A 'Periodic Table of UK Tech' has been drawn up by analysts - but it's not perfect

Analysts at research firm CB Insights have produced a customised periodic table that aims to map the UK tech scene.

While the traditional periodic table groups chemical elements based on their properties, the "Periodic Table of UK Tech" groups 146 technology companies and investors alongside others in their field.

The table, published on the CB Insights blog yesterday, is based on CB Insights data around funding, company momentum, and recent investments in the space. It includes UK success stories like overseas money transfer service Transferwise, music identification app Shazam, and fashion retailer Farfetch, as well as VCs like Index Ventures, Accel Partners, and Balderton.

CB Insights

If you can't make out the names of the companies in the table then try here.

The quirky table has been shared on Twitter by many supporters of the UK tech scene, including Gerard Grech, CEO of government-funded quango Tech City UK, Boris Johnson's promo agency London & Partners, and TechCrunch editor-at-large, Mike Butcher. As you might expect, many companies featured on the list have also shared the table through their social media accounts.

However, the graph hasn't been welcomed by everyone, with sceptics criticising CB Insights for failing to include some of the most prominent UK technology companies.

Hazel Moore, cofounder of investment bank First Capital, said there were some surprising omissions.

Some surprising names and interesting omissions in the Periodic Table Of UK Tech https://t.co/dxJY6KwPnM via @cbinsights

- Hazel Moore (@hazel_moore) December 22, 2015

Nic Fildes, technology reporter at The Times, said the table was a "waste of time" as it does not include chip architect ARM, enterprise software firm Sage, big data firm WANDisco, and engineering software firm Aveva.

The "periodic table of UK tech" doing the rounds does not include ARM, Sage, Aveva, WANdisco...what a waste of time https://t.co/X64GTXjjlz

- Nic Fildes (@NicFildes) December 23, 2015

"To visualise the depth and breadth of the UK's tech scene, we used CB Insights data and analytics to create a periodic table of tech in the United Kingdom," CB Insights wrote on its blog. "The table covers venture capital investors, accelerators, and angel investors. It also lists funded companies in select industry categories that are particularly prominent in the UK, along with notable exits of UK-based companies.

"We expect that this list of 146 companies will change over time as new entrants emerge and gain prominence and others falter, exit, and are removed. If you believe someone should be added, please leave a comment with your rationale."