Birmingham Tech (Birmingham Tech Week)

What Birmingham Tech (Birmingham Tech Week) does

Birmingham Tech (now operating as TechWM) is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC), founded in 2019 and headquartered in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The organization serves as the independent coordinating platform for the West Midlands technology ecosystem, supporting tech startups, scaleups, entrepreneurs, digital skills learners, and ecosystem participants across the region. Its core offerings include the annual Birmingham Tech Week (the UK's largest regional tech festival with 5,000+ attendees), a six-month ScaleUp Accelerator programme delivered in partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), Digital Skills Bootcamps funded by a £21m WMCA Adult Education Budget commitment, the Innovating Humanity Podcast Series, and a curated directory of more than 30 regional accelerators, incubators, and business support programmes.

The organization does not develop proprietary technology products; instead, it operates as an ecosystem platform that connects members to resources, content, events, and partners at no cost. All services are provided on a freemium basis, with revenue sourced from event sponsorships (e.g., NatWest), public-sector grants (WMCA), and in-kind partner support from organizations including Tech Nation, techUK, Enterprise Nation, AWS, University of Birmingham, and Birmingham City University. The 1–10 employee team is led by Founder and CEO Yiannis Maos, with Kim Leary as Chair and Chris Blackwell as ScaleUp Lead. In 2022, the organization rebranded from Birmingham Tech to TechWM to reflect a broader regional remit across the West Midlands, while retaining the Birmingham Tech Week brand for its flagship annual event.

Name

Birmingham Tech (Birmingham Tech Week)

Legal name

Birmingham Tech CIC

Website

https://birmingham.tech

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Birmingham Tech (now TechWM) is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company that serves as the independent coordinating platform for the West Midlands tech ecosystem, supporting startups, scaleups, entrepreneurs, and digital skills learners through events, accelerators, bootcamps, and content — all provided free of charge.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technology Ecosystem Development

NAICS

Computer Training (611420)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Inclusion & Civic Tech (Connectivity, GovTech for Social Good) (BPAGALAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Engineering & Technical Professions (PE, Engineering CPD) (EDAAALAF)

Keywords

• Technology ecosystem support
• Tech community events
• Startup accelerator programs
• Digital skills training
• Regional tech development

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership and Subscription Services: Birmingham Tech provides free subscription services to tech leaders, entrepreneurs and enthusiasts across the West Midlands ecosystem. All content, resources, events, and support services are provided free of charge to subscribers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Birmingham Tech is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC) that operates as the independent voice and central hub for the West Midlands technology ecosystem. It delivers a portfolio of programs including the annual Birmingham Tech Week festival, the six-month ScaleUp Accelerator for high-growth tech companies, fully-funded Digital Skills Bootcamps, and the Innovating Humanity podcast series, alongside free content, events and business support services. All offerings are provided free of charge to tech leaders, entrepreneurs and ecosystem participants across the region.

Product overview

Birmingham Tech (now TechWM) is a not-for-profit community initiative (CIC) that operates as a platform connecting the West Midlands tech ecosystem. The organisation provides a portfolio of initiatives including Birmingham Tech Week (an annual technology festival), the ScaleUp Accelerator programme (six-month business accelerator), Digital Skills Bootcamps (in partnership with WMCA), and the Innovating Humanity Podcast Series. Birmingham Tech also maintains a comprehensive directory of over 30 accelerators, incubators and business support programmes available in the region, along with venture funding research and analysis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Birmingham Tech Week Annual technology festival showcasing the West Midlands tech scene, featuring keynote speakers, panel discussions, networking events and entrepreneur pitching competitions for tech leaders, entrepreneurs and ecosystem participants.
• ScaleUp Accelerator Six-month accelerator programme providing coaching, mentoring, and exclusive content including workshops and events for high-growth tech startups in the West Midlands, delivered in partnership with Purpose Led Performance.
• Innovating Humanity Podcast Series

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

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tech NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization that fuels the growth of game-changing founders, leaders and scaling companies. Tech Nation provides coaching, content and community for the tech journey. Birmingham Tech collaborates with Tech Nation on events, research, and ecosystem development.
• techUKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrade association bringing together people, companies and organisations to realise the positive outcomes of digital technology. Creates a network for innovation and collaboration across business, government and stakeholders.
• Enterprise NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVibrant community of small businesses and business advisers that exists to shortcut the route to trusted business support. Provides resources, expertise, and connections for starting and growing businesses.
• ScaleUp InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization focused on supporting and accelerating scaleup businesses in the UK. Provides research, programs and resources for high-growth companies.
• West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWMCA is the regional combined authority comprising Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Coventry, and other West Midlands councils. Birmingham Tech partners with WMCA on initiatives including the ScaleUp Accelerator and Digital Roadmap for the region.
• West Midlands Growth CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorks to ensure foreign-owned businesses across the region have access to free local account managers and beneficial support services. Partners on regional promotion and investment attraction.
• Department for International TrademinorGTM or Marketing PartnerUK government department supporting international trade and investment. Partners on events and regional promotion activities.
• Birmingham City UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor university partner providing support through BCU Advantage business support service. Collaboration on student opportunities, bootcamps, and regional tech ecosystem development.
• University of BirminghamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university offering coding and data analytics boot camps through Birmingham Tech's digital skills programs. Also involved in various research and innovation initiatives.
• NatWestcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Birmingham Tech Week and supporter of entrepreneurs through their Entrepreneur Accelerator Programme. Committed to supporting entrepreneurs through Business Builder, Entrepreneur Accelerator and Fintech Accelerator programmes.
• West Midlands Combined Authority Digital Skills PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWMCA has committed £21m from the Adult Education Budget to invest in Digital Bootcamps over three years. Partnership focuses on helping unemployed, economically inactive and career change residents enter digital roles.
• Purpose Led PerformancecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsultancy specializing in supporting Scale-Ups. CEO Chris Blackwell serves as ScaleUp Lead at Birmingham Tech and delivers the ScaleUp Accelerator program content.
• Innovation Birmingham (Bruntwood SciTech)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation Birmingham offers coworking, office space and business support for digital and tech businesses. Home to over 170 companies in the city's Knowledge Quarter.
• Generation UK and IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK charity delivering free bootcamps for unemployed or underemployed people and underrepresented groups. Programs include IT Support, AWS re/Start Cloud Engineering, Data Engineering, and Data Analyst bootcamps.
• TechTalent AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining organization solving tech's talent problem by offering training to under-represented groups. Provides Software Development, Data Science, and Cyber Security academies.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWS re/Start collaboration with TechTalent Academy provides free cloud computing skills development and job training. 12-week program covers AWS Cloud skills and prepares participants for AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tech Nation: UK-wide technology ecosystem organization supporting founders, leaders, and scaling companies through coaching, content, and community. Directly comparable mission to Birmingham Tech / TechWM as a non-profit cluster-building body, though operating at national scale.
• London Tech Week: Flagship UK technology festival convening global tech leaders, policymakers, and startups. Closest comparable event IP to Birmingham Tech Week, though operating at national / international scale in London.
• Enterprise Nation: UK small business community and support platform offering resources, events, and partnerships for entrepreneurs. Directly comparable as a Birmingham Tech partner with overlapping mission of supporting regional and UK-wide business growth.
• Manchester Digital: Independent trade body for the Greater Manchester digital and tech sector, running events, skills programs, and ecosystem advocacy. Most directly comparable as a regional UK tech cluster organization with similar mission and member-driven model.
• Leeds Digital Festival: Annual open-platform digital and tech festival across the Leeds city region featuring events, talks, and community programming. Closely comparable as a regional UK tech festival model.
• Cambridge Network: Member-led organization connecting Cambridge's tech and knowledge economy through events, skills initiatives, and ecosystem services. Comparable regional cluster-builder serving a defined UK tech hub.

Broad incumbents

• Digital Catapult: UK-wide advanced digital technology innovation centre delivering programmes in AI, 5G, IoT, and immersive. Comparable as a publicly-supported non-profit advancing the UK digital ecosystem, though focused on deep-tech R&D rather than regional cluster convening.
• techUK: UK trade association representing the technology industry across sectors, convening members around policy, skills, and innovation. Comparable as a Birmingham Tech partner with similar convening role across the UK digital ecosystem.
• Coadec: Independent UK tech policy and ecosystem advocacy organization working with founders, policymakers, and corporates. Comparable as a non-profit UK tech community voice, though primarily policy-oriented rather than regionally operational.

Regional players

• West Midlands Growth Company: Regional development agency promoting investment, trade, and growth across the West Midlands. Comparable as a publicly-backed body supporting the same regional tech and business ecosystem that Birmingham Tech / TechWM serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BirminghamTech
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYihZEK4e1s9tAIa58DCevQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/birmingham-tech

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Birmingham Tech (Birmingham Tech Week)