UK start-ups raised more than $11 billion (£8.2bn) of venture capital in the first half of 2026, surpassing the total for last year – already a record – in just six months, a study from Tech Nation has found.
The funding brought the UK’s tech sector to a total valuation of $1.6tn this year, with 32 percent of the funds raised going to AI, making the UK Europe’s largest AI market, found the study.
Tech Nation, part of the UK-based Founders Forum Group that supports start-ups, unveiled the findings at the AI Stage at London Tech Week, combining data from Dealroom with economic modelling by Thema AI.
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The group found that the UK’s AI sector is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 22 percent, with growth over the past three years at three times faster than the equivalent in France and two times faster than in Germany.
