The original Scaleup Report was published in 2014, which led to the formation of the ScaleUp Institute in 2015. How do long-standing actors in the scaleup ecosystem view its role and achievements to date – and where should its future focus lie?

The ScaleUp Institute is a leader in emphasising the crucial distinction between startups and scaleups. Generally, we don’t do that badly with startups. Where we have issues is in the valley of death and scaling up and growth funding – and the ScaleUp Institute is right on the cutting-edge with its evidence and knowledge about this. There are no necessarily straightforward or easy answers to any of these issues but the Scaleup Institute is all over those that deserve attention and development. Keep banging the table!
Lord Jim O’Neill
Chairman
Northern Gritstone

The ScaleUp Institute has focused on the scaleup ecosystem through a lens of credible data and economic analysis. It has given us all the data and materials to assess both the status quo and the opportunities ahead. That’s been absolutely fundamental. It has also been vital  in shining a light on the pan-UK picture for scaleups.
Priya Guha MBE
Venture Partner
Merian Ventures

It is recognised that scaling up is a problem in the UK – and that is not just in creative industries. And the reason we know that we don’t do it well has got a lot to do with the ScaleUp Institute’s advocacy and work – it has done a great deal to put this more firmly in the public eye.The Institute gave some extraordinarily valuable information to the Creative Industries Advisory Group inside UKRI. It revealed starkly both the possibilities for the creative industries but also the fact that we’re not doing it well enough. I really value its commitment to and thinking about what creative industries specifically need.
Professor Christopher Smith
AHRC Executive Chair and UKRI Creative Industries Sector Champion

The ScaleUp Institute has consistently created better data and deeper insights, and brought people together. And it has galvanised others to take action. It has become a focus for national government policy, for the devolved administrations and for the business support ecosystem across England.
Richard Jeffery
National Director
GC Business

The ScaleUp Institute brought a level of professionalism to the analysis of an area of the economy that had been previously hard to scope. It has provided a level of advocacy and delivered a level of insight and rigour. The debate about scaleups hitherto had been quite lofty and aspirational; the ScaleUp Institute has grounded that debate in data and reality.
Michael Hayman MBE
Chair and co-founder
Seven Hills

The ScaleUp Institute’s presence has been very important  serving as the voice of scaleups in the UK and beyond. It has addressed both national and local government agendas, recognising the importance of regional growth for the UK economy. It has elevated the profile of scaleups and has played a multi-faceted role.
Without its tenacity and clear communication, the progress achieved in supporting scaleups would have been significantly less.
We regularly use the ScaleUp Institute’s reports and commentary. These resources inform our decision-making and help us improve services and outcomes for all stakeholders in our business and the broader ecosystem. Their timely, evidence-based data is invaluable for both business and strategic considerations.
Aldo de Leonibus
CEO
Inventya plc

When we started the concept of scaleup was unfamiliar; the word wasn’t even used. Now it’s become part of the mainstream. That’s the ScaleUp Institute’s biggest success.
As founder members of the ScaleUp Institute we have seen the value of it persistently making the case for scaleup – providing the data backbone for policy arguments and the networking opportunities for us to work across sectors. Without the ScaleUp Institute banging the drum consistently this agenda would not be as central to the UK’s economic story as it is.
I have used its insights to understand which investors are deploying capital into the ground right now.
Steve Bates OBE
CEO
BioIndustry Association

The close, impact-driven relationship developed by the North East LEP and the ScaleUp Institute has enabled our region to become an exemplar which clearly demonstrates its value. The ScaleUp Institute has played a pivotal role in the development of both national and local scaleup ecosystems. It has been instrumental in raising awareness and understanding of scaleups among policymakers and stakeholders, while providing valuable data and insights to inform decision-making. The Institute has also facilitated crucial collaborations between ecosystem actors, identifying and promoting best practices in scaleup support. Its research and advocacy have been integral to shaping policies and initiatives that support high-growth businesses.
The programmes it has led on regional entrepreneurial ecosystem development have brought our region closer together, catalysing our focus on scaleups.  I have frequently used the Institute’s data and insights when developing strategies for supporting SMEs in the North East, particularly in collaboration with the SME Centre of Excellence and Asian Business Connexions.
Ammar Mirza CBE
Entrepreneur and former Chair of the Business Growth Board and SME representative on the North East Local Enterprise Partnership

The figures – courtesy of the ScaleUp Institute of course – speak volumes. The number of scaleups nationally was 11,575 in 2015 and by June 2024 had almost tripled to 34,180. This increase despite a global pandemic, supply chain disruptions and severe geopolitical instability.
Increasingly, thanks in large part to the work of the ScaleUp Institute, policy and programmes are taking into account the specific needs of scaleups. It has been vital in bringing together partners in the region – such as the universities, Entrepreneurs’ Forum, RTC and now the North East Combined Authority – to focus on scaling businesses. As a result, initiatives such as such as ScaleUp North East and the Entrepreneurs’ Forum ScaleUp Leaders’ Academy are flourishing.
Having the ScaleUp Institute which is focused on ensuing scaleups are a national priority, dedicated to enhancing knowledge about scaleups, providing and disseminating robust analysis of the scaleup economy, and supporting local ecosystems is vital.
Dr Fiona Whitehurst
Associate Dean Engagement and Place
Senior Lecturer in Management
Newcastle University Business School

There’s not a day that doesn’t go by when I don’t talk about the ScaleUp Institute. It is such an important organisation for our ecosystem. It has its finger on the pulse of what needs to be done and is highly collaborative.
Russ Shaw CBE
Founder
Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates

The whole point was to put scaleups at the forefront of the agenda and what the ScaleUp Institute has accomplished over the last 10 years is that scaleups are part of every single conversation and mentioned in every single agenda.
Sahar Hashemi OBE
Co-founder
Buy Women Built

The data and evidence provided by the ScaleUp Institute has been critical, as it has helped us get the buy-in from local political leadership about the importance of focusing on scaleups. It has helped us to keep a tight focus and maintain the momentum of our activities. And they have helped us develop concepts and ideas.
Janice Mears
Head of Business Growth
Liverpool City Region

The ScaleUp Institute has been very successful in its advocacy role; it has been relentless in ensuring that scaleups are talked about, seen, valued and understood. It has also harnessed data about scaleups which has also been hugely valuable.
Charlotte Keenan
Head of Corporate Engagement and Global Head of 10,000 Women, Goldman Sachs

LOOKING FORWARD

What should be the focus of the ScaleUp Institute in the future?

The ScaleUp Institute can help the UK learn from the best of the best around the world and to take what has worked elsewhere. It’s really important to benchmark ourselves on a global basis.
It must continue to consider inclusion and under-representation as part of the broad ecosystem analysis. We could have a thriving scaleup ecosystem but we’re not going to achieve the full benefits if inclusion is not at the heart of it.
Priya Guha MBE
Venture Partner
Merian Ventures

The focus around devolution means that the ScaleUp Institute has to continue to consistently bring together policy makers and show the evidence at a local level. Embedding the scaleup agenda at the local level is really key.
There is a big role in continuing to show how scaleups can support a broader agenda. There has been a focus on growth, profits and turnover. There is more that can be said about the role of scaleups and productivity, the role they play in their communities, or in carbon reduction, or in helping with the skills challenges. It’s important to communicate the broader impact of scaleups.
Richard Jeffery
National Director
GC Business

Apart from doing more of the same, it can create more opportunities to bring regions together to share best practice. The funding landscape is going to get smaller, not bigger, so we have to look at opportunities to work cross-regionally and maybe create solutions and interventions that are broader than just our local focus. The ScaleUp Institute is in a great place to help with that.
Janice Mears
Head of Business Growth
Liverpool City Region

There are many companies that do not fall within the strict definition of scaleups but which are successful, growing and could accelerate further. A large company growing at 10% is just as useful to the UK economy as a small young company growing at 100%. So the ScaleUp Institute has to keep placing its work within the context of that broader entrepreneurial economy.
Michael Hayman MBE
Chair and co-founder
Seven Hills

The ScaleUp Institute should continue its excellent work as the voice of Scaleup Britain, with a focus on enhancing cohesion by improving collaboration among the diverse range of service providers; improving accessibility by assisting businesses in identifying the most appropriate service providers to enhance awareness and accessibility; and encouraging support by rallying comprehensive backing from service providers to ensure the voice of scaleups remains prominent and influential.
Aldo de Leonibus
CEO
Inventya plc

Looking ahead, the ScaleUp Institute should continue to advocate for policies that address persistent scaleup challenges, such as access to capital and skills development. It must further facilitate collaboration between national and local ecosystem actors and continue to provide cutting-edge research and data to guide policy decisions. In an increasingly globalised world, promoting international best practices and fostering global connections for UK scaleups will be critical. By maintaining its focus on these areas, the ScaleUp Institute can continue to play a vital role in making the UK the best place in the world to scale a business.
Ammar Mirza CBE
Entrepreneur and former Chair of the Business Growth Board and SME representative on the North East Local Enterprise Partnership

The ScaleUp Institute has always been very focused on its mission to make the UK the best place in the world to scale up a business. That should always remain the focus and with increased devolution I am sure we will see even more engagement across the regions and nations to ensure appropriate and tailored support for growing firms to scale from those ecosystems.
Dr Fiona Whitehurst
Associate Dean Engagement and Place
Senior Lecturer in Management
Newcastle University Business School

It should do more of what it’s already doing!
We have vibrant scaling ecosystems in some areas – such as fintech or AI – and there’s an important role for the ScaleUp Institute to help ensure we build successful scaling businesses and ecosystems in emerging areas of the economy and across many vertical tech sectors – from semiconductors and space tech, from creative tech to bioengineering.
Russ Shaw CBE
Founder
Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates