Tech IPOs on the London Stock Exchange raised £6.6bn in 2021

Figure more than doubled from the £3.1bn raised in 2020

Tech IPOs on the London Stock Exchange raised £6.6bn in 2021

Tech IPOs on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) raised a record £6.6bn last year - more than doubling the figure that was raised in 2020.

37 of the 126 companies - 29 per cent - that went public on the LSE last year were tech and consumer internet companies, according to analysis from the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

The 37 tech IPOs compare with just eight in 2020, which raised £3.1bn.

"2021 was a brilliant year for UK tech and it's great to see just how many companies have grown from start-up to scale-up, to finally becoming publicly listed businesses on the London markets," digital minister Chris Philp said.

"Global investors hold London's capital markets in high esteem and as we implement clear governance around innovative fast-growth companies, including rules around AI and data, we believe even more companies will appreciate the advantages that listing in London can give them."

Fintech was a key category among the tech companies making public debuts in 2021, with a total of seven companies listing including LendInvest, PensionBee and Wise.

E-commerce companies were another dominant category, which the DCMS said "illustrated the increasing trend towards online shopping which accelerated sharply during the pandemic".

It added that 2022 has the "potential to be another record-breaking year" because of the "maturity of the UK tech sector" indicating "a strong pipeline of companies ready to come to market".

"Last year demonstrated that the London Stock Exchange is increasingly becoming one of the top destinations for these companies and their founders to finance their visions and thrive," Julia Hoggett, CEO of London Stock Exchange plc, said.

"We now have an opportunity to build on this momentum, supported by the ambitions of the UK Government, and for the UK Capital Markets to play a leading role driving growth in the global tech sector and supporting the UK economy for many years to come."