London Tech Week (LTW) has been held in Europe’s largest financial center for 10 consecutive years. The event hosts technology leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, and startups from over 90 countries.
The festival aims to provide participants with opportunities to make connections, acquire partners, meet potential investors, exchange ideas, and listen to inspiring stories.
This year’s London Tech Week (LTW) will be the largest in its history. Georgian companies will also participate in this event for the first time. Skillwill, the first in the region and the largest neo-university in Georgia, and the innovative payment system Keepz will be among the participants.
Skillwill was founded in 2018 and is actively involved in the field of education. It strives to introduce innovative teaching methods, and already cooperates with the leading university in London.
Neo-University courses help students acquire new skills and fulfill their talents in a rapidly changing technological world, including technical knowledge, career care, and professional networking.
The company will be represented at LTW by its founder, Giorgi Marianidze, who believes that participation in the festival is not only an important experience for Skillwill but also an opportunity for the country to position itself as a growing technological center.
“Participation in the event is important for two main reasons. The first is to attract investments, particularly to communicate with global investors and show them our potential. Demonstrating our innovative approach and future plans, I believe, will generate a lot of interest and support, which is a prerequisite for attracting investment in innovative educational activities.
The second reason is cooperation with a serious academic partner in London and offering jointly developed educational programs to students. Such programs meet international standards, increase our credibility and attractiveness, and contribute to academic success. This opportunity will expand Skillwill’s influence in the technological education sector,” says Giorgi Marianidze.
Participation in LTW will be equally important for Georgian fintech startup Keepz, which offers users an alternative and innovative way of receiving digital payments.
Keepz offers users both a physical QR terminal and online payment integration. The product is free to use and designed for both businesses and individuals.
Keepz will be represented at London Tech Week by its founder, Vako Turnava, and co-founder Giorgi Kuprashvili. They explain that interest in the startup comes not only from Georgia but also from abroad, making it essential to utilize opportunities in the fastest-growing technological city in Europe.
“To promote new technologies and develop the fintech ecosystem, Keepz has taken a number of successful steps. Our goal is to develop convenient, fast, and accessible digital financial services adapted to the existing technological infrastructure. Participation in a large-scale event like LTW is very important for our country and will contribute to raising awareness of Georgia in the technological sector,” says Vako Turnava.
Giorgi Kuprashvili, the co-founder of Keepz, also has high expectations. He shares that the company has just completed the previous round of funding and the startup’s value was estimated at eight figures. However, preparations for the next round have already begun.
“Keepz will have busy and exciting days at London Tech Week. This international event is very important for our company, and we have high hopes for it. Surrounded by many representative from the technology ecosystem, we aim to once again capture the attention of international investors and venture companies.
Being a fully technological product, Keepz possesses the potential to reach a vast scale. Therefore, the next phase of the startup’s evolution involves expanding into the region and venturing into the countries of Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Our approach extends beyond offering a superior product – we also aim to cultivate a deep understanding of local markets.
Currently, we are writing our success story locally, and the entire team is fully devoted to it. However, we have bigger goals and we are continuously seeking partners or investors to help us navigate these challenges. London Tech Week presents the optimal platform for such endeavors”, says Giorgi Kuprashvili.
The dates for LTW 2024 are June 10-14. Considering the scale and prestige of the festival and the successful experiences of previous years, Georgian companies in the financial capital of Europe will have an increased chance achieve their aspirations and depart with well-founded expectations.
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