Welcome to the UK: home of the entrepreneurial spirit.
The UK emphatically provides the ideal environment for entrepreneurs to set up and scale their businesses – discover how you can unlock your potential here with tailored support from the Global Entrepreneur Programme (GEP).
The Global Entrepreneur Programme
The GEP is the Department for Business and Trade’s flagship programme that enables ambitious, internationally mobile entrepreneurs and their innovation-rich companies to scale and grow from a UK global HQ.
Once a GEP-backed company establishes its global HQ in the UK, it receives focussed and tailored support as part of the GEP Alumni Academy.
How it works
Our Dealmakers
Dealmakers identify and attract highly innovative, internationally mobile founders with the necessary skills to scale their innovation-rich businesses from a UK HQ.
They act as advisers and mentors and have abundant networks both in the UK and overseas, providing GEP’s alumni with introductions to key connections including potential investors and partners.
Find out if you qualify for the GEP
Your company will need to be beyond the proof-of-concept stage and you as founder should have significant expertise in your field. You will be able to provide the leadership in various areas required to gain traction such as raising capital.
You will have a strong willingness to relocate your global headquarters to the UK in order to access the world class ecosystem, with at least one co-founder based in the UK to grow the business.
Supporting Your Business
The GEP’s team of dealmakers and HQ team work directly with our pipeline companies as well as our alumni to provide important aftercare support as part of the GEP Alumni programme.
We provide focussed guidance on relocating to the UK, including Innovator Visa applications and endorsement.
Looking to accelerate your business?
Send your pitch deck to us at global.entrepreneurs@trade.gov.uk
GEP news
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Congratulations to DNAFit (now part of Prenetics) Avi Lasarow, founder and CEO of South African Medtech company DNAfit established a UK HQ in 2017 with the support of GEP. DNAfit is a global diagnostic and testing leader whose technology enables through a single DNA testing swab genetic information related to personalised health and wellbeing information. In 2018, DNAfit were acquired by Prenetics, founded in 2014. Prenetics is a major global diagnostics and genetic testing company with the mission to bring health closer to millions of people globally and decentralize healthcare by making the three pillars — prevention, diagnostics and personalized care — comprehensive and accessible to anyone, at anytime and anywhere. |
Prenetics listed on the NASDAQ on Wednesday 18th May 2022 (photo).
DNAfit contributed £106m to group revenue in 2021 and created 700 jobs in the process of delivering a world class testing capability.
(Publication date: May 2022. Information courtesy DNAFit).
Success stories
Carbon Clean
Carbon Clean's is a global leader in industrial carbon capture technology and is playing a vital role in critical industries such as cement, steel, refineries and energy from waste (EfW).
The company established its global base in the UK with the help of the Global Entrepreneur Programme, and with this support plus significant UK government grant funding, Carbon Clean has accelerated the commercialisation of their innovative technology which is currently installed at over 38 facilities globally.
See CarbonClean.com
Pisano
Pisano provides AI-based 'experience management' solutions for businesses around customer and employee experience.
The company moved its HQ to London in 2018 with the support of the Global Entrepreneur Programme and has expanded globally with customers in more than 20 countries.
Their solution enables businesses in a range of sectors including banking, insurance, retail and utilities to increase customer retention, employee engagement, revenue growth, productivity and customer loyalty while decreasing costs, employee turnover and IT overheads.
See Pisano.com
SwIDch
SwiDch is an innovation enabler that specialises in cyber security, and having set up initially in South Korea, established their global HQ in London in 2018 after meeting the GEP at major tech event in Korea.
It has developed the world’s first one-way dynamic authentication technology, OTAC. This provides more secure authentication for all digital identities and has enabled swIDch to set a new standard for authentication in cybersecurity.
They hold the honour of being recognised over last few years as one of the world’s most innovative CyberTech Companies for financial institutions.
See Swidch.com
Kuda
Nigerian fintech start-up Kuda established its global HQ in the UK in 2019 as part of the Global Entrepreneur Programme.
Kuda is a full-service, digital-only challenger bank with offices in London, its HQ, and Lagos. It provides full banking services via its apps which allow Nigerians with internet access to run a spending account and save money automatically without the burden of traditional bank charges.
This makes Kuda Bank the leader in Africa's neobanks and at the forefront of its fintech generation. The company closed their Series A round of funding in March 2021, quickly followed by a Series B round of funding in August 2021.
It was valued at $500 million in September 2021.
See kudabank.com
Video testimonial
GEP Alumna Pip Jamieson, CEO of The Dots.
GEP Gallery
Throughout the year we run focussed and tailored events to help GEP companies grow their businesses in the UK.
These include our specialist masterclasses which provide interactive and dynamic events covering key business-focussed subjects ranging from how to access funding, building sales strategies, tax, banking, HR/workforce and protecting intellectual property.
Looking to accelerate your business?
Send your pitch deck to us at global.entrepreneurs@trade.gov.uk