Today, European tech PR agency, Tyto publishes its second annual Tech 500 Power List, revealing the most influential individuals in the UK tech sector.
The ‘Tech 500’, which is the only impartial data-driven influence study in the UK tech sector, shows that small company leaders and independent tech evangelists are outranking representatives of large tech firms when it comes to being heard. In fact, only 13 FTSE 100 companies had any representatives at all among the top 500.
80% of the individuals on the Tech 500 are independent or from smaller organisations, suggesting that working for a major firm doesn’t necessarily equate to increasing your personal influence. In fact, among the Tech 100, there were no individuals from FTSE 100 companies, as even last year’s overall top influencer Stephen Kelly has since departed his role at Sage.
Top 10 influencers for 2018
- Chris Skinner – Blogger
- Graham Cluley – Self Employed
- Stephen Kelly – Entrepreneur Investor
- Simon Taylor – 11:FS
- Bill Buchanan – Napier University
- Emma Jones – Enterprise Nations
- Mike Butcher – TechCrunch
- Anne Boden – Starling Bank
- Reshma Sohoni – Seedcamp
- Jamie Burke – Outlier Ventures
“The lack of major tech firms on year’s Tyto Tech 500 Power List, shows that the size of your marketing and public relations budget does not guarantee you a position of influence. Individuals and smaller organisations who are passionate, committed and purposeful, have an equal if not better chance of making a major contribution to the direction of the UK tech sector. This is evidence that the UK tech sector is a dynamic environment, where innovation thrives.”Brendon Craigie, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Tyto, commented:
The Tyto Tech 500 Power List was created in partnership with delineate, using a five-stage data-driven analysis process, assessing an individual’s traditional and social media influence as well as prominence at public events.
Download the Tyto Tech 500 Power List to read the full report.
Further key trends revealed by this year’s study include…
Influencers are becoming more influential
The raw scores used to determine the ranking of the Tech 500 have increased by an average of 45% compared with 2017, suggesting that the UK’s tech influencers are in fact becoming more influential. Several names have achieved the same scores as 2017, but have slipped down in the rankings as the environment becomes more competitive. Read more.
FinTech dominates
95 of the Tech 500 influencers come from the FinTech sector, equal to a 19% share. No other sub-sector made up more than 6% of the overall list and FinTech influencers made up 30% of the top 10. Read more.
The gender gap narrows (a little)
31% of this year’s list is made up by women, an increase from 24% in 2017, showing hopeful signs that there is an increasing platform for women to rise to the top in tech. Read more.
Business leaders grow their authority
68% of this year’s Tech 500 is made up of business leaders, an increase of 60% in 2017. Conversely, while journalists still retain the number two spot by sub-group with 18%, they have slipped down from 24% last year, reflecting a challenging year for the media industry more broadly. Read more.