A review of the UK's semiconductor clusters

19th September 2023

Paige West

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Barcley’s, Eagle Labs has taken a deep dive into the specific sectors that the UK’s 79 active high-growth semiconductor companies operate within.

This is the third in a series of thought leadership reports and has been published in partnership with Beauhurst and funded by the UK Government, to review the key investment trends, founder insights, and growth opportunities within the UK ecosystem.

The report examines the demographic makeup of high-growth semiconductor companies in the UK, focusing on gender, age, and nationality. It reveals that mixed-gender teams make up just 8.77% of the overall founder population. The semiconductor industry is predominantly led by male founding teams, accounting for 87.7% of the total active population. Furthermore, founders aged 50-59 are responsible for the incorporation of 30.9% of these companies.

The report zeroes in on the 79 currently active high-growth semiconductor companies in the UK, along with an additional 29 companies that have been active historically. It also provides an overview of Beauhurt's eight high-growth triggers.

The report also delves into the most recent perspectives on funding and innovation, highlighting that high-growth semiconductor companies achieved £160 million in equity funding in 2022 alone. The report provides an analysis of top fund managers in the sector. Furthermore, it offers an in-depth examination of both public and private funding trends in the semiconductor industry dating back to 2013. The data is categorised by the number of grants awarded and the amounts secured each year, allowing for the identification of significant trends and fluctuations.

Over the last ten years, there has been a significant uptick in the submission of patent applications by high-growth semiconductor companies. From 2012 to 2016, approximately 64.5% of these applications were successfully granted.

Nevertheless, despite the surge in patent applications, there has been a decline in the number of granted patents starting from 2016 onwards. This report offers insights into the innovation and semiconductor strategy in the UK, aiming to chart a course for industry improvement and growth.

Click here to read the report.