As far as forward-thinking, tech-minded cities go, there aren’t many in the world that can match London. The UK government has placed a strong emphasis on encouraging the development of tech businesses within the country, and Tech City is a shining example of the successes of this approach.
Numerous companies – large and small – call the area home and, as such, Tech City has a buzzing, innovative atmosphere that’s almost palpable. And, with this in mind, we’ve put together a rundown of some of the coolest, most innovative companies within a stone’s throw of the Montcalm Royal House London.
PaveGen
Energy is something the world needs more and more of, but where it’s all going to come from is a significant concern for governments around the world. It’s this problem - and the solution provided- that marks PaveGen out as one of the most innovative companies working in Tech City today. And, it’s only a stone’s throw from the popular Long Arm Pub Montcalm.
The idea behind PaveGen is creating paving slabs that absorb energy from people as they walk, converting the kinetic energy captured into small amounts of electrical power. However, the technology could have greater uses beyond the generation of energy. The technology built into PaveGen could also provide immense amounts of useful data on the flow of people around urban areas. In real terms, this could mean much-improved urban planning, with the technology giving information on the busiest streets, with broader applications possible for the control of foot-flow during large events.
Sports Interactive
In terms of an old-school British games company, they don’t come much cooler – or well-respected – than Sports Interactive.
The firm started out as a small-scale games developer all the way back in 1994, with two brothers founding the company. It was during the early 2000’s when Sports Interactive made its name, with their enormously popular ‘Football Manager’ series taking the games market by storm. Zip ahead to 2006 and Sega acquired Sports Interactive, aware of the brand loyalty and sales their flagship game represented.
Rather than stripping the company down and shipping development overseas, Sega decided to keep the firm in the UK. Today, Sports Interactive is still one of the most successful British game development companies, and it’s only going from strength to strength. And, if you’re a little footsore after your Tech City explorations, you’re just a short walk from Montcalm Royal London House spa.
Streetbank
Streebank is a somewhat unique business in Tech City in that it’s more about developing community engagement than creating a specific, targeted product. It’s just a short distance from Montcalm Royal House London, and Streetbank is one of the most socially innovative businesses in the area.
The idea behind the business is to encourage a “movement” of people to interact, share with and get to know their neighbours. How it works is that users register on the company site and then connect with other users in the local area. From there, users can offer skills, time, request help, and provide information about the local area. Streetbank is, at its heart, a platform for building community spirit and interaction, making it a unique and socially-conscious company.
