South Yorkshire – A tech ecosystem growing momentum
South Yorkshire is growing as a tech ecosystem, and the effects of local entrepreneurs giving back and ecosystem support are now being seen in the data.
In South Yorkshire, we’re not just talking about tech growth—we’re measuring it.
Through TECH SY’s management of various data sources, including our newly launched Scaleup Dashboard and our most recent reporting, we’re building a clearer picture of the region’s ecosystem.
Adding to that, we’re actively supporting more founders to get their ideas off the ground with our programmes. Key to the region’s success is that we’re seeing South Yorkshire’s established founders become key enablers for future growth. They’re entering the ecosystem to address parts of the funding gap that have existed here, bringing valued experienced to the new wave of founders.
The flywheel has always been spinning…
But we want to speed it up and boost the momentum.
As stakeholder lead for TECH SY, the Combined Authority backed programme to scale up the South Yorkshire ecosystem, I spend a lot of time making sense of the data and working with various teams and resources to help fuel growth. Below I’ve broken down the driving forces helping to speed up the flywheel for further success.
Mapping the Ecosystem
Like any ecosystem, South Yorkshire’s has many doors into it. Our goal is to make sure that none of those doors become blockers. We wanted to make our ecosystem easier to access and help connect the dots to ‘who is doing what’. Building off a version made in 2021, we created the South Yorkshire Ecosystem Map. It’s a simple tool to break down the varied elements, with clickable logos to learn more about each of the providers that play a role in supporting our region’s startups. We’re continually updating it, so if you think there is somebody missing, let us know.
Making the most of data through Dealroom
TECH SY has invested in Dealroom to benchmark our ecosystem. We want to show, not just tell, the story of South Yorkshire. We want to elevate our startups and use data to make better-informed decisions.
Our Dealroom report from March revealed that the North of England delivers an exceptional return on investment—£7.50 for every £1 invested. That’s higher than the UK average (£6.40) and London (£5.60), reinforcing the strength of our region.
The platform also allows us to measure and consistently spotlight the region’s vibrant startup scene, showcasing the quality, innovation and growth potential of our businesses. Our recent report of Q1 and Q2 investment demonstrates the increasing levels of activity happening within region. South Yorkshire’s tech ecosystem has raised over £315m since 2020, and the first six months of 2025 show investment into South Yorkshire is just £3m away from being a record breaking year (£102m in 2022).
With stats and information like this, our aim is to put South Yorkshire in front of a wider selection of investors.
The Scaleup Dashboard
With the data on investment as a tool for attracting more investors into our region, how can we use data to surface the businesses we feel are right for them?
The reality is that South Yorkshire isn’t blessed with vast numbers of scaling (exceeding 20% year on year growth) tech companies. And those that we do have are more than likely to be on the region’s radar.
What we do have are a lot of early-stage startups. The Scaleup Dashboard has been developed using data from both Beauhurst and Dealroom. Each dashboard tracks companies showing growth signals, including:
- Continual growth figures between 10 and 19.9%
- Launched in the last six years
- Raised no more than £7.5m
- Employee numbers between 5 and 25.
These are data ranges we feel are suitable and specific for South Yorkshire. And by surfacing these startups, we can flag them to potential investors, connect them with support providers, and actively engage with them to find out what their barriers to scale are – information we can then feed back in.
We know South Yorkshire has a challenge when it comes to overseas investment. 75% of investment comes from the UK, which isn’t proportionate to the rest of the UK. With positive ROI stats, our aim is to put South Yorkshire in front of a wider selection of investors. The challenge and feedback we’ve had previously is the lack of pipeline for investors looking at our region, which is why we created a dashboard.
The emergence of our enablers
This year has seen the arrival of Sheffield Angels, which has seen former founders of MINA, a huge success story for Sheffield, giving back into the ecosystem following their sale to Fleetcor in 2023.
The team have already announced their first deal – £300K into Sansanima. Importantly they are also actively seeking a diverse range of angels to match the diversity in the region's founder base.
Venture.Community, led by Peter Hopton, continues to grow and bring a unique, co-operative approach to South Yorkshire. They will soon launch an Investor Hub at the Advanced Manufacturing Park; they have also brought a dynamic group of national and global investors to South Yorkshire with the UKBAA. Recently their first cohort of startups pitched at Climb 2025.
Yorkshire AI labs and The Digital Forge, led by David Richards and Peter Scott, focus on AI, deeptech and advanced manufacturing. They are energising and supporting these all-important sectors. We know from our March 2025 report with Dealroom that this is a growing part of the regional tech landscape. It's critical for the national economy that tech and manufacturing innovation can come together at a time when sovereign capabilities are increasingly important for economic growth and security.
The news is good and gives us really positive signals. Yet we also know that we need to see greater diversity across our tech ecosystem and our investment ecosystem. TECH SY has been working with British Business Bank to look at how we can help to foster the conditions for more underrepresented founders and investors to become active in our region. Following on from a roundtable in February, we are building out a data foundation and looking at dedicated programmes of activity.
Idea Validation Grants
As part of a test and learn approach, TECH SY is looking to support more people to take their ideas forward. We’ve partnered with Trove Ventures, founded by two experienced South Yorkshire founders, to turn new ideas into traction ready businesses.
Through this programme, founders will have the option of a £2,500 cash grant, or they can choose to work with Trove Ventures over a 90 day period with structured support to help them go from idea to traction faster and with more clarity.
We hope to see new, big ideas in South Yorkshire being generated. By tracking and working with those from the start of their journey, we can ensure South Yorkshire is the best place to start.
SYMCA supporting tech
Our combined authority is also actively supporting our region’s promising tech startups to grow. The South Yorkshire Investment Zone (IZ) was announced as the UK’s first IZ in July 2023. The project aims to make the IZ the best place to start, scale, or relocate a business, with the lead sector being Advanced Manufacturing.
Over £750K has already been granted in projects that help existing tech startups to grow, relocate to the region, or bring new products to market.
SYMCA (South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority) have also developed a new equity platform to increase visibility to funders from any part of the world. It connects businesses with investors across the UK through an easy-to-use portal and ensures valuable feedback on pitch decks. You can find it here: business.southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk/sy-equity-platform
Our mission
By consistently profiling founders and showcasing their journeys, we’re creating a powerful cycle that not only inspires the next wave of entrepreneurs to take the leap but also amplifies visibility of the investment already happening here. This dual focus helps spotlight those on the path to scaling, while signalling to investors that our region is rich with ambition, momentum and opportunity.
