Johnson takes break from survival battle to host tech company bosses

Boris Johnson will hold talks with tech bosses next week about London's virtues as a listing destination after a bumpy ride for unicorns such as THG and Deliveroo, Sky News learns.

Image: The prime minister will meet executives on Monday

Boris Johnson will seek brief respite from his political survival fight next week when he meets technology company bosses to discuss the City’s status as a listing destination.

Sky News has learnt that the prime minister will on Monday hold talks with executives from companies including Pensionbee and Oxford Nanopore, both of which floated in London last year.

Also in attendance will be representatives from CMR Surgical, a manufacturer of advanced surgical robotics; Oaknorth, the digital bank; Clearscore, a credit scoring provider; and Checkout.com, which recently became one of the most valuable private companies in British history when it raised new funding at a $40bn valuation.

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Image: The MP will talk to executives about the City's status as a listing destination

One insider said that Lord Hill, the former EU commissioner, and Ron Kalifa, the former Worldpay chief, were also expected to join the meeting.

Both Lord Hill and Mr Kalifa have overseen key reviews for the Treasury in the last 12 months aimed at strengthening the UK’s position as a hub for listings for high-growth businesses and as a global centre for the fintech sector.

Some tech founders and investors have expressed anxiety about London’s efforts to project itself as a natural home for such businesses to go public following the travails of companies such as THG, the online health and beauty retailer and logistics group.

Matthew Moulding, THG’s founder, executive chairman and chief executive, has cast doubt on its longevity as a listed company, indicating that he may seek to take it private after less than two years on the stock exchange.

Mr Johnson hosted a similar meeting in December 2020, which was attended by bosses from Darktrace, Deliveroo, Trustpilot and Wise – all of which subsequently floated on the London market.

The quartet have had mixed fortunes since, with Deliveroo in particular enduring a bumpy start to life as a quoted company.

A Downing Street spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday evening, while none of the companies contacted by Sky News would comment on their attendance at next Monday’s meeting.