The number of tech startups opening for business in Liverpool is soaring, new figures have shown.
Data reveals that 230 companies in that sector set up shop in the area last year - up 2.3% on the year before, bringing the total number now to 5,421.
It means the city is now in the top ten places in the UK for tech startup businesses, according to research from the Centre for Entrepreneurs.
The increase comes despite uncertainty caused by Brexit and the General Election in December.
Toby Harper from Harper James Solicitors, which has supported many of the new startups in the city, said: “These figures are fantastic news for the region and prove it is a brilliant area to do business.
"They underline how, despite the political uncertainty businesses faced in 2019, that entrepreneurs are still coming up with new ideas and being as ambitious as ever.
“As an entrepreneur myself, I know the barriers that exist in getting your idea off the ground so it is hugely encouraging to see so many new businesses, especially in the tech-sector, entering the market.”
Across the UK, companies were launched in over 700 different industries - in various areas. As examples, that included 10 new firms working to raise llamas and alpacas, 23 new credit bureaus, 429 new driving schools, and 141 new watch and jewellery repair firms.
As evidence of the impact that food delivery startups and street food are having, 14,363 new take-away food shops and mobile food stands registered in 2019, greatly outnumbering both licensed restaurants (9,405) and unlicensed restaurants and cafes (7,182).
Ten new wine producers, 314 brewing companies, and 347 distillery businesses also launched in the year.
London continues to dominate; business formations increased by 2.4% to 221,373.
While Birmingham continues to outperform Manchester in absolute terms (14,509 vs 9,064), the latter is more entrepreneurial when considering population size.
