Silicon Valley Comes to Tech City

Top US CEOs and investors visit East London to host day of panels, discussions and workshops 

London, 17^th November 2011 – The annual Silicon Valley Comes to the UK (www.svc2uk.com) programme will visit Tech City for the first time this year on Saturday 19^th November. Marking the end of Entrepreneurs Festival arranged by the Tech City Investment Organisation (TCIO), part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, it will provide a unique opportunity to hear from experienced voices in the industry and hear the latest in cutting-edge business advice.

On the day attendees will have the opportunity to hear panels addressing key topics in technology and entrepreneurship including product design, securing financing, building a company and leveraging the community in your business. These will involve stars such as Reid Hoffman, Executive Chairman and co-founder of LinkedIn, and Thomas Ryan, CEO of Threadless. Conversations will also take place with leading figures in the tech world such as Raj Kapoor, co-founder and CEO of Snapfish, and Joi Ito, CEO of Creative Commons and head of the MIT Media Lab.

Eric Van Der Kleij, CEO of TCIO, said: “We’re delighted to be able to welcome so many luminaries from Silicon Valley here to Tech City. Not only does it give companies the chance to benefit from their knowledge but it also helps highlight the exciting, emerging talent here in the UK to a key audience. I hope that the event will interest and engage both communities and help develop future ties.”

Sherry Coutu, Co-Chair of SVC2UK, said: “The last year has seen the organic growth of the Tech City area increase in pace, continuing to emerge as a thriving network of digital creative businesses. We’re looking forward to visiting the area at such an exciting point in its development, both to help inspire and inform, and to see for ourselves the impact of this rapidly developing centre of technology and innovation on the capital.”

The event will also showcase winners from the SVC2UK APPathon, announced by the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street on Wednesday. Challenged to build apps using government data, the winners include A&Express from London, an app to help find the nearest hospital with the shortest waiting time; SafeTrip from Sheffield, which uses police crime data to plan a safe walking route; and Cambridge’s Wigutree that transforms career advice and stats into engaging videos to help encourage young people to find work.

To sign up to attend the event, register your interest at EventBrite.

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Notes to Editors: 

For more information on the Tech City Investment Organisation, please contact: 020 7413 3751 or [email protected].

The Tech City Investment Organisation (TCIO) was created in March 2011, following Prime Minister David Cameron’s announcement of the Tech City initiative in the ‘Silicon Roundabout’ area of East London. TCIO was set up by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and is designed to help the existing cluster of tech-digital and creative companies flourish. Tech City stretches out from the financial heart of the City of London to Stratford and the Olympic Park in East London, and is the fastest growing technology cluster in Europe. The TCIO team is a unique combination of experienced entrepreneurs and UKTI business specialists. Their role is to help existing companies succeed, as well as attract global business, entrepreneurs and high-value investment to the digital capital of Europe. For more information, visit www.techcityuk.com or www.ukti.gov.uk/techcity or follow us @techcityuk

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is the Government Department that helps UK-based companies succeed in the global economy. We also help overseas companies bring their high quality investment to the UK’s economy – acknowledged as Europe’s best place from which to succeed in global business. UKTI offers expertise and contacts through its extensive network of specialists in the UK, and in British embassies and other diplomatic offices around the world. We provide companies with the tools they require to be competitive on the world stage. For more information on UKTI, visit www.ukti.gov.uk or telephone +44 (0)20 7215 8000. For latest press releases, visit the online newsroom at www.ukti.gov.uk/media.

Silicon Valley comes to the UK (SVC2UK) is an annual programme that welcomes pioneers of the most disruptive companies to the UK. The entrepreneurs meet their UK and European counterparts to look at collaborating on business ventures. The SVC2UK is supported by a number of businesses and has grown into an eagerly anticipated event, with thousands of students and entrepreneurs benefiting from the collective expertise of the group. The not-for-profit programme is organised by Co-Chairs Sherry Coutu and Reid Hoffman, the Executive Committee and Partnering Organisations. To learn more about Silicon Valley comes to the UK please visit www.svc2uk.com or follow on twitter @svc2uk