Since OpenAI’s ChatGPT publicly launched in late 2022, artificial intelligence and large language models have become ubiquitous. Small businesses are now able to scale up faster, and the world’s leading tech companies, including the likes of Google and Microsoft, have since developed their own tools.

But it’s not just Big Tech getting in on the action — the UK is home to a fast-growing population of startups and scaleups, developing their own proprietary AI technology and new applications for machine learning algorithms and data science.

Spanning almost every high-growth industry, from cybersecurity and healthcare automation to chatbots and self-driving cars, there are endless ways in which AI models are being used to help consumers and businesses.

The UK — particularly the golden triangle of London, Oxford, and Cambridge — is a popular place for artificial intelligence startups. According to our data, there are currently 2,361 AI companies across the UK that have hit one or more of our high-growth signals—all indicators of ambitious growth plans and future startup success.

Since we originally posted this article in May 2022, the UK AI market has boomed with £8.48b in equity investment swelling to £18.1b as of January 2025. Meanwhile, the average pre-money valuation of the UK’s AI companies sits at £16.6m, with an average stake taken of 15.6%.

This makes artificial intelligence one of the best-funded industries in the UK, surpassing fintech and behind only the software-as-a-service and mobile application industries.

As use cases for artificial intelligence products expand by the week, and the UK continues to foster a welcoming environment for tech startups, the next few years presents an exciting opportunity for the UK economy.

AI giants Google, DeepMind, and OpenAI already have strong presences in London, and with the automotive industry pouring money into research and development for new technologies, the investment in Wayve presents confidence in the UK artificial intelligence industry.

With a strong foundation in academic research and a healthy ecosystem of AI startups, the UK is well-positioned to become a world leader in AI research.

UK-based AI companies are expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of industries such as healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and cybersecurity, as exemplified by the companies in this list. The integration of AI technologies into these sectors has the potential to drive unprecedented efficiencies, enhance decision-making processes, and make a significant contribution to economic growth.

The UK government’s commitment to fostering innovation through initiatives like the Turing Artificial Intelligence Fellowships, alongside dedicated funding for AI research, underscores the national focus on becoming a global leader in artificial intelligence.

We’ve ranked the top 50 artificial intelligence (AI) companies in the UK, by their most recent pre-money valuation. Discover more.

For more technology insights and inspiration, head to the Sector Trends page.