Grow London Global

What Grow London Global does

Grow London Global is a free 12-month international expansion support programme for innovative UK tech scaleups, operated by London & Partners — the Mayor of London's social enterprise growth agency — and funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Launched in May 2023, the programme provides bespoke growth planning, workshops, corporate-startup matching events (Meet the Corporate), and trade missions to North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. Eligibility is restricted to UK-registered companies with 10+ employees, £1m+ turnover or investment, and 20% year-on-year growth, and applications are accepted on a rolling cohort basis (eight cohorts by June 2026). The programme's core differentiator is its free, equity-free delivery model supported by a network of seven delivery partners (HSBC Innovation Banking, KPMG, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Oury Clark, GrantTree, CLA, and Bridgehead) and two regional partners (West Midlands Growth Company and Essex County Council), with an additional executive education track — the Innovation Fellowship — co-developed with the Royal College of Art.

The programme's operational footprint has expanded from London-only to include West Midlands and Essex-based companies, with a Pre-Global pathway targeting underrepresented founders and a Frontier Innovation Fellowship for frontier-technology scaleups. Underlying infrastructure consists of standard digital tools for application intake, event coordination, and corporate matchmaking, rather than proprietary technology. Since launch, more than 700 companies have participated, achieving £377m+ in international business wins, with 100% of graduates reporting increased export revenue and 96% reporting that the programme helped them overcome a growth blocker. Disclosed social return on investment is £20 in Gross Value Added for every £1 of public funding.

Revenue mechanics are grant-based rather than commercial: London & Partners combines grant funding, partner contributions, and income from its portfolio of venture businesses (including .LONDON domain registrations) to fund programmes. The programme itself does not charge participants. Strategically, Grow London Global functions as a public-sector internationalisation platform whose competitive position is anchored in governmental backing, partner ecosystem density, and the alumni network rather than in any defensible technology asset.

Name

Grow London Global

Legal name

London & Partners

Website

https://grow.london

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Grow London Global is a free, publicly funded 12-month programme operated by London & Partners that helps innovative UK tech scaleups expand internationally through expert advice, trade missions, corporate introductions, and a partner ecosystem spanning legal, financial, and operational domains.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Business Expansion Support Services

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Investment Promotion & FDI Facilitation (BPADAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Economic Growth, Livelihoods & Private Sector Development (BPADAEAE), SME & Entrepreneurship Development (Trade-Linked) (BPADAMAE)

Keywords

• International expansion programmes
• Tech scaleup support
• Business accelerator programmes
• Trade mission services
• Corporate-startup matching

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. UK Shared Prosperity Fund: The programme is funded by UK government funding through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, making it free for all participants. The programme generates economic value by returning £20 in Gross Value Added (GVA) for every £1 of public investment, through jobs, exports, and stronger businesses.
2. Programme Delivery Partnership: Delivered in partnership with delivery partners including HSBC Innovation Banking, Oury Clark, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, GrantTree, CLA, KPMG, and Bridgehead who provide expert advice across legal, HR, financial, and commercial areas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Grow London Global is a free 12-month international expansion programme that supports innovative tech scaleups with 10+ employees, £1m+ turnover or investment, and 20% YoY growth. Accepted companies receive a dedicated account manager, a bespoke growth plan, workshops, international trade missions, and curated introductions to corporate partners through the Meet the Corporate programme. The programme is fully funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and operated by London & Partners.

Product overview

Grow London Global operates as a portfolio of interconnected business growth programmes rather than a single product. The core offerings include the Grow London Global Programme (a free 12-month international expansion accelerator), the Innovation Fellowship (executive education for corporate innovation leaders in partnership with Royal College of Art), Grow Summit (annual entrepreneurship summit), and Grow London Early Stage (support for early-stage companies). These programmes are complemented by Frontier Innovation Fellowship, London Tech Week, and .LONDON domain registration services. The ecosystem is unified under London & Partners' Grow London brand, providing a comprehensive pathway from early-stage establishment in London through to global scaleup and international expansion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grow London Global Programme Free 12-month international expansion support programme for innovative tech companies with 10+ employees, £1m+ turnover/investment, and 20% YoY growth. Provides dedicated account managers, bespoke growth plans, workshops, trade missions, and corporate introductions to help London-based scaleups expand globally.
• Innovation Fellowship Executive education programme and cross-industry innovation community for corporate innovation leaders, delivered in partnership with the Royal College of Art as a three-month cohort-based programme focused on open innovation culture and ecosystem engagement.
• Grow London London's investment promotion arm operated by London & Partners, providing business growth support services including free advice, sector insights, and programmes to help businesses establish and expand in London.
• Grow Summit Annual summit connecting innovators, investors, and business leaders, featuring retreats, future horizons sessions, and the SVC2UK entrepreneurship initiative.
• Grow London Early Stage Business support programmes for early-stage growth companies looking to establish and expand in London.
• Frontier Innovation Fellowship Specialised fellowship supporting scaleups working in frontier technologies, part of the Innovation Fellowship network.
• London Tech Week Annual flagship tech event forming part of London's global tech moment, connecting businesses with the broader tech ecosystem.

Quantifiable outcome

• £377m+ in international business wins achieved by programme participants
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, supporting and regional.

• Mayor of LondonflagshipOthers · 1 May 2023Programme is supported by the Mayor of London, providing political backing and visibility. Mayor Sadiq Khan participates in trade missions including creative trade mission to Japan and fintech mission to Singapore (both June 2026).
• HSBC Innovation BankingcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDelivery partner providing expert advice on financial services, banking solutions, and global trade financing for programme participants. HSBC representatives are listed as key partners supporting the Grow London Global programme alongside six other delivery partners.
• KPMGcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDelivery partner offering professional services expertise across technology and digital solutions for programme participants. KPMG contributes to the comprehensive support network alongside other delivery partners.
• Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & RosaticoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDelivery partner providing legal expertise on corporate matters, intellectual property, and regulatory compliance for tech companies expanding internationally.
• Oury ClarksupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerDelivery partner offering professional services support for programme participants in areas such as tax, accounting, and business advisory.
• GrantTreesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerDelivery partner specializing in government funding, R&D tax credits, and grants for innovative technology companies.
• CLAsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerDelivery partner providing professional services including legal, accounting, and business support for programme participants.
• BridgeheadsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerDelivery partner providing technology and digital solutions expertise for programme participants.
• West Midlands Growth CompanyregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partnership extending Grow London Global programme to West Midlands-based tech scaleups. Conor Carey serves as Regional Trade Manager. This partnership brings the award-winning programme to innovative companies outside London.
• Essex County CouncilregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partnership bringing Grow London Global programme to Essex-based tech companies, expanding the programme's geographic reach beyond central London to include companies from Essex in the June 2026 cohort.
• Royal College of ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner for the Innovation Fellowship, delivering a cohort-based three-month executive education programme focused on open innovation culture and ecosystem engagement. The partnership combines RCA's academic expertise with London & Partners' business network.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MassChallenge: Global non-equity accelerator operating cohorts in multiple geographies (including the UK) that help early- and growth-stage startups access corporate partners, investors and international markets — directly comparable as a non-equity internationalisation programme for tech scaleups.
• Wayra (Telefónica Open Innovation): Telefónica's global corporate accelerator running cohorts across multiple countries to scale telecoms-adjacent and enterprise startups internationally — comparable as a corporate-backed scaleup programme with international trade mission and corporate matchmaking capabilities.
• Tech Nation (programme legacy / Founders Forum Group successor): Was the UK's flagship tech scaleup support network (Visa, Future Fifty, Upscale programmes) operating in the same London ecosystem as Grow London Global; highly comparable as a UK-based scaleup accelerator serving founders seeking international growth, although now operating in a reduced commercial form.
• Techstars: Global accelerator with mentorship-driven cohorts and a corporate partner network, serving tech startups looking to scale internationally — comparable to Grow London Global as an accelerator-style programme, though it takes equity whereas Grow London Global is free.
• West Midlands Growth Company: Official growth agency for the West Midlands, delivering inward investment, trade and scaleup support — directly comparable because it is an actual delivery partner for Grow London Global's regional expansion, executing a similar model in a different UK region.
• Scottish Enterprise: Scotland's national economic development agency, running internationalisation programmes, trade missions and scaleup support for Scottish tech companies — directly comparable in mission and delivery model, but regionally focused on Scotland rather than London.

Regional players

• Station F: World's largest startup campus in Paris running internationalisation programmes for scaleups wanting to expand into France and Europe — comparable internationalisation support but anchored in Paris rather than London.
• Dubai FDI (Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism): Government-led inward investment and international expansion agency that helps tech companies establish in Dubai — comparable mission of attracting and scaling international tech firms, but operating in a different geography and not directly competing for London-based scaleups.
• Manchester Growth Company: Greater Manchester's economic development agency running international trade and scaleup support programmes — highly comparable in mission and structure to London & Partners' Grow London Global, but serving a different UK region.

Broad incumbents

• Department for Business and Trade (DBT): UK government department responsible for international trade promotion, export support and inward investment — overlaps with Grow London Global's trade mission and FDI-adjacent activities but operates at a national policy level rather than as a London-focused delivery programme.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/growldnbusiness
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/londonandpartnersFDI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/growlondon
• Instagraminstagram.com/growlondonbusiness

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

Investments4 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Grow London Global