UK tech sector beats China for VC investment with £12.4bn so far in 2022
The digital sector continues to thrive in the UK despite a global market slow down


The UK's technology sector has raised $16 billion (£12.4bn) of venture capital funding so far in 2022, already more than the whole of 2020 (£12bn).
Globally it puts the UK ahead of China which has only seen $12.9 billion (£10.5bn) since the start of the year, according to figures from Dealroom released ahead of London Tech Week.
The United States still dominates when it comes to technology investment, with $124 billion (£101.3bn) raised in the first five months of the year. However, the UK has enjoyed record-breaking funding pulling in £9 billion in just the first quarter (up from £6.3bn in the same period of 2021), ahead of both India and China and more than double what was raised by the nearest European country, France.
London continues to be the most lucrative location for tech investment with £8.6 billion going to the UK's capital alone. That's more than double raised in Paris (£3.9bn) and over four times more than Berlin (£1.9bn). Fintech was also the country's strongest sector, investment-wise, with £6.2 billion raised by startups.
The US appears to be a keen investor in the UK's tech scene, with an increase in funding in 2022. A total of £6.1 billion has come from America, which is already more than what came from the country in the whole of 2020. Asian investment has also climbed with £2.3 billion coming from various sources across the continent.
RELATED RESOURCE
"Despite the wider global challenges that have led to a slow down in public markets, private tech investment in the UK is continuing to grow," Yoram Wijngaarde, founder and CEO at Dealroom, said.
"The UK has cemented its reputation as one of the best places to invest in fintech, with more fintech investment going into the country in the first part of this year compared to even the Bay Area. Nearly everything will be affected by the downturn we've entered into, but overall the UK tech sector is in a strong position than it's ever been before in terms of breadth and depth of the entire ecosystem."
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
Bobby Hellard is ITPro's Reviews Editor and has worked on CloudPro and ChannelPro since 2018. In his time at ITPro, Bobby has covered stories for all the major technology companies, such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook, and regularly attends industry-leading events such as AWS Re:Invent and Google Cloud Next.
Bobby mainly covers hardware reviews, but you will also recognize him as the face of many of our video reviews of laptops and smartphones.
-
Bigger salaries, more burnout: Is the CISO role in crisis?
In-depth CISOs are more stressed than ever before – but why is this and what can be done?
By Kate O'Flaherty Published
-
Cheap cyber crime kits can be bought on the dark web for less than $25
News Research from NordVPN shows phishing kits are now widely available on the dark web and via messaging apps like Telegram, and are often selling for less than $25.
By Emma Woollacott Published
-
Is Rishi Sunak’s ‘Unicorn Kingdom’ a reachable goal or a mere pipedream?
Analysis Plunging venture capital investment and warnings over high-growth company support raise doubts over the ‘Unicorn Kingdom’ ambition
By Ross Kelly Published
-
Some Tech Nation programs could continue after Founders Forum acquisition
News The acquisition brings to a close a months-long saga over what the future holds for Tech Nation initiatives
By Ross Kelly Published
-
Podcast transcript: Startup succession: From Tech Nation to Eagle Labs
IT Pro Podcast Read the full transcript for this episode of the ITPro Podcast
By Rory Bathgate Published
-
The ITPro Podcast: Startup succession: From Tech Nation to Eagle Labs
ITPro Podcast Some small firms are already lamenting the loss of Tech Nation, but Barclays Eagle Labs has much to offer the sector
By Rory Bathgate Published
-
Don’t count Barclays Eagle Labs out just yet – it can deliver in ways Tech Nation never has
Opinion Tech Nation has a great track record, but Eagle Labs has the experience, the financial clout, and a clear-cut vision that will deliver positive results for UK tech
By Ross Kelly Published
-
UK tech sector could face a ‘unicorn winter’ amid spiralling economic conditions
News Tech Nation’s final piece of industry research calls for action to support continued ecosystem growth
By Ross Kelly Published
-
"It's still not great": Industry divided on government's SMB tax relief package
News The government’s handling of R&D tax credits has left SMBs with a “sense of disbelief”
By Ross Kelly Published
-
UK startup's Equinix deal marks step towards broad quantum computing access
News Businesses around the world will be able to use its quantum computing as a service platform through Equinix
By Zach Marzouk Published