Northern Ireland has 790 scaleups, 465 on the rise, says ScaleUp Institute

This report is certainly some good news all around! Figures showing the indeniable impact of programs such as #innovateUK #scaleupbritain #ventureconnect #cambridgecleantech An entire ecosystem of support for innovation is needed to ensure entrepreneurs and their companies overcome the challenges that kill 95% of new businesses. When it works… IT WORKS!

Choosing to expand a business into the US is a crucial moment for many UK scaleups, but brings with it a lot of questions. Here's the ones we're most frequently asked, along with answers from real life founders, courtesy of Emily Wood, in our new US Expansion series. Find the full article on our UK Insights page here: https://grp.hsbc/6045ACP8F #USExpansion #Scaleups

Scotland just solved a problem that's been holding back businesses everywhere. The country launched the Scottish Ecosystem Platform this week. The first comprehensive, open access platform providing detailed data on startups, scale-ups, and established private companies. Here's why this matters beyond Scotland: Most growing businesses hit a wall not because they lack potential, but because they lack visibility. Talented companies get overlooked. Promising ventures struggle to find the right investors. Market opportunities go unnoticed. The platform addresses this head on by providing: Funding round tracking and investor profiles Real time market trends and company valuations Detailed company profiles and competitive landscapes Direct connections between startups and investors The result? Over 1,000 funding rounds since 2020. More than 350 university spinouts driving innovation. Companies like BrewDog, FanDuel, and Skyscanner emerging from this ecosystem. Dr Duncan Martin from University of Edinburgh put it perfectly: "In our digital age, data is more than a resource. It's the foundation of strategic growth." The lesson for every business leader: Transparency accelerates growth. When investors, partners, and customers can easily discover and understand your business, opportunities multiply. Visibility isn't just about marketing. It's about positioning your company where decision makers can find you. Data driven insights help you make smarter strategic decisions about where to focus resources and energy. Scotland's ecosystem grew tenfold over the past decade. Not by accident, but by making their businesses visible on the global stage. The question every growing business should ask: How visible is your company to the people who matter most?

As an integral part of Australia's economy, start-ups are continuously shaped by their ecosystem. An essential part of this ecosystem is understanding laws and regulations set by Australia's Governing Body, and navigating these requirements can be daunting for new businesses. Biz Australia, while independent of Australia's Governing Body, keenly observes these updates to provide timely insights for your startup's success. Recently, Australia's Governing Body has brought certain changes to deadlines concerning the renewal of business names and Australian Financial Services

The Challenger Accelerator family is growing! We are proud to launch our newest program focusing on Africa’s twin transition. 🙌 The Challenger Digital & Green Innovation Action is officially open for business in Eastern and Southern Africa! This specialized innovation track will empower up to 50 startups that are building digital and green technology solutions. Through this Team Europe partnership with the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV), we are committed to unlocking growth for local African founders. Our mission is to accelerate businesses that deliver real impact for communities and the planet. This action relies on combining the deep expertise of our African and Estonian partners to drive sustainable, localized transformation. Ready to build the future of the Green & Digital economy? 👉 Discover more:https://lnkd.in/gbA3dQXx The Digital and Green Innovation Action is co-funded by the participating Team Europe partners (Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Estonia) and the European Commission. 🤝 Huge thanks to GrowthAfrica, mLab Southern Africa, Startup Wise Guys, Latitude59, Civitta, European Commission #ChallengerAccelerator #DigitalAndGreen #ESTDEV #AfricaStartups #InnovationEcosystem #TwinTransition #Sustainability #TeamEurope #ScaleUp

Europe needs a pan-European stock market and fast!💥 Having worked in public policy in the UK, I’ve seen how targeted reforms can unlock capital and attract innovation. The UK’s moves to simplify listing rules, enable dual-class shares, and modernise regulation have already made it a more attractive destination for tech listings. Across Europe, the ambition is there but the structure isn’t. Our CEO, Per Franzen, recently called for a pan-European stock market to help tech companies scale globally, stressing that “building a strong European tech industry has become an urgent geopolitical and strategic requirement.” He’s right. Too many promising European start-ups still list abroad or sell too early, losing the chance to grow into global leaders headquartered here. To change that, Europe could: Complete the Capital Markets Union, creating one deep, liquid market for listings and investment. Simplify cross-border stock ownership and tax rules, making it easier for investors to back European firms across borders. Harmonise listing requirements, so companies can raise capital anywhere in Europe without added complexity. Incentivise pension funds and institutional investors to allocate more capital to European growth companies. Europe has the talent, the capital, and the vision, and I'm proud to be French! But what it needs now is the political will to act together to turn that potential into power.

We often take the European Single Market for granted, but for those working in innovation, it’s arguably that it could be the most powerful (and underused) growth engine we have. In the latest episode of Actually, the founder of Dealroom Yoram Wijngaarde reminds us that Europe builds world-class innovation, but too often it grows within national silos rather than across a truly integrated market. “Europe creates global innovation, but scales it on local markets.” A genuine Single Market for innovation, where startups, capital and talent can move freely, is what could unlock the next wave of European scale-ups. It’s a topic worth keeping at the center of any discussion on competitiveness and growth in Europe. I suggest to follow and support EU–INC that is pushing for a pan-European, digital-first and standardized legal entity to remove friction from scaling across borders 🌍 Will Media Riccardo Haupt Riccardo Bassetto

👉 When a startup goes global, the board’s role changes - dramatically. Launching soon: The first pan-Nordic startup board "education" with a specific focus only on internationalization and scaling. Moving from local product–market fit to international scaling is one of the hardest transitions any company can make. It’s also the phase where many great startups stall (and burn a lot of money) - not always because of poor execution, but because their boards aren’t ready for the new complexity and do not ask the right questions... Suddenly, the founders and their board must help navigate a new set of dilemmas: ⚖️ Which markets first — and why? Do we densify the home market or expand now? What’s the right beachhead strategy? ⚖️ Local adaptation vs. European/global standardization? How much should we tailor to new markets before losing the benefits of scale? ⚖️ Governance vs. empowerment? How do we keep control while giving local teams autonomy to move fast? ⚖️ Talent & leadership? Do we send expats, hire locally, or partner? How do we preserve the company’s DNA as culture stretches across borders? ⚖️ Capital allocation? Which market deserves the next million? When do we double down — or cut our losses? ⚖️ Board composition itself? Is the board built for the next phase - with international experience, regulatory depth, and scaling know-how? These are not theoretical questions. They are the real-life board dilemmas faced by fintech founders and investors as they expand beyond the Nordics - and where experienced boards can make the difference between scaling successfully or stalling locally. That’s why Copenhagen Fintech and DTU - Technical University of Denmark are launching a new board "module" in 🎯 “Internationalisation & Scaling” - a Nordic education for startup boards guiding global growth. Not a generic board course. But a focused, practitioner-driven experience - 🚀 Two days in Copenhagen and one day in Stockholm 🚀 Designed for boards and founders/executives in fintech and beyond 🚀 Connecting you with founders, investors, and academics who have done it before A true 🇸🇪🇮🇸🇩🇰🇫🇮🇳🇴 Nordic education — with a global mindset and understanding. If you’re preparing to guide a company beyond its home market, this is for you. 👉 More information coming soon. Message me if you want to learn more or be part of the first cohort. #cphfintech #fintechmatters David Grundy, Simon Schou, Anne Malberg Horsager, Jes Broeng, Mike Sigal, Ornit Shinar, Andrei Anghel, Barbara Švigová, Marie-Louise Roth, Nicolette Tham, Mehnaaz Maleta

For international founders navigating UK markets—or UK businesses expanding globally—fragmented support is one of the biggest challenges. Here's how Innovator International is bringing together funding, sales expertise, IP management, and global connections into one cohesive ecosystem. https://lnkd.in/e-YNCjgJ