Association for Competitive Technology

Over the past month, the Developed: UK Tour took us from Belfast to Glasgow, Manchester, London, Milton Keynes, Leeds, Durham, and Newcastle 🚀

📍 Along the way, we met with members, founders, investors, developers, policymakers, and ecosystem leaders to talk about what it takes to build and grow a tech company in the UK today.

The details varied from city to city, but a few themes came up again and again: access to capital, the opportunities and challenges around AI, the importance of strong local ecosystems, and the need for policy conversations that reflect the realities facing startups and small businesses.

📈 From startup showcases and roundtables to community mixers, a Parliamentary drop in, and a panel at TechNExt, Developed: UK created space for those conversations to happen in the places where innovation is already happening.

Thank you to every partner, speaker, member, founder, and community leader who welcomed us along the way! We learned a lot, made new connections, and came away with an even deeper appreciation for the strength of tech ecosystem across the UK!

A startup track panel at TechNExt, one final rooftop mixer in Newcastle, and England’s first win in the World Cup is the perfect way to close the Developed: UK Tour 🚀⚽️

ACT joined TechNExt in Durham for a panel with some of our local North East members, digging into what they’re building, what makes the region stand out, and what startups need to keep growing here.

Then we headed to A Byte in the Sun with Silicon Mingle at The Grove in Byker, bringing together founders, engineers, developers, and independent app makers from across the North East for BBQ, drinks, and proper community conversation.

🗓️ After a month on the road, this was the right final chapter: local insight, regional pride, good people, and a strong reminder that startup communities thrive when there is space to connect.

Huge thanks to TechNExt, Silicon Mingle, our North East members, and everyone who joined us.