No UK tech unicorn is publicly in favor of a Brexit
This morning I wrote a report on how just a third of UK’s companies actually have a plan in place in case the country leaves the European Union, following the Brexit referendum in some six weeks’ time.
At the same time, Guardian reached out to UK’s unicorn companies -- those valued at more than a billion dollars -- about their opinion on the Brexit, and those that were willing to speak were firmly against the UK leaving the European Union.
The majority, however, either didn’t want to comment, or remained neutral. Out of 14 unicorns that UK has, five were explicitly against Brexit. The rest were either neutral or declined to comment.
Taavet Hinrikus, the co-founder of the financial technology (fintech) startup TransferWise, told The Guardian: "We believe it would be crazy for the UK to leave the EU, both for businesses and consumers".
Funding Circle, another fintech startup, said: "A successful, well-functioning Europe is crucial to a business like ours and we believe this is best achieved by remaining part of the EU".
Alex Chesterman, the co-founder of property website Zoopla, said: "We have benefited from access to both capital and talent as part of the EU and leaving would create both economic and political uncertainty, which could have a material impact on our currency, borrowing rates, house prices and wider consumer prices".
The United Kingdom is getting ready for the referendum on whether it will stay within the European Union or not. While some companies believe leaving the EU would be a disaster for business, others think it would open new opportunities and position the UK as more competitive on the global market.
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