In this week’s UKTN Podcast episode, Northern Gritstone CEO Duncan Johnson discusses why the north of England has all the potential required to rival the South East in commercialising science and innovation, the challenges of backing early-stage deep tech companies with very long investment journeys, and why ambition and resilience are so important in developing tech hubs.
Johnson has been chief executive of the investment firm since 2021 and has guided its vision of growing the northern economic ecosystem by backing innovative new technologies. Northern Gritsone’s portfolio companies include Pragmatic Semiconductor, C-Capture and Re:course.
Johnson is adamant that the ingredients required, such as the exceptional talent from the region’s universities, to make the north a tech powerhouse are all there and while it will take time, it’s an achievable goal worth fighting for.
“The north of England was the home of the Industrial Revolution, it was the most wealthy part of the UK for long periods of time, I even think that Bradford was the wealthiest city in the world at one point in the late 19th century,” says Johnson.
Listen to the full episode here, along with all previous episodes of the UKTN Podcast.
The UKTN Podcast is sponsored by HSBC Innovation Banking, which offers flexible banking solutions for startups, scaleups, growth businesses, investors and those working towards IPO.
Throughout the series, the UKTN Podcast will be speaking to some of the key movers and shakers from UK tech. We’ll learn growth strategies from both seasoned and up-and-coming founders, hear market sentiments from investors, and question policymakers on the decisions impacting the country’s innovation economy.
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The post Podcast: Why the North has all the ingredients to rival the Golden Triangle – Northern Gritstone’s Duncan Johnson appeared first on UKTN.