Why Northern fintech and tech scale-ups no longer need a London address to grow

For years, the assumption was simple: if you wanted serious investment, serious talent, and serious growth, you needed a London postcode. That assumption is now being tested by the businesses building some of the most promising tech companies in the UK, and they are doing it from Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, and beyond. At Prolific North's Scale-ups to Watch roundtable this month, leaders from the region's fastest-growing tech businesses made the case that the North is no longer catching up; it is competing on its own terms.

Callum Bentley-Edwards, who oversees partnerships at Manchester-based payments platform Ryft, was among those taking part. For Ryft, being headquartered in Manchester is a commercial advantage: lower costs free up capital for international expansion, and investors are fully behind the approach. Where your office sits no longer makes the top questions.

On AI, Callum was direct: businesses using it every day are pulling ahead, and the gap will only grow. Ryft runs weekly internal discussions on AI and has made it a core part of how the team works.

Read the full rountable session here.

As featured in Prolific North

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