Why Wales?
From neo banks, to Compound Semi Conductors, to aircraft manufacturing, to the coins in your pocket and much, much more - all are made in Wales.
For startups to scaleups Wales is one of the world leaders in Cyber, FinTech, InsureTech, Compound-Semi-Conductors, MedTech but to name a few.
Thanks to its natural resources, rich talent pool and proximity to London, Wales is a perfect place to consider starting a new venture, or using it as a base to expand from.
You only need to pop into a Tramshed workspace to get a feel for the buzz and hwyl that exists in the startup ecosystem here in Wales.
Excitingly the likes of Tramshed Tech, FinTech Wales and many more are running dedicated accelerator programs to help entrepreneurs scale their ventures both within Wales and beyond!
These accelerators are supported by industry bodies such as Welsh Government, Cardiff Capital Region, Development Bank of Wales - Angels Invest Wales, Global Welsh and many more combining forces to help fuel the flames of entrepreneurship and collaborative opportunities for all.
You will receive a warm welcome here in Wales.
The below sections highlight some of Wales’s top growth clusters.
Cyber Wales
From innovative companies like Wolfberry and Awen Collective, cyber security businesses are growing fast in Wales thanks to its top Universities, links to industry and proximity to GCHQ.
At the last count there were 51 cyber-related businesses in Wales, employing 4% of the cyber security professionals based in the UK.
This fast growth sector recently announced a new £9.5m Cyber Innovation hub to support the sector to be a world leader.
Led by Cardiff University with partners including Airbus, Thales, Tramshed Tech and more, this is a cluster that collaborates and supports fast growing companies and the research that powers them.
To learn more see Cyber Wales
FinTech Wales
You would think that Wales invented financial price comparison given it’s the home to Confused.com, MoneySupermarket.com and GoCompare.com. However, the FinTech scene in Wales is so much more.
Recognised as one the the UK’s top FinTech clusters, it’s home to the likes of FTSE100 Admiral Insurance, fast growing scaleups like Delio and Yoello and has recently seen Starling Bank employ almost 900 people in its new Cardiff office.
Anne Boden, Founder and Chief Executive of Starling Bank, said: “Cardiff is a dynamic and entrepreneurial city with a rich talent pool. Our office here is important to our growth as we benefit directly from the capital’s outstanding universities and fintech expertise.”
Championed by its members organisation FinTech Wales, the sector is on a mission to establish Wales as one of the best places in the world to build and scale a FinTech.
The focus to improve skills, funding and connect the ecosystem is starting to pay dividends, especially with its Foundry accelerator program.
Each program or season has a specific focus to help startups work with partners, validate their ideas, plan their growth or raise investment.
Season two recently closed (see the Pitch at the Pitch video) helping support 8 startups validate, raise and scale their businesses, 50% of which came onto the program from outside of Wales.
With the next two seasons already being mapped out this is a premium, no equity accelerator that any international early stage FinTech should have on their radar.
Carbon Neutral Future
From land to sea, to air, there are a huge number of innovative companies building a better future here in Wales, from the likes of Sero who are helping enable Net Zero housing, to Marine Power Systems who are unlocking the power of oceans!
Wales aims to be world leader in tackling the carbon agenda through, sustainable construction and also low carbon energy solutions (Industry 4.0).
Using our natural resources to maximise green power from wind, tide and wave energy solutions and in turn produce green hydrogen.
Life Sciences
From large multi-national organisations, to NHS Wales, to smaller innovative business, Wales is home to a thriving Life Sciences sector which is making an impact both within Wales and beyond.
Supported by a dedicated Life Sciences Hub based in Cardiff they exist to catalyse innovation and collaboration between industry, health, social care, and academia - making a positive difference to people, families, and businesses across the nation.
Advance Manufacturing
Advance or High Value Manufacturing, which includes, aero, auto, space and lite weighting technologies is a big growth sector within Wales.
