Start here. Scale here. List in London
Access global investors, world-class markets and capital at scale
Why companies choose the UK
Ambitious companies need capital, liquidity and access to international investors. The UK offers all three.
Home to one of the world's most international financial centres, the UK combines large amounts of capital, competitive listing rules and a track record of supporting businesses at every stage of growth – from scaling privately to listing on public markets.
As part of the Modern Industrial Strategy, the Financial Services Sector Plan reinforces this offer by strengthening the UK’s position as a global hub for investment, innovation and growth.
The UK's strengths
Europe's leading exchange
The London Stock Exchange is the most active stock exchange in Europe and is £2.4 trillion bigger than the next largest European exchange
The world's most international market
36% of companies listed on the London Stock Exchange’s markets are international
A thriving centre for innovation
PISCES: a new type of stock exchange for private companies to help them to scale and provide a stepping stone to a public listing
Europe's leading growth markets
4,000 companies have raised over £138 billion in AIM's 30-year history. In 2025, companies on Aquis Exchange raised more than £310 million, with over £1.5 billion traded
A global centre for raising capital
Between January and June 2026, £386.5 billion of capital was raised through bond issuances
The world's leading FX market
The UK remains the single largest centre of foreign exchange activity, with a 37.8% share of global turnover
Unlock the next stage of your growth journey: get in touch with the London Stock Exchange today
Whether you are raising your first round of funding, scaling rapidly, or exploring a future IPO (initial public offering), we hope you find this guide from the London Stock Exchange helpful as you plan your organisation’s next funding move.
Hear from Laurence Newman, founder and CEO of The Beauty Tech Group, as he shares how a single vision led the company to become a global leader in at-home beauty tech, culminating in an IPO on the London Stock Exchange.
The UK's offer
We have reformed the UK’s capital markets to make it easier for companies to raise capital, go public, and grow - supporting businesses at every stage and broadening access to both public and private investment.
To provide choice and flexibility to scale-ups and unicorns backed by Venture Capital (VC), we have:
- established PISCES, a new type of stock exchange for private companies, providing a stepping stone to an eventual public listing. There are four FCA-approved operators so far: JP Jenkins, London Stock Exchange, Vestd and Asset Match
- agreed the Mansion House Accord with 17 major pension providers, committing at least 10% of default funds to private and growth markets such as Aquis and AIM
To make it easier to IPO in the UK, we have:
- significantly cut the paperwork a firm needs to IPO in the UK through the overhaul of the prospectus regime
- enhanced the UK’s listing framework by enabling dual-class share structures and easing free float requirements, helping innovative firms to list in the UK
- introduced the UK Listing Relief – exempting shares traded from Stamp Duty Reserve Tax for the first 3 years after listing on the UK market
To make it easier for UK-listed firms to grow, we have:
- removed the rules that were getting in the way of companies raising further capital, lowering costs and cutting bureaucracy for listed companies going through secondary fundraisings
- improved liquidity for UK-listed companies by removing protectionist and restrictive rules on how and where trading could happen
- improved price transparency and liquidity through the launch of the consolidated tape for bonds in June and the proposed tape for equities in 2027
- responded to business concerns to make the UK Corporate Governance and Stewardship Codes more streamlined, proportionate, and fit for purpose
To build a retail investment culture and unlock private investment, we have:
- delivered the Pension Schemes Act: the biggest shake-up of UK pensions since the Turner Commission
- incentivised investment by maintaining the £20,000 stocks and shares ISA limit, but reducing the cash ISA limit to £12,000, from April 2027
- launched targeted support in April, which will enable people to access the help they need to make the right financial decisions for them
- welcomed the launch of the industry-led ‘Invest for the Future’ campaign to promote the benefits of investing to the public, and the industry-led review to reform how firms talk about the risks and benefits of investing
The results so far
2025 saw significant companies such as Shawbrook, The Beauty Tech Group, the Princes Group and UzNIF (the National Wealth Fund for Uzbekistan) choosing to list and raise capital in the UK.
Our reforms have been delivered at pace, strengthening the UK’s foundations for productive growth across the whole country, while reinforcing the stability and long-term certainty our international partners rely on.
Unlock the next stage of your growth journey: get in touch with the London Stock Exchange today
Whether you are raising your first round of funding, scaling rapidly, or exploring a future IPO, we hope you find this guide from the London Stock Exchange helpful as you plan your organisation’s next funding move.
Last updated: