27-05-2025
Britain: Still a Launchpad for Bold Ideas?
Why the next generation of disruptors is rethinking what it means to build in the UK.
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As Britain seeks to stimulate economic growth and cement its reputation as a global hub for innovation, its approach to supporting start ups is under renewed scrutiny. From deep tech and cybersecurity to high-skilled manufacturing, founders are increasingly united in one view: ambition alone is not enough - policy must follow.
Royden Greaves, CEO and founder of East Sussex based Jarvis, a tech-driven business advisory platform, is candid about the obstacles early-stage companies face. "The Government needs to foster an environment that supports and protects small businesses," he says. "Start ups will be hit by changes like the increase to National Insurance contribution... many will now have to delay pay rises, promotions, or new hires just to offset costs."
For Greaves, the issue is not only financial, but philosophical. "Why would businesses want to stay and grow here if the UK doesn't appear to be an attractive place? We can remain a top tech spot because of our access to talent, universities and mavericks, but if we stifle that belief through policy, we stifle long-term growth."
Peter Garraghan, CEO and co-founder of London based Mindgard - a start up building cybersecurity tools for AI systems - calls for a more systemic shift. "Practically all start ups run on risk," he says. "Scaffolding is key to understanding and mitigating that risk - whether that's legislative, financial, or cultural. You don't get innovation if you don't cultivate the environment for it."
He credits R&D tax credits with offering partial relief, but stresses their limitations. "It's one tool in the toolbox - helpful, but not transformative on its own." The UK, Garraghan argues, needs to think bigger. "We need a bolder national strategy that treats innovation not just as a buzzword but as a competitive advantage."
Meanwhile, for Steve Barbour, managing director of Derby based Composite Braiding, the problem lies not in the lack of schemes, but in who they serve. "There are a number of strong government-backed schemes, such as those coming out of Innovate UK," he says. "But the manufacturing industry overall lacks sufficient access to affordable, patient growth capital."
Barbour believes too much government attention - and capital - is funnelled toward high-growth tech startups, often to the detriment of overlooked but essential sectors like manufacturing. "Manufacturing doesn't typically offer rapid, exponential growth," he explains, "but manufacturing SMEs can grow into medium and large enterprises. These companies generate quality jobs and tax revenue - they need more patient capital to do so."
On R&D tax credits, he is supportive in principle but wary of unintended consequences. "They've been invaluable to us," he says. "But changes made to combat abuse of the system have made it more difficult for genuinely innovative SMEs to generate the cash flow needed to keep innovating."
All three founders call for a smarter, more targeted policy mix - one that nurtures risk, rewards resilience, and recognises that innovation does not belong to any one sector.
As Garraghan puts it: "Start ups grow faster when they have three things - talent, capital, and customers. The UK has the ingredients. Now we need the infrastructure and mindset to match."
