Elvie founder to ‘quit UK’ if Brexit damages tech sector

Fast-growing female health startup Elvie has said it would consider quitting the UK in the event of a damaging Brexit in the latest stark warning from London’s tech sector.

By The Newsroom

Published 19th May 2019, 19:11 BST

Elvie - which is backed by veteran City investor and former Conservative Party treasurer Michael Spencer - cautioned it could look to quit the UK for Europe if Brexit threatened to knock London’s international reputation and access to investment and talent.

Speaking to the Press Association, the group’s chief executive and co-founder Tania Boler said the UK is one of the “best places in the world for startups”, having recently secured the biggest ever femtech investment.

Elvie, which is behind the award-winning Kegel trainer and app that helps women strengthen their pelvic floor, completed a record $42 million (£33m) funding round in April.

But Ms Boler said: “We are nimble and already quite international - if it is looking like Brexit will have a negative impact on the UK, we’d have to consider moving.”

She said there is “great talent” in London, though a third of Elvie’s staff are European.