GUEST COLUMN:
Louise Harris
Co-Founder & CEO
Tramshed Tech
Cardiff's reputation as a tech hub continues to grow, with its digital and creative sectors significantly contributing to the Welsh economy. This growth has recently been validated by Arbuthnot Latham's Business Growth Index ranking Cardiff as the UK's leading city for starting a business in 2025, surpassing London and Manchester.
With one new business registered for every 10 residents and nearly 36,000 new companies established in two years, Cardiff's entrepreneurial ecosystem is thriving thanks to organisations like Tramshed Tech catalysing growth through innovation programmes and strategic partnerships.
At Tramshed Tech, we've established a dedicated ‘Ventures' division to fuel the growth of ambitious businesses in Cardiff and across Wales through structured, high-impact programmes. This strategic move responds directly to Cardiff's evolving economic landscape, where technological innovation and cross-sector collaboration have become essential drivers of sustainable growth.
Our innovation impact is clear, programme alumni have recently raised more than £15 million in post-programme funding. Our portfolio includes initiatives like AI Enable, transforming how Welsh businesses harness artificial intelligence, and Founder Academy, a 10-week bootcamp equipping entrepreneurs with essential skills.
While our footprint now includes locations across South Wales, our Cardiff site remains a hub for creative and tech startups and the foundation for our pan-Wales programmes and regional innovation strategies.
Cardiff is uniquely positioned for innovation with its world-class universities, growing tech talent pool and attractive quality of life. The city's affordability, high graduate retention rate, and vibrant, compact business networks have contributed to Cardiff earning the highest business density in the UK.
Our Ventures division leverages these Cardiff-specific advantages while extending connections throughout Wales. The innovation approaches refined here connect academic research with commercial applications, transforming theoretical innovation into practical solutions with both local relevance and regional scalability.
Bots For That is one of newest members and brings a bold vision to the heart of Cardiff’s innovation scene. With a mission to become the world’s leading provider of automation and AI solutions for the accounting industry, Bots For That develops smart, sector-specific automation tools that help accounting firms streamline tasks and scale services.
Their Cardiff office marks a strategic expansion for the company, tapping into Wales’ fast-growing tech ecosystem to fuel R&D and build a new generation of intelligent digital workers – affectionately known as “Beanie Bots.” The team is also pioneering conversational AI agents, like their in-house Houbeanie assistant, to revolutionise how accountants and their clients access and act on information.
“We chose Cardiff, in particular Tramshed Tech because the energy here matches our ambition. It’s a place where big ideas move fast – and we’re building something that can scale across the UK and beyond, right from this city.” — Daniel Lawrence, CEO at Bots For That
Bots For That exemplifies how Cardiff’s collaborative environment helps high-growth tech companies scale up while staying rooted in real-world impact – delivering innovation that’s not just cool, but commercially game-changing.
Everybody Counts joined us through our partnership with Barclays Eagle Labs and has shown remarkable growth in six months. They're now preparing to move into our Tramshed Tech Grangetown location in May 2025. Their recent fundraising campaign has already exceeded expectations, reaching 102% of target. This success highlights how strategic partnerships can help promising startups access resources, mentorship, and community support needed to thrive in Cardiff's innovation ecosystem.
Our partnership vision extends to regional bodies like Cardiff Capital Region (CCR), aligning our initiatives with regional economic strategies for comprehensive impact across South Wales. The Data Inclusivity Network, a joint initiative between CCR, Tramshed Tech, Hodge Bank, and Cardiff and Vale College, addresses the lack of diversity in data and technology sectors while supporting professional development and attracting diverse talent. This collaborative approach has created meaningful impact across the entire region.
We believe Cardiff can model how mid-sized cities develop innovation ecosystems that balance technological advancement and economic growth with social responsibility and sustainability. The methodologies developed here provide a blueprint we're adapting across Wales, with strategic partnerships bringing together diverse perspectives to tackle challenges no single organisation could address alone.
We invite Cardiff-based organisations to collaborate with us on this innovation journey. Creating partnerships that deliver multiple benefits: early insight into cutting-edge solutions, talent pipeline development, enhanced brand reach, structured problem-solving capacity, and investment opportunities in the newest innovation startups.
Our flexible tiered model allows partners to engage according to their strategic objectives, with our commitment to ensuring measurable ROI and meaningful impact on Cardiff's innovation landscape.
If you're interested in partnership opportunities, connect with us. Whether funding innovation programmes, joining our corporate memberships, or exploring how these
initiatives could benefit your organisation, we're ready to discuss how Cardiff-based collaborations can create ripple effects throughout our pan-Wales ecosystem.
Together, we can ensure Cardiff's economic future is built on collaborative innovation, creating prosperity that begins in our capital city and extends across Wales.
Louise Harris is the Co-Founder and CEO at Tramshed Tech, Wales' leading innovation hub for technology, digital and creative industries. For partnership inquiries, contact ventures@tramshedtech.co.uk
