Best Uktech Podcasts (2026)

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The state of UK investment – Catherine Lenson, COO, Phoenix Court 33:55

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28d ago33:55

33:55

Catherine Lenson, chief operating officer of Phoenix Court, discusses why well-defined corporate and investment culture supports a cohesive strategy, how different stages of investment come with drastically different needs and why sticking with a founder long-term is both rewarding and satisfying. Phoenix Court is a venture capital firm that backs …

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The great AI shift in the knowledge economy – Abu Bakkar, HLB International 30:07

1M ago30:07

30:07

Abu Bakkar, chief innovation officer at HLB International, discusses how artificial intelligence is transforming the priorities of the professional services sector, the challenges this presents to the next generation of consultancy recruits and why upskilling has become mandatory. HLB International is a global network of advisory and accounting fir…

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Why open source matters – Amanda Brock, CEO, OpenUK 34:38

1M ago34:38

34:38

Amanda Brock, chief executive officer of OpenUK, discusses how the term open source is so often used incorrectly, why true open source is fundamental to the success of innovation and why AI and its data has created complicated conversations around what it means to be open. OpenUK is the UK’s industry body for open source technology. Brock became th…

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The UK’s place in global tech – Will Hutton, Journalist 29:09

2M ago29:09

29:09

Will Hutton, political journalist, author and academic, discusses the potential implications of the upcoming Autumn Budget on the British tech industry, why working with the EU is vital for achieving the growth ambitions championed by the government and how the UK can maintain its place on the global tech stage. Hutton is a columnist for the Observ…

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What the UK can learn from Cambridge’s tech success – Ottoline Leyser, UKRI 32:28

2M ago32:28

32:28

Dame Ottoline Leyser, former chief executive of UKRI and chair of the advisory board of Innovate Cambridge, discusses the research and business success from the University of Cambridge and how that can be applied throughout the country, government plans to support a global Oxford-Cambridge tech hub and the power of local pride in growing new tech c…

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The challenge of creating intelligence – David Hogan, NVIDIA 30:24

2M ago30:24

30:24

David Hogan, vice president for enterprise at NVIDIA, discusses the UK’s efforts in scaling its digital infrastructure to meet its ambitious goals in artificial intelligence and just how fundamental the recent shifts in AI technology have been to the shaping the future of the world. NVIDIA is one of the largest companies in the world, known for its…

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How far can AI go – Laura Modiano, OpenAI 33:01

2M ago33:01

33:01

Laura Modiano, head of startups at OpenAI, discusses just how far artificial intelligence has advanced since the launch of ChatGPT, how AI is drastically accelerating the growth rates of businesses and how far the company’s flagship product can go. OpenAI is the creator of ChatGPT and is among the largest AI companies globally. Valued this year at …

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Economically empowering small businesses – Fi Sellick, Square 25:39

3M ago25:39

25:39

Fi Sellick, head of UK strategy at Square, discusses how macroeconomic challenges impact small businesses as well as their payment providers, how Square is implementing AI across different markets and cryptocurrency’s role in democratising finance. Square is a contactless payment system for businesses co-founded by Twitter creator Jack Dorsey. The …

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Bridging the gap across the Atlantic – Karen McCormick, Beringea 34:57

3M ago34:57

34:57

Karen McCormick, chief investment officer at Beringea, discusses the relationship between the business, technology and investment communities of the UK and the US, why the entrepreneurial spirit of the UK is catching up to Silicon Valley and why almost every business has become an AI business. Beringea is a transatlantic venture capital investment …

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The enormous pressure faced by healthcare – Christoph Lippuner, Semble 26:14

3M ago26:14

26:14

By UKTN

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The complexity of productivity – Richard Jeffery, CEO, ActiveOps 31:59

3M ago31:59

31:59

Richard Jeffery, co-founder and chief executive officer of ActiveOps, discusses the challenges of managing work productivity in large organisations and the impact of AI on decision intelligence and operational efficiency. ActiveOps is a workflow management software provider founded in 2005, now operating in 40 countries around the world.…

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Why there’s no need to fear an AI winter – Calum Chace, Conscium 31:23

4M ago31:23

31:23

Calum Chase, co-founder of Conscium, discusses why fears of an AI winter have been greatly exaggerated, why the industry has surpassed the hype phase and will continue to grow and the transformational impacts already happening and those yet to come. Conscium is a research organisation focused on applied AI consciousness. The group was founded to ex…

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Reshaping education in a digital age – Lisa Haycox, Explore Learning 31:16

4M ago31:16

31:16

Lisa Haycox, chief executive of Explore Learning, discusses the technologies that should and should not be used in children’s education, how perceptions of digital learning changed after the pandemic and how AI represents the future of edtech. Explore Learning is a tuition provider for young students via its digital platform. Haycox discusses the s…

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Understanding energy usage – Jo Cox, CEO, IMServ 32:37

4M ago32:37

32:37

Jo Cox, chief executive officer of ImServ, discusses how smart tracking of energy use works for businesses, how AI can help collect and manage energy data and the myths around smart meters. IMServ is a data collection and energy metering firm. Cox, who was appointed as the group’s CEO in 2024, discusses the importance of understanding baseline ener…

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How micromobility has changed cycling – Caroline Seton, Forest 32:01

4M ago32:01

32:01

Caroline Seton, co-founder of Forest, discusses the cultural shift in perceptions of cycling brought in by bike hire services, the infrastructural barriers to encourage mass cycling and navigating the venture capital landscape. Forest, founded as Human Forest, is a London-based bicycle hiring service competing with the likes of Lime. The company wa…

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What has become of the metaverse? – Rob Whitehead, MSquared and Improbable 32:40

4M ago32:40

32:40

Rob Whitehead, chief executive of MSquared and co-founder of Improbable discusses why despite a drop in the initial hype, companies in the space are still making exciting innovations in metaverse technology. Whitehead explains why different iterations of virtual space technology have struggled to take off and why focusing on the correct use cases t…

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The next generation of sustainable aviation fuel, Dr Jane Jin, OXCCU 32:19

5M ago32:19

32:19

Dr Jane Jin, founder and chief operating officer of OXCCU, discusses the complexity of developing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), the history of how it has been deployed in the past and just how impactful viable could be for the environment and the aviation industry. OXCCU is a spinout from the University of Oxford developing technology to turn wa…

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The geopolitics of semiconductors, Robin Saxby, former CEO of Arm 34:39

5M ago34:39

34:39

Robin Saxby, former chief executive officer and chairman of Arm, discusses the history of his old company, the ever-changing complexities of how geopolitics impacts business and the urgent need for common sense among the world’s politicians to take a global approach to our largest problems. Saxby became Arm’s first CEO in 1991 and oversaw its rise …

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The journey for EVs is just getting started, Robin Heap, Zest 35:07

5M ago35:07

35:07

Robin Heap, founder and CEO of Zest, discusses how the cultural perception of electric vehicles has radically changed over the years, the massive growth in the UK electric car market and why the road to full electrification requires a great deal more effort from automotive firms, policymakers and consumers. Zest is company specialising in electric …

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Europe’s place in the global tech sector, Michelle Robson, Odyssey Ventures 31:01

5M ago31:01

31:01

Michelle Robson, founding partner at Odyssey Ventures, discusses her journey from chemical engineering grad to launching a venture capital firm, the qualities she looks for in a founder seeking investment and Europe’s place in a tech landscape dominated by Silicon Valley. Odyssey Ventures is a venture capital group based in London and San Francisco…

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The exciting future of space exploration, Tim Peake, astronaut 31:43

6M ago31:43

31:43

Tim Peake, British astronaut, discusses his experience on his mission on the International Space Station, how modern space exploration is changing with the advent of private companies like SpaceX and why humanity is only scratching the surface of the scientific value that can come from in-orbit experimentation. A British European Space Agency astro…

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Creating a digital government – Tech Secretary Peter Kyle 30:22

6M ago30:22

30:22

Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, discusses the enormous challenge of transforming government services for the automated digital age, how the government plans to create millions of skilled AI workers and Labour’s hands on approach to the tech sector. Kyle was given the reins of the Tech Depart…

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Preparing for a new era of warfare, Gary Waterfall, Air Vice Marshal 32:29

6M ago32:29

32:29

Air Vice Marshal Gary Waterfall, a retired senior officer of the Royal Air Force, discusses the desperate need to ensure domestic defence is able to keep up with the advancements of technology, the surprising parallels of a career in the military and a career as an entrepreneur and the historical links between the military and the development of te…

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Ignoring the sceptics, Ahti Heinla, CEO, Starship Technologies 28:06

6M ago28:06

28:06

Ahti Heinla, CEO of Starship Technologies and one of the original creators of Skype discusses the surprising truth behind Estonia’s digital transformation over the past three decades, the massive and enduring impact of Skype and why whether its video calls or delivery robots, his businesses have always been the target of sceptics. Heinla helped cre…

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The UK doesn’t have to be Silicon Valley – Elena Pantazi, partner, Northzone 32:29

7M ago32:29

32:29

Elena Pantazi, a partner at Northzone, discusses the challenges founders have managing startups in a fluctuating industry, why the UK might not need to compare itself to Silicon Valley and how VCs can unfortunately treat male founders very differently to women. Northzone is a multi-stage venture capital fund based in London. It has backed some of E…

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Balancing regulation and innovation, Jessica Lennard, chief strategy officer, CMA 33:36

7M ago33:36

33:36

Jessica Lennard, chief strategy officer at the CMA, discusses how the regulator has to balance its work with the world’s largest tech companies with the vast startup market, how the CMA’s competition regulation is evolving to suit innovation and why the wider regulatory regime as a whole is changing in the era of the modern industrial strategy. The…

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Underinvestment in defence has left the UK vulnerable, Tanya Suarez, CEO, IoT Tribe 31:18

7M ago31:18

31:18

Tanya Suarez, chief executive of IoT Tribe and head of the JANUS consortium, discusses why UK defence underinvestment has left the country vulnerable, the rising danger from international actors and the surprisingly thriving startup ecosystem in the defence tech sector. IoT Tribe is an accelerator group that was appointed by the government’s Defenc…

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Solving the greatest problem holding back UK tech – Ed Bussey, CEO, Oxford Science Enterprises 32:55

7M ago32:55

32:55

Ed Bussey, CEO of Oxford Science Enterprises, discusses why time is running out to solve British tech’s scaleup funding gap, why the potential for the UK tech industry is so much greater than its current performance and an out-there idea to improve the competitiveness of the London public markets. Oxford Science Enterprises is a venture capital fir…

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How financial services changed after the crash – Virraj Jatania, CEO, Pockit 33:20

8M ago33:20

33:20

Virraj Jatania, co-founder and chief executive of Pockit, discusses how the culture of financial services has changed since the 2008 crisis, why mergers and acquisitions have become an attractive option for fintechs and the trouble with push payment fraud regulations. Pockit is a London-based fintech that acts as a digital banking alternative targe…

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The road ahead for UK investors – Sam Nasrolahi, principal, InMotion Ventures 26:53

8M ago26:53

26:53

Sam Nasrolahi, principal at InMotion Ventures, discusses the difference between corporate investment arms and standard venture capital, why UK companies often don’t scale up in Britain and the impact of the turbulent tariff policies in the United States. InMotion Ventures is the investment arm of British automotive group Jaguar Land Rover. Nasrolah…

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The phenomenal opportunity investors are missing – Sharon Vosmek, CEO, Astia 32:58

8M ago32:58

32:58

Sharon Vosmek, chief executive and managing partner of Astia, discusses why backing female founders isn't just morally right, but also financial prudent, why not all definitions of women-led startups are equal and the danger of 'fomo' in investing. Astia is an inclusive venture capital group that seeks to address the vast and stagnant gap in fundin…

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Employee mental health is not an afterthought – Steve Peralta, co-founder, Unmind 31:05

8M ago31:05

31:05

Steve Peralta, co-founder of Unmind, discusses the problem with the majority of corporate mental health programmes, why the world of work so often leads to deteriorating mental health, and how psychology-backed tech platforms can help. Unmind is workplace wellbeing platform that partners with brands to offer employee mental health support. Peralta …

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Driving towards autonomous vehicles – David Keene, CEO, Aurrigo 34:38

8M ago34:38

34:38

David Keene, CEO of Aurrigo, discusses how autonomous driving will progress in the UK, how a chance encounter pivoted his company’s entire market and the journey of turning grant funding into an initial public offering. Aurrigo is an autonomous driving company that specialises in vehicles for the aviation industry, including self-driving baggage ca…

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Slowly bringing the NHS into the future – Jing Ouyang, co-founder, Patchwork Health 33:18

9M ago33:18

33:18

Jing Ouyang, co-founder and chief growth officer of Patchwork Health discusses the political pressure on health services to streamline operations, the difficulty in digitising NHS clinics and leaving a career as a medical doctor to launch a tech startup. Patchwork Health is a digital platform for clinics to manage day-to-day operations, organise wo…

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The long road ahead for British AI – Jonathan Berry, former AI minister 32:23

9M ago32:23

32:23

Jonathan Berry, Viscount Camrose and former Conservative AI minister, discusses how artificial intelligence policy has changed with the Labour government, why the work it must do is difficult but necessary and why clarity on AI regulation is vital for businesses. Berry is a hereditary peer in the House of Lords and served as the minister responsibl…

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Democratising access to youth mental health – Manjul Rathee, CEO, BfB Labs 32:19

9M ago32:19

32:19

Manjul Rathee, co-founder and CEO of BfB Labs, discusses the importance of providing broad access to mental health services to as many young people, the value of maintaining commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion and how the success of Adolescence has highlighted the anxieties families have around how children access the internet. BfB Labs …

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The crushing disappointment of the collapse of tech ideals – Chris Anderson, TED 30:53

9M ago30:53

30:53

Chris Anderson, head of TED, discusses why the collapse of the ideals of the tech industry over the last 15 years, embodied by the behaviour Elon Musk, represents a crushing disappointment. Anderson took over TED – which hosts viral talks at its conferences – from its founder Richard Saul Wurman in 2000. He turned the business into a non-profit and…

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Managing a startup and a family – Louise Webster, Beyond the School Run, founder 30:56

10M ago30:56

30:56

Louise Webster, founder of Beyond the School Run, discusses the challenges of balancing parenthood with launching a business, why parents need to be given resources and support to ensure they can thrive as entrepreneurs and how Covid radically reshaped the world of work for the better. Beyond the School Run is a network for parent entrepreneurs off…

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Catching UK tech up with the States – Tej Kohli, investor and philanthropist 30:38

10M ago30:38

30:38

Tej Kohli, billionaire investor and philanthropist, discusses why he's most excited by the future of esports, biotech and artificial general intelligence, how the UK lacks the collaborative culture between academia and business seen in the US and why Elon Musk should stick to tech and avoid unelected government work. Kohli is the founder of the inv…

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Open source in a capitalist world – Martin Woodward, VP, Github 30:59

10M ago30:59

30:59

Martin Woodward, vice president of developer relations at Github, discusses how the benefits of open source culture still exist in a hyper-capitalist society, but tech has moved away from the idealism of early open source, what the future of software development might look like and way coders don't necessarily have to be afraid that AI will take th…

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Standardising artificial intelligence – Susan Taylor Martin, CEO, BSI 32:36

10M ago32:36

32:36

Susan Taylor Martin, CEO of the British Standards Institution, discusses the need to offer businesses meaningful standards of how to use AI ahead of any binding legislation and the unenviable challenge of coordinating AI regulation across international borders and changing administrations. The British Standards Institution (BSI) is a more than a ce…

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The time has come to modernise lending – Michelle He, Abound 29:48

11M ago29:48

29:48

Michelle He, co-founder and COO of London-based fintech Abound, discusses how companies like hers are modernising the lending industry, why the UK is the best place in the world for an Open Banking startup and why the future has room for fintechs and traditional finance. Abound provides credit products to underserved communities, those without stro…

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The rise of the AI audit – Vidya Peters, CEO, DataSnipper 28:59

11M ago28:59

28:59

Vidya Peters, CEO of DataSnipper, discusses how artificial intelligence is changing the age-old profession of auditing, why it's good to be sceptical of grand government announcements, but there is genuine excitement around Labour's AI plans and why European founders should look beyond their borders when fundraising. DataSnipper provides audit and …

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The critical future of Britain’s data centres - Dawn Childs, Pure Data Centres Group 29:42

11M ago29:42

29:42

Dame Dawn Childs, CEO of Pure Data Centres Group, discusses the significance of the government’s decision to designate data centres as critical national infrastructure, the potential for the green energy transition to be supported, not hindered, by the power demands of AI and why Britain needs more engineers. Pure Data Centres Group designs, builds…

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Do tech firms really need more masculinity? - Viv Paxinos, AllBright CEO 29:19

11M ago29:19

29:19

DEI is under attack. US President Donald Trump has begun a crusade to strip diversity policies from government institutions, while senior tech leaders like Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg have called for workplaces to become ‘more masculine’ despite the fact that the social media giant’s workforce is already male-dominated. Is now really the time to tear up…

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Should the UK import AI from abroad? - Brian Mullins, CEO, Mind Foundry 27:28

12M ago27:28

27:28

Brian Mullins, CEO of AI firm Mind Foundry, looks at the ethics of using AI, from how the technology should be used with precision in high-risk scenarios, as well as the economic implications of the US dominance of the industry. Oxford-based Mind Foundry was setup to create AI responsibly from trusted scientific principles, aligning AI with human v…

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Could the UK lead the world in quantum computing? - Dr Chris Ballance, founder, Oxford Ionics 27:50

12M ago27:50

27:50

Dr Chris Ballance, founder and CEO of Oxford Ionics, discusses how the UK has the chance to build a competitive edge in the development of quantum computing, and shares how his love of experimentation dates back to his early escapades as a pupil at school. Founded in 2019, Oxford Ionics raised £30m in a Series A funding round in 2023. In September,…

1
How UK tech could benefit from Chinese capital – Mark Pearson, Fuel Ventures 38:19

12M ago38:19

38:19

Mark Pearson, founder and managing partner of Fuel Ventures, discusses how working as a chef under Gordon Ramsay led him to life as an entrepreneur, why Chinese capital presents a massive opportunity for British innovation and why after a few tough years, optimism has returned to the UK tech industry. Fuel Ventures is a London-based technology inve…

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Challenger banking is just getting started – Bianca Zwart, Bunq 27:36

1y ago27:36

27:36

Bianca Zwart, chief strategy officer at Bunq, discusses the massive issue of fraud, how Brexit has affected the company's UK operations and the exciting future of the banking sector. Bunq is a challenger bank founded in 2012. Zwart joined the firm in 2016 and worked across a handful of roles before leaving to become an entrepreneur. After founding …

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Big Tech ditched its roots as a force for good – Shelley Taylor, founder, trellyz 27:15

1y ago27:15

27:15

Shelley Taylor, founder of trellyz and RefAid, discusses how coming to the UK from Silicon Valley helped her understand the 'big picture problems', how Big Tech has moved away from its roots as a force for good, and the need for non-profits to think like businesses. Taylor works with governments and their non-profit partners to provide more efficie…