Croydon Tech City: A start-up saviour or another flop?

published 17 March 2014

This is symptomatic of the wider issue with the London tech sector in general. There is a modicum of innovation, but a lack of invention. That's what Brits used to be known for, but in these corners of the Greater London region, there's scant evidence of it. The Tech Cities still need a hero to idolise and emulate.

StreetPin was the final start-up on the list. Despite its worryingly basic website, its basic premise is quite clever. It provides "a digital network of local, community pin boards". These pin boards offer web, mobile and app presence for local businesses. Indeed, this is a very local idea, for local people. There's no apparent grand ambition here, but plenty of attractive British humbleness.

There is something charming about the Croydon scene. But this does not make it a successful scene. If innovation is taking old ideas and doing something fresh with them, then there is undoubtedly some evidence of it in the area, but nothing world-changing.

And this is symptomatic of the wider issue with the London tech sector in general. There is a modicum of innovation, but a lack of invention. That's what Brits used to be known for, but in these corners of the Greater London region, there's scant evidence of it. The Tech Cities still need a hero to idolise and emulate.

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Tom Brewster is currently an associate editor at Forbes and an award-winning journalist who covers cyber security, surveillance, and privacy. Starting his career at ITPro as a staff writer and working up to a senior staff writer role, Tom has been covering the tech industry for more than ten years and is considered one of the leading journalists in his specialism.

He is a proud alum of the University of Sheffield where he secured an undergraduate degree in English Literature before undertaking a certification from General Assembly in web development.

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