Fledgling companies are magnets for the ambitious, but it’s not all away days in the Bahamas
Swish offices decked out with ping-pong tables and bean bags, high-budget socials and lavish free lunches, company away days in the Bahamas – these are just some of the perks that come with working for an innovative start-up company.
Or so the myth goes. The reality of working at one of London’s many start-ups isn’t quite as glamorous as it’s made out to be, says Sam Franklin, co-founder and chief executive of start-up job site Otta, but the perks are still numerous.
“That’s maybe a stereotype that comes from the huge success of Google and Apple and other places in Silicon Valley,” says Sam. “But British start-ups are forward thinking places to work,” he insists. “It’s just that the focus is on the things that really matter, like flexible working arrangements and great parental leave policies.”
London is Europe’s biggest start-up hub. The capital became home to more than 18,000 tech start-ups in 2021, a 94pc increase on the year before.