As tech hubs emerge right across the capital, Sarah Luxford of advocacy organisation, Croydon Tech City, tells us what the area has to offer and how it’s biting at the heels of Shoreditch.

Croydon is now London’s fastest growing tech ecosystem (according to the ONS) and is home to over one thousand early-stage digital, technical and creative startups. Every week we’re finding new tech companies either moving to or being founded within the borough.

The reasons why startups are choosing Croydon are myriad: Croydon has the least expensive Grade A office space within the M25, it’s 14 minutes from Central London, we have access to international flights via Gatwick in under 15 minutes. Croydon is full of potential employees (it has the highest number of economically active people of all the London boroughs), plus it has the fastest broadband speeds in Greater London.

Croydon is home to a robust community of software developers, tech founders and venture capitalists. Croydon Tech City has actively worked to build this community focusing on 4 key areas covering inward investment, culture, future talent and funding – this has resulted in a volunteer-led tech ecosystem in which tech, legal, marketing and business professionals share their expertise for free with entrepreneurs in the borough.

There are tech events every week of the year in Croydon – ranging from tech surgeries where you can meet with experts to help with your problem to drinks socials to network the night away. All of this provides a warm social scene that is inclusive and welcoming.

It’s this organic community and incredible army of volunteers that underpins the success of the Borough – we are now moving into a new phase with further workspaces, international tech leaders and incubators choosing to base themselves from Croydon. As this community grows, so does the opportunities.

For more on the emerging tech hubs across the capital, check out next month’s edition of Tech City News which includes an exclusive feature from our CEO, Gerard Grech.