Tech and the City – How can Britain build the next tech giants? The role of capital markets
Free
Tech and the City – How can Britain build the next tech giants? The role of capital markets
12.45pm – 3.15pm24 February 2026
techUK, 10 St Bride Street, London, EC4A 4AD
You are invited to Tech and the City –How can Britain build the next tech giants? The role of capital markets, a joint techUK / TheCityUK summit. We will be joined by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury Lucy Rigby MP alongside leading industry figures across the technology and financial services sectors. This summit will consider the macroeconomic factors affecting the UK’s competitiveness as a hub for scaling technology companies. It will delve into regulatory reforms on improving access to capital for technology companies and provide these companies with practical guidance on what options are available to them.
Agenda
12:45 – 13:15 – Arrivals / Light Networking Lunch
13:15 – 13:20 – Joint welcome – Julian David OBE, CEO, techUK and Miles Celic OBE, CEO, TheCityUK
13:20 – 14:00 – Panel 1 – Enhancing Access to Capital Markets for UK Tech Businesses
Chair: Miles Celic OBE, CEO, TheCityUK
Karan Jain, Founder & CEO, Nayaone
Panellists TBC
14:00 – 14:15 – Ministerial Keynote Address
Lucy Rigby KC MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury
Charlie Walker, Deputy CEO - London Stock Exchange
15:15 Onwards – Coffee / Networking in Member Lounge
For more information, please contact:
James Challinor
Head of Financial Services, techUK
James Challinor
Head of Financial Services, techUK
James leads our financial services programme of activity. He works closely with member firms from across the sector to ensure innovation and technology are fully harnessed and embraced by both industry and regulators.
Prior to joining us James worked at other business organisations including TheCityUK and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) in roles focused on supporting the financial & related professional services eco-system, with a particular focus on financial technology and market infrastructure.
Edward leads the Digital Economy programme at techUK, which includes our work on online safety, fraud, and regulation for growth initiatives.
He has prior experience working for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and has previously worked for a number of public affairs consultancies specialising in research and strategy, working with leading clients in the technology and financial services sectors.
Tess joined techUK as an Policy and Public Affairs Team Assistant in November of 2024. In this role, she supports areas such as administration, member communications and media content.
Before joining the Team, she gained experience working as an Intern in both campaign support for MPs and Councilors during the 2024 Local and General Election, and working for the Casimir Pulaski Foundation on defence and international secuirty. She has worked for multiple charities, on issues such as the climate crisis, educational inequality and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). In 2023, Tess obtained her Bachelors of Arts in Politics and International Relations from the University of Nottingham.
The techUK Financial Services programme connects tech firms, the FS industry, and regulators to ensure innovation and technology can be fully embraced. Through market engagement activities and events, we help to empower decision makers and aid collaboration.
Our members develop strong networks, build meaningful partnerships and grow their businesses as we all work together to create a thriving environment where industry, government and stakeholders come together to realise the positive outcomes tech can deliver.
James leads our financial services programme of activity. He works closely with member firms from across the sector to ensure innovation and technology are fully harnessed and embraced by both industry and regulators.
Prior to joining us James worked at other business organisations including TheCityUK and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) in roles focused on supporting the financial & related professional services eco-system, with a particular focus on financial technology and market infrastructure.
Junior Programme Manager - Financial Services & SME Engagement
Lourdes de Miguel
Junior Programme Manager - Financial Services & SME Engagement
Lourdes de Miguel joined techUK in January 2026 as a Junior Programme Manager in the Financial Services and SME Engagement programmes.
Lourdes supports the financial service programme’s mission of connecting firms from across the ecosystem to ensure innovation and technology can be fully harnessed by financial services. She also assists the SME team to help members meet, network and collaborate with their peers, industry leaders and customers.
Prior to joining techUK, Lourdes gained experience in research, finance, and stakeholder engagement across several organisations. Starting off at Elcano Royal Institute in Brussels, she supported seminar creation and event organization engaging with key policymakers and industry leaders developing an understanding of European policymaking. She later joined Swift, assisting the Industry Engagement team to build connections with Central Banks and other international bodies as well as developing research on macroeconomic topics.
Lourdes holds a BA (with honours) in Politics and International Studies from the University of Warwick.
Programme Assistant, Data Centres, Climate, Environment and Sustainability, Market Access, techUK
Lucas Banach
Programme Assistant, Data Centres, Climate, Environment and Sustainability, Market Access, techUK
Lucas Banach is Programme Assistant at techUK, he works on a range of programmes including Data Centres; Climate, Environment & Sustainability; Market Access and Smart Infrastructure and Systems.
Before that Lucas who joined in 2008, held various roles in our organisation, which included his role as Office Executive, Groups and Concept Viability Administrator, and most recently he worked as Programme Executive for Public Sector. He has a postgraduate degree in International Relations from the Andrzej Frycz-Modrzewski Cracow University.
