.webp)
Kalisa Founder & CEO Adam Roney was invited to 10 Downing Street to celebrate UK entrepreneurship at a reception hosted by Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Alexandra Depledge MBE, the Chancellor's Entrepreneurship Advisor. It was an opportunity to reflect on where the UK is as a nation and where it needs to go.
We would like to extend our personal thanks to Alexandra for her tireless work that made this event possible. Alexandra has been instrumental in shaping a new approach to supporting UK entrepreneurs. She is building genuine partnerships between founders, investors, and Government, ensuring that policy is informed by the lived experience of those building and scaling companies.
The Entrepreneurship Prospectus published in November is the tangible result of this approach: a comprehensive strategy built on listening to what founders actually need.
In this Prospectus the Chancellor has outlined a clear vision: making the UK the best place to start, scale and stay. As the foreword to the Prospectus states, "Somewhere along the way - in business and in Government - we have become too focussed on managing the downside and not nearly focussed enough on maximising the upside. We have built systems around caution, not conviction. Around stasis, not momentum. It is time for a reset."
This resonates deeply with what Kalisa is doing. Regulated sectors: legal, education, financial services, healthcare, have been understandably cautious about generative AI. The risks are real: data privacy, regulatory compliance, accuracy, and accountability all matter enormously. But caution without conviction leads to stasis. Kalisa's clients don't want to avoid AI; they want to harness it safely and effectively. They want to compete globally whilst maintaining high regulatory standards.
It is time to maximise the upside of this new technology for the benefit of the UK economy.
Why this approach matters for UK innovation
The Entrepreneurship Prospectus outlines four priority areas:
1. R&D Investment
The Government is focussing public research on the needs of scaling companies. For AI, this means supporting the fundamental research that underpins breakthrough applications.
2. Access to Capital
The British Business Bank will target over 60% of its venture and growth investment flow on scale-ups, investing at least £5 billion in growth-stage funds. This addresses a critical gap: UK AI companies often attract international capital but lack strong domestic alternatives at the scale-up stage.
3. Procurement as Revenue
Perhaps most exciting is the commitment to use Government procurement to support innovation. As the Prospectus notes, "Time and again, entrepreneurs say what they really need most is revenue rather than investment." An anchor contract from the Government can provide the credibility and stability that AI companies need to prove their technology works in demanding, regulated environments.
4. Staying in the UK
The Government recognises that too many UK companies relocate abroad as they scale. For AI specifically, this matters. If our best AI talent and companies move to the US or elsewhere, we lose not just economic value but strategic capability.
Sovereign AI Leadership
During his conversation with the Chancellor, Adam Roney emphasised his belief that the UK should be a sovereign AI leader. What does this mean in practice?
It means:
- Building AI systems that reflect UK regulatory standards.
- Creating domestic expertise in AI safety and governance.
- Capturing domestic economic value from AI innovation.
- Building a strong export market for UK-built AI technology.
For Kalisa, this isn't abstract. The company is building AI solutions specifically designed for regulated sectors, with safety, transparency, and compliance built in by design. This is the kind of AI innovation the UK should be known for.
Ambition must be met with Action
Standing in Downing Street last night, surrounded by founders and innovators from across the country, Adam Roney noted there was a palpable sense of optimism about the UK's economic future.
The UK has world-class universities, deep capital markets, strong regulatory frameworks, and crucially, ambitious founders willing to take risks.
For those building in AI, this is our moment. The technology is transformative, the market opportunity is significant, and the price of inaction is too great.
