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Digital Startups Call On Next Government To Bring Policy Into The 21st Century

Over 150 startups and VCs back Coadec’s Startup Manifesto, including: King,TransferWise, SwiftKey, Lovestruck, Funding Circle, MOO, Index Ventures, Passion Capital, Seedcamp, Unruly and Accel Partners

London, 3 September – The Coalition for a Digital Economy (Coadec) today published The Startup Manifesto, setting out 24 ways the next government should make Britain a world leader in digital innovation, including:

  • Cutting taxes for entrepreneurs, including reducing National Insurance Contributions (NICs) for startups that volunteer to teach coding;
  • Retraining those made redundant by disruptive technology, rather than blocking innovation through protective regulation;
  • Opening the doors to tech talent from outside the EU by restoring the post-study work visa and allowing VCs to sponsor employees on behalf of startups;
  • Backing the UK’s lead in financial technology by creating a legal framework for Bitcoin, and digitising the identity checks required for Anti-Money Laundering procedures.

The full list of recommendations and endorsements can be found below. Startup Manifesto attached and available here.

Guy Levin, Executive Director of Coadec, said: “Today – with the backing of over 150 digital startups and investors – we’re launching 24 recommendations for the next government. Political parties interested in creating jobs, fostering innovation and making Britain a world leader in technology should give it a read.”

Taavet Hinrikus, Co-founder of TransferWise, said: “Within a decade, technology will have transformed the world as we know it. Banking, for instance, is already changing, and London appears – at least for the moment – to be leading the way. However, there is so much more the next government could do to secure this. And some of it is as simple as speeding up the installation time for high-speed broadband or making it easier to hire great people from overseas.” Jeff Lynn, Founder of Seedrs and Chairman of Coadec, said: “I founded Coadec because there wasn’t a united voice speaking up for startups in political debates. Launching today’s manifesto with over 150 endorsements from the startup community, including King, Moo, SwiftKey, Shazam, and TransferWise, is a great vote of confidence in what we’re doing.” A launch event will be held tonight (3 September) at Google Campus in Shoreditch, chaired by Guy Levin (Executive Director or Coadec) with Taavet Hinrikus (Co-Founder of TransferWise), Eileen Burbidge (Partner at Passion Capital) and Gerard Grech (CEO of Tech City UK).

For more information or to attend the launch, please contact Guy Levin – guy.levin@coadec.com, 07867 558 443.

Notes to Editors

About Coadec

Coadec is the policy voice of digital startups. Set up in 2010 by Mike Butcher (TechCrunch) and Jeff Lynn (Seedrs), The Coalition for a Digital Economy (Coadec) is a non-profit that campaigns for policies to support digital startups in the UK. Coadec’s supporters include startups and entrepreneurs, developers, VCs and angel investors, technology companies and academics. Coadec is sponsored by Google, Intuit, TechHub and iHorizon.

Startup founders and CEOs backing the manifesto

Adnan Ebrahim (Founder and CEO, Car Throttle)
Alastair Mitchell (Founder and CEO, Huddle)
Alex Chesterman (Founder and CEO, Zoopla)
Alex Saint and Tom Valentine (CEO and MD, Secret Escapes)
Alex Stephany (CEO, JustPark)
Alexander Trewby (Co-Founder Divide)
Angus Bankes (CEO, JustAddRed)
Andrew Crump (CEO, Mitoo)
Andrew Fisher (Executive Chairman, Shazam)
Andrew Fogg (Co-Founder, Import.io)
Andrew Jervis (Co-Founder, ClickMechanic)
Andrew Mullinger (Co-Founder Funding Circle and angel investor)
Andrew J Scott (Serial Entreprenuer)
Andrew Whitehurst (Co-founder, Wess Digital)
Andy Phillipps (Chairman, Reevoo)
Anil Stocker (Co-Founder and CEO, MarketInvoice)
Arnaud Bertrand (Founder and President, HouseTrip)
Ayan Mitra (Founder and CEO, CrowdBnk)
Bernhard Niesner (Co-Founder and CEO, busuu.com)
Brendan Gill (CEO, OpenSignal)
Brett Harding (Co-Founder and MD, Lovestruck)
Celia Francis (CEO, WeeWorld)
Chris Morton (Co-Founder and CEO, Lyst)
Chris Thorpe (Founder, I Can Make)
Courtney Boyd Meyers (Founder, audience.io)
Damian Kimmelman (Founder and CEO, DueDil)
Damian Lyons-Lowe (CEO, Survation)
Dan Bladen (Founder and CEO, Chargifi)
Debbie Wosskow (Founder and CEO, LoveHomeSwap)
Drummond Gilbert (Founder and CEO, GoCarShare)
Edward Asiedu (Co-Founder and CEO, Callectiv)
Ed Bussey (Founder and CEO, Quill Content)
Errol Damelin (Founder, Wonga, and angel investor)
Ewan Marshall (Founder, Speakset)
Filip Perkon, (Founder and CEO of Alumnee)
Florian Meissner (Co-Founder & CEO, EyeEm)
Frank Mukhanana (Founder, QuidCycle)
Fraser Robinson (Founder and CEO, Taggstar)
Gareth Knight (Founder, Wedo)
George Spencer (CEO, Rentify)
Giles Andrews (Co-Founder and CEO, Zopa)
Henrik Bohman (Founder, Postnado)
Henry Catchpole (Founder and CEO, Inform Direct)
Henry de Zoete (Co-Founder, The Big Deal)
Henry Firth (Founder and Ceo, PingTune)
Hiroki Takeuchi (Co-founder and CEO, GoCardless)
Hugo Burge (CEO Momondo Group & Co-Founder HOWZAT Partners)
Ivan Mazour (CEO, Ometrian and Founding Partner, Innova Capital)
Jack Tang (Co-Founder and CEO, Urban Massage)
Jag Singh (Founder, MessageSpace)
James Bromley and Richard Gibson (COO and CFO SwiftKey)
James Elder (Co-founder, The Beans Group)
James Gambrell (CEO, Fits.me)
James Lumb (CEO, Zenkraft.com)
James Walker (CEO, NewsFixed)
Javier Ramirez (Founder, Teowaki)
Jeff Lynn (Founder and CEO, Seedrs)
Jeremy Walker (CEO, NewsFixed)
Joe Cohen (Founder, Seatwave)
Joelle Hadfield (Co-Founder and CEO, FIGHTME)
John Bethell (Co-Founder, Trot ON)
Jon Harris (Founder, Simpl)
Jonathan Brech (CEO, Korrall)
Dr Jonathan Milner (Founder and CEO, Abcam)
Josh Valman (MD, RPD International)
Jozef Wallace (Co-founder, Toothpick)
Julian Ranger (Founder, SocialSafe, and angel investor)
Juliana Meyer (Founder and CEO, SupaPass)
Keld van Schreven (CoFounder, SmartTrade App)
Kevin McDonagh (CEO, Novoda)
Laura Lambert (Founder, Befittd)
Leo Anthias (Co-Founder, Kivo)
Levi Russell (Founder and CEO, Zonerider Networks)
Lopo Champalimaud (Co-Founder and CEO, Wahanda)
Luke Lang and Darren Westlake (Director and CEO, Crowdcube)
Luke Marsden (Co-Founder, ClusterHQ)
Marcus Sandberg (Founder, Proleads)
Martin Rigby (Founder, Psonar)
Matthias Metternich (Co-Founder & CEO, Believe.in)
Matthew Hammett (Founder, Readbug)
Maxwell Painter (Chief executive of Unrival)
Mike Minnett (Founder, The Positive Ageing Co)
Nelson Sivalingam (Founder, One Minute London)
Nick Ray (CEO, aiHit)
Nick Thain (CEO, Sports New Media)
Nicolai Watzenig (Co-founder, Birdback)
Patrick Charlton (Founder and Director, Buzz Radar)
Paul Anson (CEO, LumeJet)
Paul Joyce and Rob Hudson (CEO and CTO, Geckoboard)
Pete Smith (Co-founder, Songkick & CEO/Co-founder, Silicon Milkroundabout)
Phil Hutcheon (Founder, DICE)
Pratik Sampat (Founder, iHorizon)
Raf Keustermans (Co-founder and CEO, Plumbee)
Raj Ramanandi (Partner at #1seed, and CEO Pocket Social)
Rajeeb Dey (Founder, enternships)
Ricardo Zacconi (CEO, King)
Richard Moross (Founder, MOO)
Richard Muirhead (CEO, automic and Managing Partner, Firestartr.co)
Rikke Rosenlund (Co-founder, BorrowMyDoggy)
Robyn Exton (CEO, Dattch)
Robyn Scott (Co-Founder, OneLeap)
Rohan Luvaglio (Founder, Bizzby)
Rhydian Lewis (Founder, Ratesetter)
Russell Gould (Managing Director, Everline)
Rytis Vitkauskas (Founder, YPlan)
Sam Michel (CEO, Chinwag)
Sam Oakley (Co-Founder, Stashmetrics)
Samir Desai (Co-Founder and CEO, Funding Circle)
Sarah Wood (Co-Founder and COO, Unruly)
Shane Frith (Director, EzyOrder.com)
Simon Campbell (Founder and CEO, The Sandpit)
Simon Hill (Co-Founder and CEO, wazoku)
Sokratis Papafloratos (Co-Founder and CEO, Togethera)
Spencer Hyman (Co-Founder Cocoa Runners and Freego.com)
Stef Lewandowski (Co-Founder, Makeshift)
Stephen Rapoport (Founder, Pact Coffee)
Steven Renwick (Founder, Satago)
Taavet Hinrikus (Co-Founder, TransferWise)
Tarek Nseir (CEO, Th_nk)
Tayfun Bilsel (Founder and CEO, Clinked)
Tobias van Amstel (Co-Founder and CEO, signkick)
Tom Allen (Founder, Metable)
Tom Raffe (Founder, Screenburn)
Tom Watson (Co-Founder, Spacious)
Victor Henning (Co-Founder and CEO, Mendeley)
Vincent Thome (Founder, Nuji)
Warren Smith (CEO, AccessSolicitor.com)
Yoav Zingher (Co-Founder, Kiwipowered)
VCs, incubators and other supporters
Alex Macpherson and Alliott Cole (Managing Director and Director, Octopus Investments)
Alisha Mody, (Global Strategy Director, Uffindell Group)
Ben Southworth (Co-founder, 3beards)
Bryce Keene (Founder, Albion Drive)
Colette Ballou (Founder, Ballou PR)
Christian Hernandez (Managing Partner, White Star Capital)
Christian Thaler-Wolski (Venture Partner, Wellington Partners)
Daniel Waterhouse (General Partner, Balderton Capital)
David Bailey (Partner, Merryns LLP)
David Cleeveley (Founding Director, Centre for Science and Policy, University of Cambridge)
David Gammon (CEO, Rockspring)
Davor Hebel (Partner, Fidelity Growth Partners Europe)
Eileen Burbidge, Robert Dighero and Stefan Glaenzer (Partners, Passion Capital)
Eric Van der Kleij (Head of Level39)
Evgeny Shadchnev (Co-Founder and CEO, Maker’s Academy)
Gerard Grech (CEO, Tech City UK)
Haakon Overli (General Partner, Dawn Capital)
James Bilefield (Angel investor and advisor)
Jennifer Arcuri (Founder, InnoTech Summit)
Joe Scarboro (Director of operations, 3beards)
John Henderson (Principal, White Star Capital)
John Taysom (Investor and advisor)
Jon Bradford (MD, Techstars London)
Josh Russell (Angel investor and advisor)
Julian Carter (Co-Founder and MD, EC1 Capital)
Julie Meyer (Managing Partner, Ariadne Capital Entrepreneurs Fund, and Founder, First     Tuesday and EntrepreneurCountry)
Mark Zaleski  (LP, Passion Capital and PROfounders Capital)
Matthew Clifford (Co-Founder, Entrepreneur First)
Michael Hobson (Co-founder, 3beards)
Mike Butcher (Editor, TechCrunch Europe)
Milo Yiannopoulos (Associate Editor, Breitbart and Founder, The Kernel)
Monty Munford (Founder, Mob76)
Nic Brisbourne (Managing Partner, Forward Partners)
Raph Crouan (MD, StartupBootCamp IoT)
Reshma Sohoni (Co-Founder and Partner, Seedcamp)
Robin Klein (Partner, Index Ventures)
Rory Stirling (Partner, MMC Ventures)
Russ Shaw (Founder, Tech London Advocates)
Sanford Dickert (Co-Founder and Director, Rawlings Atlantic)
Saul Klein (Partner, Index Ventures)
Simon Murdoch (Partner, Episode 1)
Simon Walker (Director General, Institute of Directors)
Sonali De Rycker (Partner, Accel Partners)
Sophie Eden (Co-founder, Gordon and Eden)
Thomas Labarthe, (MD of Lookout Europe)
Tim Jackson (Partner, Lean Investments)
Tom Hulme (Founder and Director OpenIDEO and OIEngine)