Manchester is one of the UK’s top five startup hubs with 679 active high-growth companies. The number of private companies headquartered in the region has grown by 46.5% over the last decade whilst the number of high-growth companies has grown by a staggering 78% in the same period, making Manchester an exciting area of startup activity.
To learn more about Manchester’s investment landscape and the companies to watch closely, read on.
A closer look at the landscape
Manchester’s 174k private companies have £133b in combined turnover and an estimated 891,038 employees. The region’s biggest sector is SaaS—with 12.5% of all high-growth Manchester-based companies operating in the sector. Meanwhile, the most common SIC code group amongst all private companies in Manchester is ‘wholesale and retail trade/repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles’ with 16.1% (28,070) companies operating in this sector.
Manchester stands as one of the UK’s pioneering hubs, with 0.377% of all its private companies holding patents—a figure surpassing the national average of 0.268%.
Much like the rest of the UK—in line with the broader global context— Manchester has seen a decline in equity investment in recent quarters. Since the peak of its equity investment received in Q4 2022 (where it raised £167m across 27 rounds), subsequent quarters have witnessed a decline in funding. Last quarter, Manchester-based companies secured £24.1m. As you’ll see, Manchester’s abundance of forward-thinking companies gives us confidence of a resurgence in equity funding as the economy rebounds.
Dominating the investment arena for Manchester-based firms is Praetura Ventures, followed by NPIF Equity Finance in second position and GC Angels in third. Crowdfunding platforms Crowcube and Seedrs occupy the fourth and fifth spots, respectively.
Manchester’s top raisers
Below are the top three companies headquartered in Manchester, ranked by equity investment secured to date.
