Reading is home to a diverse group of companies, from large utility providers to specialized technology firms. The local ecosystem supports a wide range of industries, including deep tech and enterprise services.
This is seen in companies like Thames Water, which has raised £2.3B, and Oxford Quantum Circuits, which is building quantum computers with $146.5M in funding. These businesses represent the breadth of activity in the area.
Below is our list of 27 Reading startups worth keeping an eye on.
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Get the Sheet for $50TraceLink operates the world's largest digital network platform designed specifically for the pharmaceutical supply chain. Their system connects thousands of companies to enable end-to-end drug traceability and ensure regulatory compliance.
| Year Founded | 2009 |
| Founders | Lucy Deus, Shabbir Dahod |
| Funding Amount | $233.9M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series D |
| Top Investors | Georgian, Goldman Sachs, Goldman Sachs Growth Equity, Volition Capital, F-Prime |
Oxford Quantum Circuits builds and operates quantum computers, providing access through a dedicated Quantum Computing as a Service platform. The company is known for its unique hardware architecture, which aims to accelerate the integration of quantum into real-world commercial and scientific applications.
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Ilana Wisby, Peter Leek |
| Funding Amount | $146.5M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series B |
| Top Investors | SBI Investment, Parkwalk Advisors, UTEC - The University of Tokyo Edge Capital Partners, Oxford Science Enterprises, HiJoJo Partners |
Thames Water provides essential water and wastewater services to millions of people in London and the Thames Valley. They oversee the complete water cycle, from sourcing and purifying drinking water to safely treating and disposing of sewage.
| Year Founded | 1989 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | £2.3B |
| Startup Size | Enterprise Organization (5,001+) |
| Last Funding Status | Debt Financing |
| Top Investors | Universities Superannuation Scheme, Wren House Infrastructure, OMERS Infrastructure |
CloudFactory provides a managed workforce to help companies annotate data for their AI and machine learning models. Their human-in-the-loop approach is used to scale the development of complex applications in computer vision and natural language processing.
| Year Founded | 2010 |
| Founders | Mark Sears, Tom Puskarich |
| Funding Amount | €78M |
| Startup Size | Enterprise Organization (5,001+) |
| Last Funding Status | Private Equity |
| Top Investors | FTV Capital, Sovereign’s Capital, Rockefeller Foundation, Weatherford Capital, Praxis |
Occuity develops non-invasive optical instruments for medical screening and diagnostics. Their devices are designed to detect chronic diseases, like diabetes, through a simple, non-contact scan of the eye.
| Year Founded | 2019 |
| Founders | Mark Jenkins, Robin Taylor |
| Funding Amount | £5.3M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Equity Crowdfunding |
| Top Investors | Innovate UK, Longevitytech.fund, Angel Investment Network, SIGHT |
Lemongrass Consulting specializes in migrating complex SAP systems to the cloud for enterprise clients. Their proprietary Lemongrass Cloud Platform provides highly automated services for managing these workloads on AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.
| Year Founded | 2008 |
| Founders | Mark Hirst |
| Funding Amount | €54.3M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Blue Lagoon Capital, Columbia Capital, Rodney Rogers |
Getronics provides global ICT services that help organizations navigate their digital transformation. They specialize in a range of solutions from cloud management and security to modern digital workplace tools.
| Year Founded | 1887 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | €550M |
| Startup Size | Enterprise Organization (5,001+) |
| Last Funding Status | Debt Financing |
| Top Investors | Permira Credit |
NewOrbit Space engineers satellites that operate in very low Earth orbit, flying just 180km above the surface. This unique altitude, three times lower than conventional satellites, allows for higher-resolution Earth observation and improved data communication.
| Year Founded | 2021 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | €7.5M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Seed |
| Top Investors | Seraphim Space, Atlantic Labs, Lifeline Ventures, Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), Yes VC |
Altitude Angel builds the data and cloud services required to safely integrate drones into the sky. Their unified traffic management platform provides the critical infrastructure for managing unmanned flights and unlocking their commercial potential.
| Year Founded | 2014 |
| Founders | Richard Parker |
| Funding Amount | €10.9M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Octopus Ventures, Seraphim Space, ADV, Frequentis, Etc. |
TP-Link develops a broad portfolio of networking products for both consumer and business applications. Their offerings range from popular home WiFi routers and smart home devices to comprehensive networking solutions for enterprises.
| Year Founded | 1996 |
| Founders | Jerry Henderson, Zhao Jianjun, Zhao Jiaxing |
| Funding Amount | — |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | — |
| Top Investors | — |
17 Additional Reading Startups Worth Following
Our top ten picks are just a glimpse into the town's growing startup community. Founders here are tackling everything from biotech to AI, and have raised hundreds of millions to fund their growth. Some of these companies are just getting started, while others are already well on their way. Here is a look at the other startups that make Reading’s tech scene one to follow.
