Mayor to meet tech giants on trade mission to Silicon Valley

THE MAYOR of London is set to meet with tech business leaders as he heads a trade mission to Silicon Valley.

Sadiq Khan, inset, will speak with senior representatives from some of the world’s biggest tech companies including Google and LinkedIn at their headquarters in California on Tuesday.

The visits are hoped to drive investment and further links between London’s tech sector and companies in the Bay Area as part of a tour of the US to boost London’s tourism and technology industries.

The mayor will also visit the Silicon Valley HQ of Plug and Play, the world’s largest early-stage investor and a global innovation platform, which has announced its first UK operations in both London and Warwickshire. Plug and Play, which was an early investor in Google, PayPal, and Dropbox, also aims to make up to 30 investments per year into UK early-stage startups.

Palo Alto-based artificial intelligence software provider SambaNova Systems has announced an expansion in the UK with the opening of its first London office over the coming months.

The mayor will be joined on his visit to the Bay Area by 11 founders from some of London’s women-led tech companies who are looking to explore investment and expansion opportunities in the US market.

Mr Khan, said: “I’m delighted to be in Silicon Valley today to bang the drum for even more investment in London by American tech companies. London is already the number one destination for American tech companies to expand, showing we are an unrivalled destination for businesses to invest in.”