Happy Birthday Reading Tech Cluster
One year ago, on 4 July 2025, the Reading Tech Cluster (RTC) set out with a simple ambition: to bring together the incredible people, businesses and organisations that make Thames Valley Berkshire one of the UK’s leading technology regions. Twelve months later, we’re celebrating a community that’s stronger, better connected and growing faster than ever.
We’ve welcomed 18 fantastic sponsors, built partnerships across business, academia and the public sector, and created countless opportunities for people to meet, collaborate and do business together. Our growing programme of networking events has helped turn introductions into partnerships and conversations into opportunities.
This year also saw the launch of our Special Interest Groups, giving members dedicated spaces to explore emerging technologies, tackle shared challenges and build collaborations around the topics that matter most. These communities are already becoming engines of innovation and knowledge sharing across the Cluster.
Our flagship RTC Investment Summit brought together around 200 delegates, with more than 35 companies applying to pitch and eight outstanding scale-ups selected to present to investors. The quality of innovation on display reinforced what we’ve always known—Thames Valley Berkshire is packed with world-class technology talent.
In October, we turned the traditional investment pitch on its head with our hugely successful Reverse Pitch event, where investors took centre stage to explain exactly what they’re looking for, giving founders invaluable insight into how to prepare for investment and who might be the right funding partner.
Then, in February, our Pitch Event at Campus Reading showcased some of the region’s most exciting technology businesses, connecting ambitious founders with investors, advisers and business leaders who can help accelerate their growth. It demonstrated exactly what happens when great ideas meet the right network.
Along the way, we’ve strengthened relationships with the University of Reading, Henley Business School, Activate Learning, REDA, the British Business Bank and many more organisations that are helping build the region’s innovation economy.
Perhaps our biggest achievement, though, isn’t measured in events or numbers—it’s the community we’ve built. A community where founders, global tech companies, investors, researchers, educators and local leaders are working together with a shared ambition to make our region an even better place to innovate, invest and grow.
The Reading Tech Cluster has shown that when we connect brilliant people, amazing things happen. Here’s to an incredible first year—and an even bigger, bolder second year ahead. Happy Birthday, RTC!
Dr Keith Arundale
Co-Founder and Director, Reading Tech Cluster
