SCALING UP, NOT SLOWING DOWN: WHY SME XPO 2025 MATTERS NOW MORE THAN EVER
By Sam North, Founder of SME XPO
In a time of economic uncertainty and founder resilience, the UK’s scale-up community continues to be a key driver of national growth. The numbers speak volumes: while SMEs make up 99.9% of the UK business population, it’s the high-growth scale-ups that generate over 50% of SME turnover and employment contribution. But despite their economic firepower, these businesses face significant hurdles – from accessing capital and tech infrastructure, to attracting talent and entering new markets.
That’s exactly why SME XPO 2025 exists.
Now in its fourth year, SME XPO returns to London’s ExCeL on June 18–19, bringing together over 5,000 founders, 100+ exhibitors, and the investors, advisors, and solution providers that help fuel business success. From venture capitalists to scale-up specialists, and from AI trailblazers to retail titans, SME XPO is where real conversations happen, deals begin, and ideas catch fire.
Why now? Why scale-ups?
In Q1 2025, business investment in the UK finally showed signs of rebounding – rising by nearly 6% – after several cautious quarters. But the same period saw a significant drop in Series A funding, with only 82 companies completing deals compared to 120 the year before. The appetite is there. But scale-ups need the right visibility, platforms, and connections to convert that appetite into action.
That’s the opportunity we’re building at SME XPO: not just another business event, but an engine room for growth, created with and for ambitious founders.
A speaker line-up that reflects the market
This year’s speaker programme reflects the diversity and dynamism of the modern scale-up landscape. We’re proud to welcome:
- Theo Paphitis and Piers Linney, entrepreneurial icons and SME champions
- Irene Graham OBE, CEO of the ScaleUp Institute
- Alka Patel, renowned longevity and wellbeing expert
- Christiana Stewart-Lockhart, Director General at EISA
- Jack Smith, CEO of Love Finance
- Matt Grech-Smith, co-founder of Swingers
- Sharmadean Reid, founder of The Stack World
- And many more here
We’re also proud that over 50% of our speakers are women, including Marine Tanguy (MTArt), Jessica Warch (Kimai), Sol Escobar (Give Your Best) and Ishveen Jolly (OpenSponsorship) all Forbes 30 under 30 alumni or award-winning founders in their own right.
Real investment, real connections
We know the UK’s scale-ups need more than inspiration.They need capital, customers and community. This year, we’ve doubled down on investor access:
- A new Finance Networking Hub (sponsored by Metro Bank)
- Invite-only investor roundtables for Gold Pass holders
- Investment support from key organisations including the ScaleUp Institute, VenturePath, and EISA
- Plus a new Sky Media partnership, activating TV-led marketing workshops via AdSmart
A platform for growth
SME XPO has evolved from a business exhibition to a full-scale growth platform, where founders don’t just show up, they scale up. Whether you’re seeking investment, exploring AI, or preparing to expand internationally, there’s a place for you at SME XPO.
We’re here to power what’s next for the UK’s most ambitious businesses. And we’re just getting started.
Join us at SME XPO 2025, June 18–19 at ExCeL London. Register free here until midnight 17th June.
