Today we are announcing that we’ll soon be launching UKTN+ to provide subscriber-only journalism on the UK’s tech ecosystem.
I’ll explain what that package includes and what it means for readers, but first I want to explain why we are making the move to a paywalled publication and reflect on some of the industry-specific journalism we’ve produced.
Over the past two years, we’ve published important stories that matter to the UK’s tech entrepreneurs, investors, stakeholders and policymakers.
We have raised the concerns of entrepreneurs over changes to R&D tax credits and, more recently, highlighted how female angel investors are being excluded by new government rules.
We covered every twist and turn in the closure and rebirth of Tech Nation and reported live from the government’s AI Safety Summit.
Our revelation that a shell company with ties to the Chinese state covertly acquired a Cambridge chip startup triggered a political intervention.
And our investigative journalism exposed a startup fraudster who faked an acquisition by Airbnb and misled crowdfunding investors.
Why we are launching UKTN+
Quality journalism costs money. Our plan is to reinvest revenues from UKTN+ into our editorial output so that we can produce more B2B journalism that matters.
Our goal is to be the go-to trade publication providing UK-wide coverage of the tech sector, from early-stage startups in Sheffield to exited companies in London.
To further our mission of keeping the UK tech industry informed, we are expanding the editorial team and building a pool of freelance journalists spread across the UK to broaden our regional coverage.
Technological and macroeconomic factors have also contributed to this paying subscriber strategy.
Generative AI poses a threat to all online media, both in terms of copycat sites using it to rip off content and tech companies using media content to train their models without permission.
Meanwhile, the maturity of the UK technology sector – one of only three countries to be valued at over $1tn – means there is a clear market for quality specialist journalism in this space.
What’s changing?
Soon, a large chunk of our content will move behind a paywall for UKTN+ subscribers.
Subscriber-only content will consist of original news reporting, agenda-setting investigations, opinions from industry leaders, exclusive interviews and deep-dive analysis.
Subscribers will also get exclusive access to a weekly newsletter providing a curated roundup of the biggest stories of the week, sprinkled with analysis and a preview of the key news events coming up.
You will get a weekly roundup of all funding rounds, including those that didn’t make the cut for a standalone story.
To reflect these changes we have, as of today, launched a revamped website with a refreshed UKTN brand.
We have streamlined site navigation and will implement a reduced ad experience for subscribers. Over time, we will roll out more exclusive subscriber features.
The UKTN Podcast, which has gone from strength to strength with each series, will remain free to access, as will select news stories.
I’m incredibly excited to see what you think of the new-look UKTN. Please do get in touch with your thoughts and suggestions at robert@uktech.news.
We’ll keep you updated with our plans to launch UKTN+. But for now, watch this space.
To everyone who has ever read or engaged with a UKTN story – thank you. I hope you will come with us on the next phase of UKTN’s journey and support quality specialist journalism.
Register here to be the first to get updates about UKTN+.
Robert Scammell, editor, UKTN.