Ifty Nasir

The company’s 2024 Global Investment Report analysed Crunchbase data to assess the scale of global investment in 2024 and identify trends in the private equity sector across a range of regions and industries. 

Businesses in Glasgow secured 45 funding rounds between Q1 and Q3 of 2024, some 1.89% of the UK total – a 18.2% decline from the same period in 2023, signalling a tougher environment for startups.

Funding activity remained largely concentrated in London, with 1,230 funding rounds in total between Q1 and Q3 of 2024. While Q1 showed a promising start with 474 total funding rounds, activity had cooled by 29.1% by the end of Q3.

Manchester and Edinburgh followed behind London in second and third, however had much lower funding rounds than the capital with 72 and 65 respectively in 2024. Both cities also saw a decrease in funding rounds compared to the same period last year. 

While Liverpool was only ranked 7th for number of funding rounds, it was the only city in the top 10 that reported a rise in funding, seeing an impressive 70.6% increase since the same period last year. 

Regionally, Wales and Cumbria both had significant increases in their year to date funding rounds, with 133.3% and 85.7% increases respectively.

Ifty Nasir, CEO of Vestd, said: “We are at a critical juncture in the global investment landscape. As funding struggles to regain momentum following broader market uncertainties, investors have become more selective, leading to many sectors observing a downward trend in funding, with early-stage funding hardest hit. 

“This shift in the investment market presents a unique opportunity for founders to refine their value propositions and become resilient in demonstrating their growth potential and market fit.

“Increasingly, investors are focused on businesses that not only present a clear path to profitability but also align with key market drivers like operational efficiency and innovation. The ongoing surge in investment in sectors such as artificial intelligence represents the wider global trend towards digital transformation.”