New research conducted by global growth consultancy, Think & Grow, has revealed that a significant number of UK tech companies are missing out on key growth opportunities by not appointing Artificial Intelligence (AI) experts to their boards.
According to the research, only a third of the UK’s fastest-growing technology scale-ups have AI expertise on their boards, compared to four in ten of the largest tech companies on the FTSE 350 index. This trend is also reflected in revenue numbers, as companies with AI expertise on their boards generate an average revenue of £6.8 billion, significantly higher than those without AI knowledge, whose average revenue is £953 million.
These findings highlight the importance of AI expertise in driving growth and securing a competitive edge in the market. Yet, despite the clear benefits, only half of UK tech scale-ups with annual revenue greater than £50 million have AI expertise on their boards, compared to just 15% of companies with revenue below that level.
The research also reveals that a third of technology companies plan to appoint individuals with AI expertise to their boards in the next 12 months. However, surprisingly, 13% of technology companies have no plans to appoint AI expertise to their boards in the next year, despite the increasing investor appetite for AI and the significant contributions made by AI companies to the UK economy.
Jonathan Jeffries, Co-Founder of Think & Grow, explains that companies without AI expertise on their boards are at risk of losing out on growth opportunities and falling behind their competitors. He emphasizes the need for ambitious tech companies to embrace AI in order to reach their full potential and overcome upcoming challenges.
Jeffries also highlights the importance of board connections and expertise in driving success for high-growth tech companies. He urges UK tech companies to build boards that are capable of leveraging commercial opportunities and scaling effectively in today’s unpredictable and competitive market realities.
These research findings will be part of an upcoming report from Think & Grow titled Breaking & Remaking the Next Generation of High Impact Boards, which will be published in November.
Think & Grow, a global growth consultancy with over 11 years of experience, has supported some of tech’s most innovative companies—including Spotify, Stripe, Square, Dropbox, Peloton, Datadog, Canva, and Etsy—in scaling their businesses and overcoming unique growth challenges.
The research was conducted by independent research agency Opinium, which surveyed 400 board members or senior decision-makers in UK and US technology companies with up to 500 employees between 14th August – 22th September 2025.
Investment in British AI companies has reached record levels, with UK AI companies securing £2.9 billion in private investment in 2024, as reported by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and HM Treasury. Think & Grow’s research highlights the need for UK tech companies to leverage this growing industry and appoint AI expertise to their boards in order to drive growth and fulfill their potential.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.