delivery throughput 💡Our Solution: - Agile coaching team - Portfolio review - Prioritization model ✨Achievements: - 25% boost in delivery throughput - Reduced decision-making timelines - Enhanced ROI for taxpayers 💼Benefits: - Clearer business benefits - Improved governance - More efficient delivery 💬Conclusion: By prioritizing Agile principles, we drove impactful change, laying the foundation for ongoing success! 📈 Dive deeper here: https://lnkd.in/gWqEMJ_2 #AgileTransformation #BusinessSuccess

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We went from nearly £0 burn to needing to spend £33k a month. Why? We won an Innovate UK grant. Non-dilutive funding is great, but be aware of the t's and c's and what impact this will have. We went from a gentle walk to sprinting on a treadmill (and we were not ready!). However, this acceleration did mean that we came across Gareth Williams, who became our Chief Data Scientist, and our first long-term employee. We parted on good terms earlier this year - and if it weren't for that Innovate UK grant, the shipshape.vc search engine would probably not exist! Thanks again to Richard Lee and Innovators Uncensored - shot at the iconic Tramshed Tech (where both of our companies work from!). #capitalraising #startups #fundraising #founders #venturecapital #investors #vc #vcfunding #technology #startup #tech 

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Are you wondering where to start with strategy execution? In my work with some of the UK's top CEOs, I've witnessed first-hand the challenge of achieving full team alignment and accelerating organisational progress. Getting everyone on the same page and working hard on the right things to move forward at a pace sounds great, but many often don’t know where to start! To address this challenge, I've created an insightful video explaining the top three things to consider when creating a robust strategy execution engine in your business. Please let me know in the comments if you found this useful. #strategyexecution #leadership #productivity #businessgrowth

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Looking back on May, I've had the pleasure of being part of some great events: - How I built it with Silverstone Technology Cluster, Barclays Eagle Labs, EFM and MPA - Grant funding workshop at Vulcan Works - Provocation Sessions with WeAreMotus - Grant funding and finance at the MK Ethnic Business Community (MKEBC) meetup - The Lunch with Yellowyoyo My key takeaways have been: - Think of the exit strategy at the start when looking at finance options - Do your homework and prepare for any funding or finance option that you choose to grow your business - Use insights, testing and research to create brands and marketing campaigns that really speak to your customers but balance this with intuition and gut feel - Don't pay for advisors - there are so many free options available such as ADPList for free mentors

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This month I’m celebrating 2 years of an absolutely amazing partnership with Innovate UK 🎉🎉 We filmed this video 2 years ago at our launch. Since then we have: • Held 9 events for VCs & late-stage investors to catalyse more capital going into climate tech • Brought together over 200 different investors • Featured talks from over 18 subject matter experts But more importantly, we’ve seen incredible results: • Investor feedback averaged an 8.7/10 satisfaction score for all events • Between 50-85% of attendees left events MORE likely to invest in the sector (this is probably our biggest win and the impact we’re most excited about 🔥🔥🔥) • Been consistently told how valuable these events are: “By far my favourite event series to attend”, “Amazing speakers and fantastic conversations”, “I love the ‘forced but good’ networking” And we still have another 7 events to go. If you’re an investor, consider joining us for: 🚜 🌾 AgriFoodTech - Nov 7, 2024 - https://lnkd.in/dv8kzeeb And 2025 events on FOAK -First-Of-A-Kind funding (Feb), renewables (March), transport (April), high-value manufacturing (May), power electronics (June), nature financing (September). 📩 Sign up for our newsletters to hear about future events: ➡️ Climate Connection newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dBTbrKbA ➡️ Innovate UK’s Investor LinkedIn Group: https://lnkd.in/dGjnEYWE But finally, it’s been a true joy working with the fantastic IUK team this year. A big thank you to Sarah Tennison, Dr Stafford Lloyd, Harriet Hole, Kienan Bruemmer, and Sophie Kempthorne for being such fantastic humans. Tess Cohen and I couldn’t have a better team to work with 💕 #investors #climatetech #UK

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What are the fundamentals of a Smarter State and how to achieve one in the UK? Our CEO Finbarr Murphy spoke to techUK about the 4 steps that are crucial for building a successful Smarter UK State: 💡 Develop a unified data strategy 💡Foster private-public sector partnership 💡Promote open data initiatives 💡Invest in AI and analytics infrastructure Read more on the blog 👉https://bit.ly/4ggoGj2 #10YearsBTSS #BTSS2024 #PublicSector #DigitalTransformation #powerofdata #dataproducts

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Liverpool’s Birl Secures £500k Pre-Seed Investment Big news out of Liverpool today! Tech startup Birl just secured £500k in pre-seed funding, setting the stage for some game-changing developments in fashion resale. Here’s why this matters: 1. Greener Wardrobes – Birl’s platform lets you trade in pre-owned clothes directly on brand websites for instant credit. It’s a seamless solution for both brands and consumers, offering an alternative to platforms like eBay and Vinted. 2. Sports Partnerships – Next month, Birl will launch a sports shirt trade-in program, partnering with football and rugby clubs to help fans trade old kits for credit. 3. Global Growth Ahead – With this funding, Birl will expand into the Nordics by year-end, tapping into markets with a strong demand for sustainable fashion. Liverpool's Baltic Triangle has provided a strong foundation, with accelerators like Baltic Ventures and LYVA Labs backing Birl’s mission to make resale effortless and impactful. Founded in 2023, Birl is on track to reach £1m in revenue by 2025 and is a proud member of 1% for the Planet, with B Corp certification in sight. It’s clear: Birl is ready to make resale the next frontier in fashion. Would you trade in your favorite jersey for instant credit? Hayfa Hamdan, Jake Posner, Marina Sardanopoli, Laura Hunter, Andrea Stone Walid Barkaoui, Sally Denton, Eisha J. Khan, Guy Mor, Patrick McDowell, Mahima Khare, Ella Peters, Annabel Humphrey Dominate your Search, Social, Sales, Funding, and Talent! 👉 https://lnkd.in/ed_mKpkF #SustainableFashion #TechForGood #LiverpoolInnovation

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Where are the high sectors in the UK economy? Time to reposition your client list? More excellent and insightful data from Tera Allas CBE If you don’t follow her and you like data to back up your business strategy I’d recommend it #growth #industry #economy

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