London joins forces with Scotland and West Midlands to support high-growth scale-ups

London & Partners, the business agency for the UK capital, has announced the launch of the Grow Global programme in two new regions outside of London – Scotland and the West Midlands. 

The year-long programme is designed to help scale-up businesses in these regions grow their international presence and achieve their full potential in the global market.

This year’s programme marks a significant milestone, as it includes scale-up companies from Scotland and the West Midlands for the first time. 

Scottish-based companies joining the cohort are allergen tech firm Libereat (Aberdeen), property management specialists Pillow Partners (Kilmarnock), eyecare clinical decision support firm Eye to the Future (Edinburgh), air and spacecraft machinery manufacturer Thistle Rocketry (Galashiels) and robotic recycling and waste management company Danu Robotics (Musselburgh).

Kerry Sharp, Director of Entrepreneurship and Investment at Scottish Enterprise, said: “By supporting these ambitious, scaling Scottish companies to participate in the newly expanded Grow Global programme, we’re helping them make important investor connections, access a peer network of around 100 fellow UK businesses and expand their customer base among London-based and in-market global firms. 

We want to enable Scottish businesses with strong growth prospects to reach their full potential and deliver maximum economic benefits by targeting overseas markets – building their resilience and creating high-value jobs in the process.”

Barry Leaper, Founder and CEO of Libereat, said: “We’ve recently begun to expand internationally and are thrilled to have the Grow London Global program and Scottish Enterprise’s support to accelerate our international growth. 

Our mission is to protect consumers from allergen errors in food information globally as well as in the UK, and the expertise and resources from Grow London Global including access to workshops, trade missions and networks is hugely beneficial for us.”

Scott Weir, Founder and CEO of Pillow Partners, added: “We are proud and excited to be part of the Grow London Global programme. Our internationalisation plans have been on hold since the initial lockdown, so the timing is perfect for us. This will allow us to reignite our plans and finally achieve our expansion goals.”

The Grow Global programme, previously called the Mayor’s International Business Programme, offers a range of dedicated services including international trade missions, workshops, events, and connections to key partners. 

These include government funding specialists GrantTree, Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, professional services firm Oury Clark, global law firm Taylor Wessing, as well as US law firm Wilson Sonsini, enabling the cohort of companies to build their networks and access new growth opportunities.

The launch of the programme in Scotland and the West Midlands is a testament to its success and its impact on the growth of businesses in London. Grow London Global has already helped over 1,300 London-based companies to access new growth opportunities since 2016, creating over 5,000 jobs and completing international trade deals worth more than £6.5bn.

Through partnerships with Scottish Enterprise and the West Midlands Growth Company, the latest programme aims to replicate the same level of success in Scotland and the West Midlands – helping to drive economic growth and create new jobs.

The Scottish and West Midlands-based companies will join 100 London-based scale-ups, including cybersecurity firm Glasswall and air quality monitoring company Airly. This will allow them to learn from one another, access workshops, and participate in international trade missions together.

Howard Dawber, Deputy Mayor of London for Business, said: “It’s great to see this successful programme expand to support even more businesses in the UK. The Grow Global programme offers a wide array of services, events, and workshops enabling organisations to build their international presence, grow their businesses, and learn how to thrive in the global market. 

More than 1,300 London-based businesses have already benefitted from the programme, and its continuation will enable us to build a better, fairer, and more prosperous London for all.”

Janet Coyle CBE, Managing Director of Grow London at London & Partners, said: “We are expanding our efforts to support businesses in the UK, particularly in the West Midlands and Scotland, to help them reach their full potential in the global market. Our Grow Global programme is designed to provide scale-up businesses with the necessary resources, connections, and tools to succeed. 

By doing so, we hope to promote economic growth and job creation not only in London but also in other regions, in line with the UK government’s plan to transform the UK into a ‘scale-up powerhouse’.”

Companies joining from the West Midlands include Wolverhampton-based cyber security firm Goldilock and Birmingham-based electric motorcycle manufacturer Maeving.

Councillor Stephen Simkins, Portfolio Lead for Economy and Innovation at West Midlands Combined Authority, said: “The West Midlands has long been a hotbed for innovation, nurturing scale-ups with the potential to shape the global economy. Through this unique collaboration with London & Partners, our region’s high-growth tech firms now have an ideal springboard to success in international markets. 

As Leader of City of Wolverhampton Council, it’s also fantastic to see local cybersecurity firm Goldilock securing a place on this prestigious programme.”

The latest Grow Global cohort attended a launch event this week, bringing them all together for the first time.