Intelligent Investment
London Market
Global Life Sciences Atlas
April 11, 2025 5 Minute Read
Overview
- London has all the elements of a strong global life sciences hub, with three of the world’s leading universities for biomedical sciences—UCL, King’s College and Imperial College—located within the city. The city’s deep capabilities include top research institutions (the Francis Crick Institute, the Wellcome Trust, the Institute of Cancer Research) and multiple world-renowned hospitals (Guy’s and St Thomas’ and The Royal Marsden).
- From a funding perspective, venture capital investment into London for life sciences topped all European markets for several years, before falling behind a surge of funding in Cambridge in 2024. The years-long trend of abundant funding has attracted a wave of real estate investment and development, with 2.7 million sq. ft. currently under construction.
- London has multiple micro clusters, with the King’s Cross Knowledge Quarter being the most recognized and mature. Known for its blend of science and technology capabilities, it has a rich talent pool that many companies are keen to access.
- This trend signifies the maturing of London’s life sciences ecosystem, with early-stage companies increasingly progressing to later stages of funding.
Submarkets
Life Sciences Venture Capital Investment Trends
Figure 1: Life Sciences Venture Capital Funding
Life Sciences Market Stats
Figure 2: Inventory Lab/R&D
Development Pipeline or Activity
Figure 3: 2024 Lab/R&D Deliveries
Figure 4: Life Sciences Development Pipeline
- AstraZeneca
- Arrow Therapeutics
- Avacta Therapeutics
- AviadoBio
- Autolus
- Benevolent AI
- DeepMind
- GSK
- hVIVO
- Link Biologics
- MSD
- Novartis
- Pacific Bio
- Symouis
- Biomedical Research Centre
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital
- Imperial College London
- Institute of Cancer Research
- King’s College London
- The Alan Turing Institute
- The Francis Crick Institute
- The Royal Marsden Hospital
- University College London
- University College London Hospital
- Wellcome Trust
Global Life Science Markets
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Cambridge boasts one of Europe’s most advanced life sciences hubs.
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The Oxford cluster is one of the most established science and innovation ecosystems in Europe. The availability of early-stage and venture capital funding has contributed to its rapid growth over the last several years.
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Paris is at the epicenter of the French life sciences cluster, benefitting from an influx of government and private funding to support healthcare initiatives.