London has a thriving startup scene that has been shaped by a long history of entrepreneurship a diverse population and a focus on technological innovation the geography of the area is characterized by a mix of historic and modern neighborhoods with a high concentration of startups in the east end and the area around old street known as silicon roundabout the population of london is around 9 million people making it one of the most populous cities in europe this large and diverse population has created a vibrant ecosystem for startups with access to a broad range of skills and expertise london has a rich history of entrepreneurialism dating back to the industrial revolution the city has been home to numerous successful startups over the years including iconic brands like burberry cadbury and rollsroyce in terms of technological innovation london has been at the forefront of developments in fintech with companies like transferwise and revolut leading the way other successful startups in the city include deliveroo monzo and babylon health london is also home to many established companies that have their headquarters in the city including vodafone barclays and unilever key historical events in londons startup scene include the establishment of the london stock exchange in 1801 and the formation of the first venture capital firm in europe 3i group in 1945 more recently the growth of the silicon roundabout area has become a focal point for the citys startup scene london is home to some of the worlds leading universities including imperial college london university college london and the london school of economics these institutions have played a critical role in nurturing the citys startup ecosystem the living wage in london is currently set at 1085 per hour which is higher than the national minimum wage of 891 per hour the unemployment rate in london is currently around 56 london has a gdp of around 700 billion making it one of the worlds largest and most dynamic economies the rate of new companies starting and ending in the city is high with many startups failing within the first few years of operation despite the challenges faced by startups in london the citys startup scene is thriving thanks to a combination of factors these include the citys diverse population strong university system and access to capital londons reputation as a global financial center also attracts investors from around the world making it an ideal location for ambitious entrepreneurs looking to build the next big thing however the high cost of living and intense competition also make it a challenging environment for startups to succeed and many fail to make it past the early stages of development