Tech Nation has been acquired by the Founders Group (FF Group), but it will not remain the endorsing body of the UK Talent Visa for long. After losing a bid for government funding to Barclays Eagle Labs, Tech Nation officially shut down its operations, which have been beneficial to the UK’s tech ecosystem and tech talents worldwide. However, it continued to oversee Global Talent visa applications through its website to minimise disruption to the service. Following its acquisition by FF Group, it is working with the U.K Home Office to find another organisation to take on its role as an endorsing body for the Global Talent visa but will continue offering the service in the meantime.
The Founders Group will build on the organisation’s achievements, by relaunching a number of Tech Nation programmes and reports on the UK tech sector as part of its existing portfolio of events and services tailored to entrepreneurs.
Brent Hoberman founded the FF Group in 2005, and it comprises the Founders Forum, Founders Factory (an accelerator), and Firstminute Capital (an investment arm). He stated it was built as a “response to the lack of credible, peer-to-peer European entrepreneur networks to rival those that existed in Silicon Valley.” The Tech Nation acquisition is anticipated to further strengthen FF Group’s commitment to supporting tech entrepreneurs and startups in the UK, considering that a third of the U.K.’s tech unicorns passed through at least one of Tech Nation’s growth programs.
Tech Nation, now under the ownership of FF Group, is well-positioned to continue its mission of nurturing tech entrepreneurs, fueling the growth of startups, and fostering innovation within the UK tech ecosystem. Leveraging the expertise and resources of FF Group, Tech Nation is poised to make an even greater impact with its programs and initiatives, benefiting the entire UK tech community.
