MedCity

What MedCity does

MedCity is a London-based, non-profit life sciences growth agency established in 2014 and operated as a programme within London & Partners, with explicit institutional backing from the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority. The organisation's core function is ecosystem orchestration rather than technology product development: it intermediates between London's 2,500+ life sciences companies (85% SMEs), four world-renowned research universities, investors, and international delegations to accelerate company formation, growth, and inward investment into the city. Its service portfolio spans the Grow London Global and Collaborate to Innovate flagship programmes, the JETRO-co-run Bio Launchpad for UK-Japan market access, the LHASE social-care programme, the Invest or Find Investment matching service, the Locate to London setup and lab-space finder, the annual London Life Sciences Week (100+ events, 1,000+ attendees in 2025), and the Life Sciences Companies to Watch brochure.

MedCity's underlying "technology" is its curated network and convening power, anchored by privileged access to NHS real-world clinical data and direct lines into London's regulatory and policy apparatus. It does not sell software or licences; rather, it provides consultation, programme participation, and event-driven engagement at no direct charge to beneficiaries. Go-to-market is event-led and community-led, primarily through London Life Sciences Week, programme participation, and direct outreach to international companies via Grow London Global.

The business model is grant- and partner-funded rather than commercially monetised. Revenue streams derive from the Mayor of London, the Greater London Authority, partner contributions (e.g., JETRO, Potter Clarkson), and London & Partners' broader venture portfolio, with services provided free at point of use. This structure aligns MedCity with public-sector growth agency economics: low direct revenue per beneficiary, high policy leverage, and dependence on continued governmental and institutional support.

Name

MedCity

Legal name

London & Partners

Website

https://medcityhq.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MedCity is a London-based, non-profit life sciences growth agency that convenes 2,500+ companies, universities, and investors to help life sciences firms set up, scale, and access capital in London, operating under London & Partners with Mayor of London backing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Life Sciences Ecosystem Development Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

Keywords

• Life sciences ecosystem support
• Investment facilitation services
• Location advisory services
• Industry growth programmes
• Cluster development services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government and Institutional Funding: MedCity is a non-profit/growth agency funded by grants and institutional partners including the Mayor of London (MOL) and Greater London Authority. As a social enterprise under London & Partners, they combine purpose with commercial rigour.
2. Support and Programme Services: MedCity provides support services to life sciences companies including investment facilitation, location services, and business growth programmes at no direct charge to beneficiaries, funded through institutional partnerships.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MedCity is a life sciences sector support organization operating under London & Partners. It provides services to life sciences companies, investors, and international firms seeking to grow, invest in, or locate to the London life sciences cluster. Core offerings include investment facilitation, market entry advisory, and ecosystem development programmes.

Product overview

MedCity is a London-based life sciences organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programmes and services designed to support companies throughout their lifecycle. The core offerings include Grow London Global and Collaborate to Innovate as flagship programmes for promotion and ecosystem building, alongside targeted initiatives like the Bio Launchpad Programme and LHASE. Supporting services encompass investment matching (Invest or Find Investment), location assistance (Locate to London with lab space finder), and the annual London Life Sciences Week event. Resources include the Life Sciences Companies to Watch Brochure. Together, these form a comprehensive support ecosystem spanning promotion, business growth, investment facilitation, and ecosystem development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Grow London Global: Programme supporting international life sciences companies expanding to London
• Collaborate to Innovate
• Life Sciences Companies to Watch

Products and services

• Grow London Global
• Collaborate to Innovate
• Bio Launchpad Programme
• Invest or Find Investment Service
• Locate to London Service
• London Life Sciences Week

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedCity collaborates with JETRO on the LaunchPad programme, offering opportunities for UK investors to hear from Japanese techbio and biotech startups, while JETRO provides opportunities for UK healthtech and medtech startups to meet Japanese pharma and healthtech enterprises and investors.
• Potter ClarksonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedCity partners with Potter Clarkson for expert insights content, including articles on EU Pharma Package and EU AI Act compliance for healthcare companies.
• London & PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedCity operates as part of London & Partners, the growth agency for London. London & Partners is a social enterprise combining purpose with commercial rigour, registered in England under no. 7493460.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• One Nucleus: One Nucleus is the not-for-profit membership organisation for life sciences companies operating across the London–Cambridge–Golden Triangle corridor. It is the most direct peer to MedCity given overlapping geographic remit, member base, and mission to support life sciences companies in the same cluster.
• BioIndustry Association (BIA): The BIA is the UK trade association for the bioindustry, representing biotech startups and scale-ups nationally. It is comparable to MedCity in serving as a connector and advocate for UK life sciences, with overlapping investor relations and policy engagement functions.
• Massachusetts Life Sciences Center: The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center is a quasi-government state investment agency that promotes life sciences cluster growth in Massachusetts. It mirrors MedCity's model of public-sector backing combined with cluster development, investment facilitation, and ecosystem marketing.
• Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult: Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult is a UK Innovate UK-backed technology and innovation centre focused on advancing cell and gene therapy. It is comparable to MedCity in being a UK government-supported organisation accelerating life sciences commercialisation.
• Cambridge Network: Cambridge Network is a membership organisation for technology and life sciences companies in the Cambridge cluster. It is comparable to MedCity as a regional life sciences ecosystem builder, although its geographic focus is the Cambridge side of the Golden Triangle.
• Biocom California: Biocom is the largest life sciences association in California, supporting biotech, pharma, and medtech companies through advocacy, capital access, and networking. It parallels MedCity's role as a connector and advocate for a regional life sciences cluster.
• LifeArc: LifeArc is a UK self-funded medical research charity that advances translational research and supports life sciences companies. It overlaps with MedCity in supporting UK life sciences translation and providing capital/grant pathways to companies.

Broad incumbents

• Innovate UK: Innovate UK is the UK's national innovation agency, funding and supporting business-led innovation across sectors including life sciences. It is comparable as a broader incumbent funder and ecosystem supporter that MedCity collaborates with and routes companies towards.

Regional players

• Scottish Enterprise (Life Sciences): Scottish Enterprise runs Scotland's life sciences cluster development, investment, and internationalisation programmes. It parallels MedCity's economic development agency model but is geographically focused on Scotland, making it a regional rather than direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Oxford University Innovation: Oxford University Innovation is the technology transfer office of the University of Oxford, commercialising life sciences IP and supporting spinouts. It is adjacent to MedCity as a UK life sciences commercialisation enabler and a potential partner within the Golden Triangle ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MedCityHQ
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@medcityhq7761
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/5287137

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MedCity