Austrade’s London Landing Pad releases its second program, offering free coaching for Australian tech scaleups in critical technologies, cleantech and digital health to expand into the UK
What’s happening: The Australian Trade and Investment Commission has released its second London Landing Pad program, a free 6-week virtual business program for Australian tech companies in critical technologies, cleantech, digital health and agri-software seeking UK expansion.
Why this matters: The UK represents the third largest venture capital market globally and the largest tech ecosystem in Europe. With sectors like AI seeing 68% revenue growth in 2024 and new government commitments of £700 million to clean energy supply chains, Australian scaleups have significant opportunities.
Australian tech companies specialising in critical technologies now have a new pathway to the UK’s lucrative market through an expanded government program.
The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) has released its second London Landing Pad program, following the official launch of its London Landing Pad in June this year. The latest 6-week virtual business program offers tailored support for Australian tech companies specialised in critical technologies, cleantech, digital health and agri-software.
Targeting growth sectors
The free program focuses on building go-to-market strategies, from understanding the business and opportunity landscape to identifying and securing first customers, plus sales and marketing to help businesses scale and pitch to local venture capitalists.
UK market experts across fundraising, regulation, sales and marketing will run live sessions with question and answer opportunities to help Australian founders navigate the UK’s £1.2 trillion tech market. Each business will also receive two hours of individual mentoring support from an Entrepreneur-in-Residence. Founders can express interest for the next program starting on 3 November.
“The UK tech sector is the largest tech ecosystem in Europe and the third largest VC market globally. Much of the UK tech’s growth has been fuelled by the startup and scaleup ecosystem,” shares Lucy Cassidy, Austrade’s London Landing Pad Manager.
“We’re building on the success of our first London Landing Pad program and will focus on sectors in the UK where we see major opportunities for our Australian tech scaleups. During the program, we’ll work with you to craft your USP and tighten up your market entry plan,” Cassidy adds.
UK opportunities expand
The new London Landing Pad program is tailored to support Australian scaleups in critical technologies, cleantech, digital health and agri-software. The UK is at the centre of global innovation in frontier technologies needed to support its digital transformation roadmap and accelerate its clean energy future.
The UK’s £1 billion National Quantum Technologies program provides opportunities for international partnerships with companies that have AI, cyber and qubit expertise. The UK’s AI revenue increased by 68% in 2024, and the cyber sector saw a 13% revenue increase in FY23/24. The establishment of the National Cyber Force in Lancashire underscores the strategic significance of the UK’s cyber sector.
The delivery of clean power is at the heart of UK government policy. The UK’s clean energy industries sector plan commits an additional £700 million to the development of clean energy supply chains.
The UK’s digital health market is estimated to be worth £23.98 billion. There are numerous opportunities to pilot new digital health solutions with the UK’s National Health Service and private UK providers.
The launch of the UK’s Regulatory Innovation Office helps innovative agtech firms navigate complex UK regulations more quickly. This offers opportunities for Australian scaleups to partner with UK farmers and food processors on farm management, precision agriculture and supply chain software as a service.
First program success
In June this year, Austrade launched its first London Landing Pad. The program provided coaching to 19 Australian tech startups and scaleups offering applications ranging from clinical note-taking software and virtual reality for seniors to fleet decarbonisation technology and management of renewable energy resources.
“Within the Landing Pad program, the market launch course stood out. It distilled 12 years of software launch experience into a capsule format, saving us years of research,” says Sanil Panicker, Founder and CTO of Dalfin AI.
“Without question, the one-on-one sessions were the most transformative element of our Landing Pad experience. These sessions moved beyond generic market entry advice and allowed for confidential discussions about competitive positioning and sensitive entry strategies,” says Johanna Kloot, Founder of GreenKPI.
Government support
“The Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement makes it easier for Australian tech firms to access new UK customers and work with UK firms,” shares Annika Barton, Australian Trade and Investment Commissioner to the UK and Ireland. “Increased talent mobility, the mutual recognition of qualifications and free flow of data have been key benefits for Australian tech firms expanding to the UK,” she adds.
Austrade is the Australian Government’s trade and investment promotion agency. Across over 65 global offices, market experts help Australian businesses understand and access international growth opportunities. The Landing Pad Program is one way Austrade supports Australian businesses to assess their market potential, develop export strategies and find valuable contacts overseas.
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