Original post by Courtney Boyd Myers via Qualcomm Spark
As the world’s most connected cities—from Singapore to Sao Paolo to New York—make great efforts to keep pace with California’s Silicon Valley, the United Kingdom isn’t one to be left behind.
With nearly 8 million people and a diversity of industries ripe for disruption, many eager eyes are looking to London’s burgeoning tech scene. Since the announcement of the UK government-backed “Tech City” community in late 2010, coupled with theenthusiastic support of Prime Minister David Cameron and 10 Downing, London’s technology industry has made headlines, and today becoming a tech entrepreneur is a realistic—and yes, even profitable—profession.
Who’s Here
London’s tech scene is global, diverse, and creative, with strong sectors like music, fashion, and mobile. Much like Foursquare is a seasoned start-up and, thus, an inspiration to younger start-ups in New York City, companies like Net-A-Porter, Moshi Monsters, Moo, and TweetDeckhave marked trails for budding entrepreneurs in London. To this point, Last.fm’s £140 millionexit to CBS Radio in 2007, along with European rockstars SoundCloud and Spotify, have set the tone for London’s vibrant music scene, which includes start-ups like MixCloud, Songkick, RjDj,Musicmetric, and Tastebuds.fm.
