Reports on South Yorkshire's Tech Ecosystem
Discover the latest data and analysis of the region's tech economy, such as segment trends and investment, in our roundup of reports.
Eight new businesses feature on pre-scale dashboard
At Climb25 last year, we launched our Scaleup Dashboard. The aim was to use our data to spotlight the startups that were signalling positively on a number of areas, including growing employment numbers, gaining grants or investment, but crucially weren’t yet at that 20% year-on-year scaling classification.
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With the rise in region of Series A investment leading to a record year for this stage, we agreed this was a useful tool to highlight businesses who could be on a path to scaling. We’ve now updated the pre-scaling list with increased employment growth data, bringing eight new startups to the Pre-Scale Dashboard!
Additionally, we're now able to share a Scaling Dashboard, designed to spotlight businesses who are achieving or even exceeding the 20% growth mark, getting great investment (but aren’t yet the scale of companies like Twinkl), or getting wider attention due to large series B rounds such as Bumper. Check out the new scaling dashboard ahead of its online launch.
Region on the rise: South Yorkshire's pathway to scale 2026
This new report produced in collaboration with Dealroom delves into the progress and opportunities for South Yorkshire’s tech sector.
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£3.1B startup ecosystem value with 100+ VC‑backed startups in South Yorkshire.
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Record year for early‑stage VC in 2025 of £52M, almost 2x higher than 2024.
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2025 was also record high for Series A investment of £35.2M.
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Since 2020 the ecosystem value is 4x bigger, and 15x bigger over the past decade.
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Deep Tech is now the top‑funded sector with £121M since 2022; Transportation, Climate Tech, Energy and Fintech have also passed £70M.
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The University of Sheffield produced a record 10 spinouts in 2025 and ranks 8th in Europe for deep tech and life‑science entrepreneurship. Across the North of England, startups have created £7.1+ in value for every £1 of VC, ahead of London and the rest of the UK.
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South Yorkshire’s ecosystem value is now where Helsinki and Pittsburgh were a decade ago, with many startups on a scaling path seeing team growth, funding traction, and product‑market fit.
The South Yorkshire Spinout Spotlight 2025
This spinout report showcases the University of Sheffield’s pivotal role in driving innovation and growth across South Yorkshire’s tech ecosystem.
South Yorkshire’s tech startups now boast a combined value of £3.2bn, with 18,000+ employees and a record-breaking year for Series A investments.
Since 2020, 35 spinouts have emerged from the University of Sheffield, with 80% staying local. These spinouts have raised £100m in VC investment and now contribute £487m+ in value - over 15% of the region’s total ecosystem.
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In South Yorkshire deep tech is more reliant on spinouts than elsewhere in the UK, with 53% of companies driving 69% of the enterprise value.
This proves our region’s ability to turn scientific excellence into scalable, high-impact businesses. In tracking the growth of the tech ecosystem in South Yorkshire, we can see that our spinouts are leading the way in innovation.
Connecting the North: A spotlight on South Yorkshire's Tech Landscape
Startups in the North of England have produced over £7.5 in value for every pound of VC invested. That’s more than the UK average and higher than London.​ Take a closer look at South Yorkshire’s tech landscape.
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• £75B of value has been created by startups in the North of England.
• That’s 8% of the UK’s tech ecosystem value. It rises to 18% when you exclude London.
• South Yorkshire startups are worth more than £3B.
• Physical tech and Deep tech receive a higher share of funding in South Yorkshire than in the UK overall.
• Since 2020, 75% of South Yorkshire’s VC has come from UK investors.
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This new report produced in collaboration with Dealroom dives deep into the details, successes and recommendations for South Yorkshire’s growing tech landscape.
South Yorkshire Tech Investment Report July 2025
A snapshot of the tech economy in South Yorkshire covering the first 6 months of 2025.
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In Q1 of 2025, Sheffield ranked #6 in the UK for VC investment according to Dealroom’s Q1 UK Innovation Update, leading North of England with standout deals like:
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£9M Series A for Phlux Technology
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£5.5M VC for Mobile Power
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£4M seed rounds for BOW robotics and Exciting Instruments
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There was more investments into tech companies in Q2, including from local investors and from SYMCA's Investment Zone funding. However, investment into female-led tech businesses remains low.
South Yorkshire's Spotlight on
Women in Tech
In February 2025, TECH SY and British Business Bank held a roundtable meeting focused on addressing gender inequality in the tech and investment sectors in South Yorkshire. The meeting aimed to identify barriers faced by female founders and to discuss actionable solutions to improve their representation and success in these fields.
To support the outcomes, and ahead of International Women's Day on Saturday 8th March, we published this report to highlight the challenges and focus on the successes, and the positive impact investing in women led tech businesses has on our South Yorkshire economy.
TECH SY Scaleup Dashboard July 2025
Introducing the TECH SY Scaleup Dashboard showing South Yorkshire’s next generation of high-growth tech companies.
This dashboard, powered by data from Dealroom and Beauhurst, spotlights early-stage startups in South Yorkshire that are showing strong signals of scaling.
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These are the startups growing steadily - not quite at the 20%+ scaleup threshold yet, but well on their way.
Using data from Dealroom and Beauhurst, we’ve identified companies with consistent employee growth, recent funding rounds, and strong momentum.
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By surfacing these “ones to watch,” we aim to help founders attract talent and investment, inform local support teams and strengthen our understanding of the regional tech landscape.
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​We have plans to update and republish the dashboard on a regular basis, with the hope that it evolves and continues to profile new waves of founders doing good things in South Yorkshire.
Notable reports that cover South Yorkshire
2025
Equity Investment into Spinouts 2025 by Beauhurst and Parkwalk
Northern Lights 2.0 Yorkshire's Calling by Par Equity
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The Tech Nation Report 2025 by Tech Nation, Dealroom and Snowflake.
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The European Spinouts Report 2025 by Dealroom in partnership with Atlantic, MITO Technology, Cambridge Innovation Capital, Oxford Science Enterprises and Northern Gritstone.
2024
Tech in the UK 2024 Innovation Nation regional report: The North of England by Barclays Eagle Labs & Beauhurst
The Top 50 Startup Constituencies by the Startup Coalition & Beauhurst
Tech Climbers Yorkshire 2024 Entries Report by Tech Climbers & Data City
Spotlight on Spinouts UK academic spinout trends by the Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Hub & Beauhurst